FanPost

With Bobby Wagner in the Lineup, Seattle has the Best Run Defense...Maybe Ever.

Since Packers fans and NFL pundits are all saying that the Packers are going to blow the Seahawks out because Sherrod is long gone, unlike Week 1 where he filled in for the ailing Bryan Bulaga, I thought it would be interesting to apply this logic to the most important player on the Seahawks’ defense, Bobby Wagner, who was injured in the first quarter against Dallas in Week 6, and came back in Week 12, and how it relates to Seattle’s run defense.

The 4 worst defensive rushing performances for the Seahawks this season:

Week 6
Demarco Murray (DAL) – 28 CAR, 115 YDS
John Randle – 5 CAR, 52 YDS

Bobby Wagner was knocked out of the game in the first quarter.

Rookie Brock Coyle and Mike Morgan filled in for him. Neither will play on Sunday (except special teams).

Week 7
Tre Mason

18 CAR, 85 YDS
Bobby Wagner was injured, Malcolm Smith played in his place.

He will not be playing on Sunday except on special teams.

Week 9
Jonathan Stewart (CAR) – 16 CAR, 79 YDS
Bobby Wagner was injured
Malcolm Smith, Rookie Kevin Pierre-Louis and Rookie Brock Coyle played in his spot.

They will only play special teams Sunday, except Pierre-Louis who is on IR.

Week 11
Rushing: Jamaal Charles (KC) – 20 CAR, 159 YDS

Bobby Wagner was injured.
Malcolm Smith and Kevin Pierre-Louis played in his spot.

Smith will play special teams and KPL is on IR.

Wagner was injured in the 1st quarter of the Week 6 game against Dallas, and returned in Week 12 against Arizona.

When Bobby Wagner IS in the lineup, the Seahawks have an impeccable run defense:

Week 1-GB-E. Lacy-12-34
Week 2-SD-D. Woodhead-8-32
Week 3-DEN-M. Ball-14-38
Week 4-BYE
Week 5-WAS-A. Morris-13-29
INJURED WEEK 6-11
Week 12-AZ-A. Ellington-10-24
Week 13-SF-F. Gore-10-28
Week 14-PHI-L. McCoy-17-50
Week 15-SF-F. Gore-11-29
Week 16-AZ-S. Taylor-11-19
Week 17-STL-T. Mason-11-28
PLAYOFFS
CAR-J. Stewart-13-70

*Note the last 7 games were without DT Brandon Mebane as well who got hurt back in week 10 against the Giants and is out for the season.

As a result, with Bobby Wagner playing Middle Linebacker this season, with a sample of 11 games, including a playoff game, and 7 of those games without DT Brandon Mebane playing, opponents rushed 130 times for 381 yards, and average of 2.9 Yards per Carry.

That is insane.