Seahawks Build Insurmountable Lead
by John Morgan on Sep 16, 2010 7:51 PM PDT
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Starting with: 1-10-SEA 36 (6:17) 22-J.Jones right tackle to SEA 42 for 6 yards (52-P.Willis).
- Seattle runs a stretch right. Max Unger lands his pull blocks but quickly loses it. Nothing uncommon, but uncommonly costly, because Julius Jones shirts the common and hits his hole and explodes.
- The Seahawks couldn't establish an edge on the next rush, and Jones was stopped for no gain.
- Deion Branch indisputably grabbed Nate Clements hand and prevented him from intercepting and possibly returning a pass. Branch runs from the left slot, the two players are briefly tangled about four yards into the route, Clements moves to cut into Branch's route, there's some hand fighting between Branch's left and Clement's right arm, and then Branch grabs at Clements wrist then grabs Clements hand and prevents him from intercepting the pass. If Clements interfered with Branch prior to that, I didn't see it.
- Following the penalty, Seattle broke with only one wide, Deon Butler, two tight ends and in an "I" formation. Butler streaked deep. A better camera angle would show if Butler was open or if Matt Hasselbeck just didn't like what he saw. San Francisco shutdown the underneath routes and Hasselbeck scrambled.
- Same play: Tyler Polumbus pancakes Manny Lawson.
- Seattle lines in a trips package on the right, and all three receivers are tight ends. Chris Baker pulls into a speed out and chips the corner blitz on the way. Jones blocks. Hasselbeck steps up and finds Cameron Morrah free between two zones. Very nice play design.
- The next play features another curious trips package, this time, from left to right: Quinton Ganther, John Carlson and Dieon Branch. Seahawks run a delayed hand off. Ganther pulls to the inside and blocks. Carlson and Branch pull out to double Lawson. Jones hits the hole. The play looks awesome. Lots of space, lots of blockers where there needs to be blockers, lots of Niners trapped by the draw action executed by the offensive tackles, and good acceleration by Jones. Lawson throws Carlson off and tackles Jones for three. Anticlimax.
- Then it's the out and up seen here. Notice the three step drop, pump fake. The devil's in the details.
Next drive.
- Seahawks played in a 4-1 for the first two plays and a 3-2 for the final play.
- Aaron Curry had a quarterback hit on the first play. Chris Clemons had a quarterback hit on the second.
- The second play was a three man rush, and I think Raheem Brock was supposed to rush and Brandon Mebane supposed to drop into cover, but the opposite happened. That's an inference. Mebane steps back from the snap, Brock drops into cover and Mebane turns back towards the line and rushes. That might be intentional, but I doubt it. Lofa Tatupu seems to correct Brock after the snap.
- Seattle blitzed five on Jordan Babineaux's interception. It didn't generate much pressure and Alex Smith had a generous pocket to step into. Roy Lewis established good coverage on Michael Crabtree, and that might be crucial, because Crabtree made a sudden move right just before Smith passed. The ball hit Crabtree's left shoulder instead of his body. The tip bounded to Babineaux.
- Crabtree kills you between the catches. As fun as he was in college, he has been a pretty frustrating pro.
Scoring play.
- Deon Butler flew wide open with a double move. The move not only drew Tarell Brown, the corner covering Butler, but Nate Clements. Both jumped the route, proving fiery, ass-bearing, brow-beating, old-school intimidation does not inspire discipline.
Final 49ers drive of the half
- Aaron Curry reads draw and turns a right angle around right end to tackle Frank Gore for what looks like a loss, but is credited as a one yard gain. Behold: awareness, agility, footwork and tackling.
- Red Bryant at nose tackle on a passing down -- pretty much the antithesis of Craig Terrill at nose tackle on a passing down. Clemons and Curry generate edge rush and Babineaux covers Davis preventing the reception.
- Gore slips.
- Seattle calls a time out.
And then nothing else exciting happens.
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Butler's comments on the TD play were funny:
He jumped, the safety jumped, the coach jumped — it was bad.
by DJ C-Raig on Sep 16, 2010 8:24 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
"...proving firy, ass-bearing, brow-beating, old-school intimidation does not inspire discipline."
Front row, far right.
by trippsixxes on Sep 16, 2010 10:58 PM PDT up reply actions
#4 White Dude
Looks so ridiculously awkward and uncomfortable in that video. I think that’s the back up QB.
Comment on this.
Deion Branch indisputably grabbed Nate Clements hand and prevented him from intercepting and possibly returning a pass. Branch runs from the left slot, the two players are briefly tangled about four yards into the route, Clements moves to cut into Branch’s route, there’s some hand fighting between Branch’s left and Clement’s right arm, and then Branch grabs at Clements wrist then grabs Clements hand and prevents him from intercepting the pass. If Clements interfered with Branch prior to that, I didn’t see it.
I thought I saw a gif or replay that showed Clements making the first hold, but a quick search revealed nothing. I’ll have to dig deeper. If I find it, I’ll repost it. Was a comment, maybe on NN.
Here is the gif you are talking about.
I definitely agree with you. He gained a pretty significant advantage by grabbing the arm of Branch and pulling himself towards the ball and then keeps hanging onto the arm as he runs to the ball.
It seems as if Clements first grabs Branch's hand.
And then Branch sees Clements will now intercept the pass and probably take it for 6 and grabs him back. Or I’m a homer and can’t think objectively.
by Hopefulmsfan on Sep 17, 2010 12:38 AM PDT up reply actions
Agreed but a bad route by Branch
At least he had the presence of mind to obstruct him.
by Hawkhammer19 on Sep 17, 2010 1:01 AM PDT up reply actions
This is why it's only a matter of time before Branch blows another knee
He just spontaneously loses balance.
by Hawkhammer19 on Sep 17, 2010 1:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Not really.
Branch was where he was supposed to be, pretty much when he was supposed to be. The tangle between him and Clements left him without the inside track at the pass.
That said, it really looks as if Clements held Branch first, but Branch held Clements right after.
Golden!
by Carl Shinyama on Sep 17, 2010 1:37 AM PDT up reply actions
That looks like what happened to me as well.
Tough to tell, but Clements jumped the route perfectly, AND looks like he gained a slight advantage by pulling on Branch. As Branch pulls his arm out of Clements’ grasp, he grabs Clement’s arm and ends up holding his hand. Clements’ fails to catch with only one arm and hops around asking for a flag, and gets one. The irony of it being against him made me laugh on Sunday, while thinking we just got lucky with the call.
I can’t fault Branch for it, a loss of yards is much preferred to a pick, especially a pick 6. Result got even better with the defensive holding call, but I like the play from his perspective. A wily move that reminds me of when he forced the fumble against Jared Allen (when he was a Chief).
Yep.
Normally the second transgression is the one that is seen, so it’s surprising they saw the first one.
A flag either way I could have accepted.
But I think that it was the right call.
The first offender is supposed to earn the flag in most situations.
Here is a better larger one.
I feel like the second illegal move by Branch was as a result of the first illegal move of Clement where he grabbed him to gain advantage and then held onto him. That is why the ref called that right there. I feel like Clements was the most influential illegal move because it put him in a position to make the play and caused Branch to have to do his illegal move.
It could also be argued that Clements was going to have a game-changing interception, possibly TD.
Therefore the outcome of Branch’s illegal move was the most influential.
But cause-effect, you could be right. But if Clements jump, which was already pretty good, was going to put him in a similar position, does Branch interfere anyway? I think so, so it’s tough to say Branch would not have.
Either way, we agree. Clements earned his flag on that play, and if they called Branch, it would maybe be slightly less deserved because they would have missed Clements move, but still justifiable.
That could be argued.
You know what couldn’t be argued? The San Francisco 49ers lost 31-6!
Ahahahhahhahahahahhahahahahahahahahah!
Alex Smith is their starting QB! Hehehehehhehehe
Here's what I see here
Branch tangles with Clement and is spinning away from him with what looks like a lot of open ground to the left and upfield. If Branch can get away cleanly he has all the room in the world for a first down and maybe double digit yards after catch. Clement holds him and thus prevents him from breaking away moments before the throw is made. I guess at that instant Hass’s arm is already cocked. The throw comes in close to Clements only because Branch is not already turned and gunning up/toward the sideline.
That’s my $0.02
De Gutibus non disputandum est
by Bearskin Rugburn on Sep 17, 2010 7:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Obviously I may just be seeing what I want to see
But to me it looks like they break at about the 47 yard line. Branch is trying to come back towards the 45, but Clements has Branch’s left hand held against his chest for two steps before the ball is thrown. Branch tries to flatten his route. When they reach the first down line Clements, who still has Branch’s left hand hooked with this right, extends the arm to nudge Branch up field slightly to gain additional separation which causes Branch to stumble. At that point, Celements is trying to free his right hand to make the pick, and Branch holds it down to prevent the interception.
by SmartAssCoug on Sep 17, 2010 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Clements established position and was making a play on the ball.
That should be exempted under provision (e)
(e) Contact by a defender who has gained position on a receiver in an attempt to catch the ball.
and probably should not have been called. Defenders can contact a receiver making a play for the ball, and, if anything, I think Branch initiated the arm bar into Clements. Clements established inside position with his body and was about to jump the route and pick the pass.
If something happened during the brief moment Branch’s back is turned, I do not know. But Clements had position and was making a play for the pass. Branch was out of position and trying to stop Clements from interceptiing the pass. Barring something I can’t see, the penalty should have been on Branch.
Watched it a few more times.
You are right about Branch initiating the arm into Clements. You could even argue a pushoff. But with his arm grasped between Clements forearm and bicep, and Branch’s hand between Clements’ hands, are you saying Clements was not holding at all? Because even if he is not, it looks like it on this focused replay. In fact, when Branch hangs onto Clements’ hand, it’s only noticeable when Clements can’t reach for the ball with that other arm. A pretty sneaky move by Branch.
Clements sure was committed to the short route the entire time on this play.
The second guy drawn by Butler's move
was Clements, not Lewis. Lewis was covering Branch on the play.
by Suburban Shocker on Sep 17, 2010 7:35 AM PDT reply actions
I didn't see a hold
But that was a surefire pick 6 thrown by Hasselbeck if there is no tangling. Whitehurst would’ve come in immediately and won us the game 31-13 anyway so it’s moot.
Mo Johnston finally fired. Let the house cleaning and road to success begin.
The Pump Fake
I saw Hass’s pump fake on the first double move, and on the Butler play, I thought I saw one too. Thanks for mentioning it. Those were excellent uses of the pump fake to draw the defense. The announcers never mentioned it, but I thought it was a crucial part of the play design.
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