Since it seems to be the only thing most Seahawks fans want to talk about, I figured I might as well indulge you: The Seattle offensive line is terrible and it’s probably not going to get considerably better. The good news (yes, I have some, I usually always try to bring some good news to the dinner table to complement the bad news (which is MOM’S COOKING, AMIRIGHT? REMEMBER THAT TROPE?)) is that if there’s one unit in football that tends to get better during a season, it’s the offensive line.
It can come through chemistry and continuity and gelling as a unit; these are five guys who just started playing with each other in these positions and who the guy to your left is and who the guy to your right is is sometimes just as important as who you are.
It can come through personnel changes; George Fant couldn’t get an opportunity to start over Bradley Sowell or Garry Gilliam until the coaches were forced to try it, because logic dictates that experience should win out over a guy who is a body that barely ever played football before. It’s not so easy to just put Fant in at left tackle with the ones in practice, because Sowell needed those reps with the ones. Gilliam needed those reps with the ones. I think “robbing Peter to pay Paul” would apply here but I’m not 100-percent sure. What I am sure of is that personnel changes at o-line aren’t as simple as they may seem. Maybe Oday Aboushi is better than Mark Glowinski. Maybe he’s a lot worse. The only way to find out is to try it, and that’s still a lot scarier of a proposition than most give it credit for.
However, what we do know is that this line is bad. A lot of lines in the NFL are bad, actually, but this could still compete to be the worst. Here are way too many video examples of just how bad, from preseason Week 1, to Sunday’s barely-there win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Gird. Your. Loins.
.@DangeRussWilson @Seahawks I have mad respect for how you compete behind the offensive play yesterday pic.twitter.com/vc5s9pvQqi
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 11, 2017
Matt Tobin runs a seam on a run play
Rewatching that counter OF run I really liked.. Oh that's Matt Tobin as the 6th OL for Seattle.
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) September 13, 2017
But what is he doing? Running a seam?! Lol pic.twitter.com/prQgMhMeVG
Luke Joeckel gets blown up ... a lot.
This #Seahawks O line performance is a dumpster fire of epic proportions & I'm not sure Luke Joeckel should still be in the the NFL pic.twitter.com/3rAYhxOjck
— Thiago Scabbia (@TScabbia) September 10, 2017
#Seahawks offensive line is getting destroyed. pic.twitter.com/ahIrePTwrz
— Paul Maland (@PaulMalandNFL) September 10, 2017
Mike Daniels is a wrecking machine. Aint reaching him. Knocks Joeckel to his knees 2 yards deep pic.twitter.com/Dk9s9wMXRU
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) September 13, 2017
#Seahawks LG Luke Joeckel vs #Vikings Tom Johnson #Mercy pic.twitter.com/l1uDrC3mPg
— Footballzone (@UReady4Football) September 6, 2017
Zero containment by Rees Odhiambo
Refs claimed Wilson was outside of the pocket and the ball made it passed the line of scrimmage. No grounding. #Seahawks #SEAvsGB pic.twitter.com/KtAMIPnreZ
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) September 10, 2017
Another Odhiambo whiff kills another running play on the same drive. Joeckel getting driven back didn't help either pic.twitter.com/oqPvTtEYMd
— Ben Baldwin (@guga31bb) August 26, 2017
Lowlights from Seahawks vs Chiefs
Again, Chris Jones killing the Seattle OL #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/EmADEUJBxu
— Josh Cohen (@jco3215) August 26, 2017
Front side of the OL isn't getting enough push on 2nd down. #Seahawks #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/TJxlR034WF
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) August 26, 2017
Frontside of offensive line can't get enough push to make this run work for Carson. #Seahawks #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/U1qcCnfuS5
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) August 26, 2017
Lowlights from Seahawks-Vikings
Lacy stuffed on the first goal line carry. Linval Joseph caused the penetration on Joeckel. #Seahawks #SEAvsMIN pic.twitter.com/n8Blz5Aurs
— Samuel Gold (@SamuelRGold) August 19, 2017
A lowlight from Seahawk-49ers
.@Seahawks offense is like the horse that is still dead; I promise I will stop kicking it. This snapshot is eye opening #baldybreakdowns pic.twitter.com/q097ecaSli
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 18, 2017
Got more lowlights to add to the post? Share in the comments!