- On the first play of the second half, Brandon Mebane finally broke through. Forcing and then splitting a double team; showing the kind of big bodied disruption that defined his rookie season. Mebane has been very quiet this preseason. I hope his newfound emphasis on pass rush isn't interfering with his indispensible run stuffing.
- 4th and 5 on the Seattle 37. Chargers break 4 WR, Rb. Seattle is in a 4-2 Nickel. Jordan Babineaux, playing a short zone just inside the numbers, breaks on a pass targeting Kassim Osgood, getting good impact while swatting the ball and forcing an incomplete. This is where Babineaux shines, in the short zone, where his proclivity to watch the quarterback allows him to make quick adjustments and cover the right man. He must be played to this strength and away from man coverage.
- Next play, Mansfield Wrotto blows a block against a blitzing linebacker.
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It must be said, I've damn excited about Jordan Kent. After 3 games of sustained growth, there's just no way to explain away his impressive play. In consecutive plays, Kent displayed an improved ability to defeat coverage and play the ball.
2nd and 23 on the San Diego 49. Seahawks break 3 WR, TE, RB. Chargers in a Base 3-4. Kent breaks in on a Charlie Frye pass that errs dangerously close to coverage. That's an adjustment to a pass in flight. That's next level shit.
3rd and 2 on the San Diego 28. Seahawks again break 3 WR, TE, RB. Chargers in a Base 3-4. Frye is pressured by Carlos Polk, rolls right, finds Kent streaking on a drag route, throws a low but accurate strike that Kent grabs and falls backwards with for the first. Here's the fun part: On the replay, we see Kent's entire route. Off the snap, Kent easily fights off Quentin Jammer, gaining initial separation. The drag slices through San Diego's 4 linebackers and moments after beating Jammer, inside man Matt Wilhelm violently chips Kent. Kent, knocked up onto one foot, instantly recovers. Wilhelm's hit allows Jammer back into the play, but Kent simply outruns the former 4.42 40 first rounder, squares his shoulders towards Frye, grabs the pass and converts the first. It's not just that Kent has played well over multiple games, it's that he's making strides every game. The regular season is another big jump, but it's time we recognize the chance we may be seeing a superstar developing before our eyes.
- That was madness, but my favorite play of the quarter is undoubtedly Frye's stiff-arm on Polk to get separation and safely throw the ball away. It was a good quarter for Frye, not as flashy as the first, but more consistently competent. Hmm...