Walter Jones versus Aaron Schobel

If Jones keeps him square and his left shoulder in, Shobel won't show bull.

In 2007, Jones sat out the entire preseason. He would record his six worst quarters of football to start the season. In 2008, Jones saw extensive, terrifying action in August. He should be in game shape and moreover at game speed. That's good, because in many ways Schobel is exactly the type of end that gives Jones fits. As a pass rusher, Schobel is part edge rusher, part Kerney-esque hustle until the lineman quits. Jones doesn't quit - unless you can get outside his left shoulder. In 2007, Jones' sacks allowed occurred when pass rushers, through sheer quickness or an aggressive outside move, positioned themselves outside his left shoulder. Jones, 34, incapable of taking strong pain medication and plagued by chronic shoulder problems, protectively disengages his pass blocking when pass rushers can leverage their body against his outstretched left arm. For Jones to succeed against Schobel, he must be in midseason form mirror sliding, thereby keeping Schobel square. He must also overpower Schobel, disorient him enough on his initial pop to keep Schobel from hustling outside left on longer developing plays.

The other half of this matchup is Jones' ability to dominate Schobel run blocking. Schobel is well known for his ability to contribute run tackles, but that ability and the ability to hold the point are not one and the same. Seattle should attempt to attack the Bills on the edge, away from their (on paper) stout defensive tackles and outside Paul Posluszny's range. If Jones can bully Schobel in, use him to pick Kyle Williams and John McCargo, Mike Wahle can pull without fear of losing inside containment. If Jones doesn't bully Schobel, Chris Spencer/Steve Vallos may not be able to single block Willams/McCargo, and the Seahawks will shy away from potentially aborted sweeps and off tackle rushes.

Leroy Hill versus Marshawn Lynch

This matchup challenges Hill to take on what could be one of the better pass blocking backs in the NFL. A combination of an ankle injury and the loss of Jason Peters had the Bills keeping Lynch in more late last season, and with Peters out they may do likewise on Sunday. Like most rookies, Lynch wasn't a great blocker to start, but with a strong reputation at Cal and an emphasis on improvement in the offseason, I expect Lynch to make that jump this season.

This matchup is not of the "this guy's taller than this guy, so this guy will win the jump ball" crayon stuck in brain simplicity. Instead, it's dynamic and dependent on many variables. For one, Lynch may not even be the man to block Hill. Seattle frequently uses Lofa Tatupu as a kind of fullback on blitzes, punishing the lead blocker and blowing a hole for Hill to explode through. Second, Hill winning this matchup is as much about Hill's quickness and Lynch's read as Hill's strength and Lynch's blocking. John Marshall loves discordant blitzes that attempt to get a man free to the quarterback. Hill may win this matchup without even encountering Marshawn. Doing so will mean execution by the team and execution by Hill. On a veiled blitz, Marshall often attempts to hide Hill, not blitzing him until the last moment. This is one of Hill's greatest strengths and one way he should still be able to beat the inexperienced Lynch. That is, fool Lynch into reading wrong, blocking right (typically) and then outsprinting Lynch to the quarterback.

John Carlson versus Donte Whitner

Like Bob Sanders, Donte Whitner likes to start plays close to the line. And like Bob Sanders, Whitner can do that because he has rare speed and athleticism. Whitner sitting underneath is a recipe for a stunted running game and a broken wide receiver corps. In a Tampa 2 style defense, the flashpoint is deep-middle, between the safeties. High functioning Tampa 2s feature a middle linebacker who can supplement coverage between the safeties. For all his in the box prowess, Paul Posluszny was not a great pass defender at Penn State, and playing in just his fourth game in the NFL, will not singlehandedly remove the deep-middle on Sunday. Instead, Buffalo, suddenly debilitated at linebacker and facing a team determined to establish its running game, should keep Poz shallow and lean on Whitner to do the heavy lifting in coverage.

Seattle needs John Carlson and to a lesser extent Jeb Putzier to threaten the middle and keep Whitner from sitting on routes underneath. Purely from a geometric standpoint, deep-middle is also Matt Hasselbeck's best chance to complete deep passes. Beck is a maestro on short and intermediate passes, setting the tempo, cueing his soloist and shaping Seattle's passing attack. Beck is a meatball on deep passes, chucking ducks and hoping for busted coverage. But the deep middle, bearing no horizontal length, is one place Beck can get the ball 30 yards downfield with authority. An early completion to Carlson up the seam will do wonders for catch and run receivers Nate Burleson and Courtney Taylor. Allowing them to efficiently carve up the underneath and interior. The plodding, relentless almost zombie-like amassing of pass yards that make up the backbone of the Bill Walsh offense is essential to the explosive, phenomenal almost roman candle-like runs that make up the color and life of the Mike Holmgren offense.

Defense/Offense

Free Safety	Strong Safety
Brian Russell C.J. Wallace Jordan Babineaux	Deon Grant Jordan Babineaux

Right Cornerback	Dime Back	SLB	MLB	WLB	Nickelback	Left Cornerback
Kelly Jennings Josh Wilson Jordan Babineaux	Jordan Babineaux Kevin Hobbs	Julian Peterson D.D.Lewis LeroyHill	Lofa Tatupu DDLewis DavidHawthorne	Leroy Hill Lance Laury D.D.Lewis	Josh Wilson Jordan Babineaux Kevin Hobbs	Marcus Trufant KevinHobbs KellyJennings

Right DE	Right DT	Left DT	Left DE
LawrenceJackson Darryl Tapp JasonBabin	Brandon Mebane Howard Green Red Bryant	Rocky Bernard Craig Terrill Red Bryant	Patrick Kerney Darryl Tapp Baraka Atkins

• Many a Seahawks fan clamored for Seattle to draft Josh Beekman. Beekmen, a decorated lineman out of Boston College, fell to the fourth because of concerns about his size. Just 6'105, and without compensating tools, those concerns were not without merit. On the very first play of the game, combo blocking with Olin Kreutz, Beekman toppled Brandon Mebane with a vicious blindside block.
• Next play, 2^nd and 6 on the Chicago 24. Bears break in a 3 WR, TE, Rb formation. Seahawks in a base 4-3. The Seahawks rush 5 on a zone blitz. Lofa Tatupu, showing exciting improvement as a blitzer - the logical next step after last season's gains shedding blockers - explodes down the right "A" gap and forces a panic throw by Rex Grossman. As far as panic throws by Grossman go, this one was surprisingly accurate, and doubly-surprisingly to an undermatched target. Earl Bennett against a defensive end is an exploitable misma - no. Lawrence Jackson blocks out Bennett and records his first of two good coverages.
• Seattle cashed-in on the next play, as the Troika, LeRoy Hill, Julian Peterson and Tatupu, convened for a sack. Hill, somehow, received sole credit, but by the time he arrived for the wipeout hit, Tatupu and Peterson had already corralled Grossman and Sex Cannon was in a standing fetal position. In that sense, Hill deserves the least credit.
• For those scoring at home, Steve Vallos blew the block that led to Charlie Frye's first sack.
• A little field leadership by Deon Grant: On Chicago's third play of their first drive, Grant adjusted Atkins, hitting him on the left hip and directing him to slide out wider right. It didn't have a direct result on the play, but Atkins did achieve better edge rush and that rush opened a pass rush lane at the right "B" gap.
• Two plays later, 2^nd and 3 on the Chicago 34. Bears break in a 2 WR, TE, Hb, Rb formation. Seattle in a base 4-3. Jackson dominates Chicago's left side offensive line, ultimately drawing a triple team. Darryl Tapp exploits the attention, abusing John Tait, flying around the edge and forcing an incomplete.
• Next play, now third down. Bears 3 WR, TE, Rb. Seattle in nickel. Grossman gets time, targets a single covered Bennett streaking down the middle on a skinny post and delivers a catchable pass to Bennett's inside shoulder. Josh Wilson, playing man under coverage, reads the pass, breaks in and swats the ball away.
• Leonard Weaver, Mike Wahle and Sean Locklear each displayed good pull blocking. Locklear was then rolled up on from behind. It's some wonder he wasn't hurt worse.
• Preseason fumbles have become a bit of a tradition for Seattle. Weaver, recently T.J. Duckett and now Julius Jones has joined the party. Like Duckett last week, there're fumbles and there're fluke fumbles. On Seattle's seventh play of its second drive, Jones had broken containment, converted a long third down and seemingly put his team just outside the red zone. Sensing contact, Jones secured the ball, lowered his shoulder and put a clean, squared shot on Kevin Payne. And then the ball popped out. I really don't know how, as it didn't even look like Payne buried his helmet into the ball. Maybe Jones was just sweaty. Either way, I'm not concerned.

• Even with the fumble, Jones had a very productive first quarter: Excellent blocking as always, two first downs, a 50% success rate and no rush for less than two yards, 35 yards on six carries and one reception of nine yards. Another reception targeting him was tipped away; certainly no fault of Jones.

• On Frye's first interception, the ugly one into coverage that looked better targeted towards Charles Tillman than Jordan Kent, it was Vallos who was beat back and allowed an open lane for Adewale Ogunleye to stunt through. Frye does not keep his head under pressure.
• Jackson at it again, pressing Kellen Davis and taking away Grossman's safety valve. Second play of Chicago's third drive. 2^nd and 8 on the Chicago 22. Got to love the excellent field position courtesy of Olindo Mare. Bears in a 2 WR, 2 TE, Rb formation. Seattle in a base 4-3. John Marshall calls another zone blitz. Hill obliterates lead blocker Matt Forte. Tatupu, trailing Hill, shoots the exposed gap and pressures Grossman. Grossman heaves the ball towards Davis, who, pressed out of his route and bewildered, looks slightly more open than Jackson himself. Slightly. Jackson is exceptional on zone blitzes. His addition has and will change Marshall's play calling.

• Do you like exotic blitz packages? I don't. Too many Three Stooges blitzes involving players running around, picking each other out of the pocket and wasting motion and time. Then again, maybe I'm all turned around on the idea.

  Next play, Bears break 3WR, Hb, Rb, Shotgun. Seattle in a 3-3 nickel. God I missed the 3-3 Nickel.

  Here's what happens:

  

  And here's how it happens:

  At the snap, ends Jackson and Tapp deke in and then fade into short hook zones. Rocky Bernard teams with Tatupu to splinter the middle offensive line left. Offensive linemen, like pawns, are strongest when contiguous. Hill and Wilson, in symmetrical positions left and right respectively, edge rush. Wilson destroys Greg Olsen, forcing an uncalled hold before easily slipping past him. Hill draws left tackle John St. Clair and running back Forte, eventually circumventing both. Tait, previously assigned Tapp, is shuffling alone, isolated between the Bernard and Tats havoc and Wilson's edge rush. That's when the keystone of this blitz arrives: Peterson shoots between Tait and Kreutz, providing inside pressure and cuing Grossman's retreat. Grossman, now nearly backed into his own end zone, facilitates Hill and Wilson's edge rush. Remember aspiring quarterbacks, 15 yard drops allow edge rushers to run straight past their blockers. In a beautiful culmination, Seattle's three blitzers simultaneously arrive, terrifying Grossman into a grounding penalty.

• Let's end with Jordan Kent, who benefited from some blown coverage, but, at least on one play, put it all together.

  Seattle ball, third play of Seattle's third drive of the quarter. Hawks break in a trips left, TE, Rb. Kent is the "headpin". Chicago is in a Nickel. Before the snap, Seattle motions Ben Obomanu out of the bunch, wide right. At the snap, Ricky Manning Jr. attempts a press on Kent but gets tossed aside. Kent then zips horizontally on a drag route, receives without breaking stride, hops over all-world tackler Lance Briggs, turns upfield and puts a pretty good pop on Tillman before being wrestled down after 8.

  Heck of a play and great to see the drag executed to perfection.

From Seahawks Insider

The play of the day was made by Julius Jones, who broke into the secondary on a sweep to the right and met Jordan Babineaux face to face. Jones lowered his shoulder and sent Babs flying backward, sprawled on the ground. Jones is not that big a guy but he certainly harnessed his power on that play.

Everyone seems to love the big hit. It's certainly a money play, but in the grand scheme of things, mostly eye-candy. What matters is not that Jones flattened Jordan Babineaux, it's that he successfully ran a sweep. For the past two seasons, Alexander's slow first gear made sweeps inadvisable and rare. Adding the sweep back to the playbook is another small, hard to measure contribution by Jones.

From Talkin' Hawks

ROOKIE WATCH
Tight end John Carlson. The second-round draft choice from Notre Dame did some good things, and some not-so-good things this morning.

In an early drill, where the tight end and tackle where blocking a defensive end and linebacker, Carlson was pushed into the running back by linebacker Lance Laury and then whiffed on an attempted block of defensive end Jason Babin - who got to Weaver before he could turn the corner.

I saw a lot of whiffs by Carlson at Notre Dame. That should be something he can practice out of. Being walked into a running back is a little more troublesome. That's about winning engagement and sustaining a block. Mike Holmgren ripped him for the errors, so we can hope Carlson understands he won't play until he's adequate in all the duties of a tight end.

PLAYS OF THE DAY
Offense: Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Trufant jammed wide receiver Courtney Taylor not once, but twice as he broke off the line. Not simply hands-on contact, but route-altering jabs. Taylor, however, took the double-licking and came back to catch a pass from Hasselbeck in the flat. It was even more significant because these are the types of plays the offense will need from Taylor while filling in as the third receiver until Deion Branch is fully recovered from offseason knee surgery.

This play is significant both because Taylor eventually fought off the jam, and because Taylor was physically able to eventually fight off the jam. Later, Taylor's hamstring again tightened up. As long as he's able to practice tomorrow, it doesn't really matter. The play doesn't indicate that Taylor's hamstrings are healthy, they clearly are not, but it does indicate he's functional even whilst debilitated.

In addition to his usual read-and-react plays against the run, Hill also came up with a couple of gems in pass coverage. On the best, Matt Hasselbeck was looking to go to Bobby Engram. But Hill's blanket coverage took the primary receiver out of the play, leaving Hasselbeck to dump the ball to fullback Leonard Weaver - and defensive coordinator John Marshall to shout his approval of Hill's effort.

Last season, Hill moved from clueless to able-to-recover. He didn't always make the right read, but was close enough, aware enough and quick enough to recover. That he simply maintained cover, disappearing his receiver, is another step is his development. Not as flashy as leveling Ryan Grant, forcing a fumble, but better football.

From Seahawks Blog

DT Brandon Mebane is an absolute handful during pass-rush drills and watching him go up against Mike Wahle is something to behold. Wahle is a very accomplished professional. Someone who is focused on technique and very earnest in his practice and he you can see him getting frustrated trying to block Mebane. It's very simple physics. Mebane is 6 feet 1, more than 300 pounds and that gives him some serious leverage.

Here's what Wahle had to say on Monday when asked about blocking Mebane.

"Getting underneath that guy is very difficult," Wahle said. "There has been a couple times this camp where I've had good hand placement on a pass or a run and then tried to throw him on the ground, like just smash him. His legs just keep moving, which is very, very rare for a guy his size. A lot of talent there for sure."

It's not just that Mebane is short, it's that he has a ridiculously low center of gravity. His anatomy, huge through the core, butt and thighs, is abnormal. He's like a cannonball with arms. Throughout the league, guards are getting taller. Last season, Mebane routinely stood up and stifled opposing guards and centers. The next step is to stand up and then shed opposing linemen, so that he's not simply a run stuffer, but a run stuffer that can rush the passer and stuff the rusher.

With the 33rd overall pick in the first ever Seahawks All-Time Fantasy Draft, the (19)76ers select...

 
via Seahawks.com

Play 1: In which Marcus Trufant unwittingly puts on a clinic in deep-flat zone coverage.

The "--" approximates the player's shoulders. The ">" indicates the direction they are facing/looking. And "- - -" indicates the direction they are moving, should they be moving. Each symbol is important, because though I've up until now used simple circle or oval zones, a player's actual zone is relative to their speed, the position of their body and their motion. A zone actually looks bit like a mushroom:

For obvious reasons: A person can run in a straight line faster that a diagonal line. A person can run forward faster than backward. Ergo, back and to the left or right is the weak spot of a zone even at relatively close distances. From there, the shape changes based on a player's acceleration and agility. The above is for a player that's pretty quick, but only adequately agile--like a linebacker.These are not rendered perfectly, but if an enterprising front office out there is interested in...

Play 1: The INT Cometh

1^st and 10, Arizona 42.

56 seconds remaining in the 3^rd quarter.

Seattle 27 - Arizona 14

Arizona has just recovered an onside kick.

The pocket is collapsing around Kurt Warner. His eye is squarely on Larry Fitzgerald, who is running a deep curl route. Warner makes a smart read, but ruins it by A) Staring down Fitzgerald and B) Ignoring Trufant. Let's explain each.

Why it's a smart read: As you can see, Fitzgerald is in the soft spot between Brian Russell and Leroy Hill. Russell is barreling down on Fitzgerald, so if Fitzgerald can make the reception and run diagonally towards the goal and sideline, he'll have beat Hill and, minimum, have Russell on a bad angle.

How he ruins it: With the pocket in shambles, Warner's only open throwing lane is towards the rightmost, say, quarter of the field. Still, a smart quarterback must always do his best to hide his intended target. An opposing DB is much more likely to see where the quarterback is staring and adjust to that than quickly diagnose available throwing lanes, scan every receiver within that lane, and determine the perfect zone to fit the two.

Trufant, initially running alongside Fitzgerald, breaks off into a deep-flat zone just under the receiver. The rushed Warner suffers tunnel vision, seeing only Fitzgerald, and we can guess, Russell and Hill. Warner passes, Trufant breaks on the ball and grabs the pick.

This isn't a Pro Bowl play in of itself. The pass rush deserves the lion's share of credit for harassing Warner, but Tru quietly plays his assignment perfectly, almost vanishing into the turf, and when opportunity arises, combines quicks, agility and awareness to create a game changing interception.