Analyzing the Seahawks defense through the play of Poona Ford, part 3

I’ve gotta go congratulate my wife. Today she was awarded a scholarship she’s worked so long and so hard for, which we really did not know whether she would get, and which could radically change our lives for the better. Way to go my awesome, smart, compassionate Pumpkin!

Here’s a grab bag of other plays by Poona and this defense. For the reason mentioned above, I will keep my commentary short.

Play 4: In which Carson Wentz’s bad mechanics save him from his bad decision making

Jamal Adams reads Wentz’s eyes. A better quarterback would, y’know, look elsewhere. Mayhaps at the receiver Adams passed off to make a play on the ball. Wentz, Wentz sees no one.

Here’s the moment before he throws the ball. Adams is identified by a white box. Quandre Diggs, stuck in the middle, is closing to his left picking up Adams’s receiver. Behind Diggs, circled, is #84 Greg Ward. He’s likely free to the end zone if Wentz sees him.

The pass dies. Under no pressure, Wentz locks onto one receiver, double clutches committing the often fatal mistake of pump faking toward the receiver he intends to throw to, and whips into the turf.

Play 4: In which Ford and L.J. Collier reset the line of scrimmage but only Collier charges a kamehameha

Jarran Reed and Bobby Wagner flush Wentz from the pocket. Ford and Collier stop him from scrambling anywhere.

Dig Wagner, Carlos Dunlap and Jarran Reed all winning their pass rush and meeting in the backfield. Dig K.J. Wright’s sly fake blitz which becomes good coverage of Boston Scott. But most of all dig Collier concentrating his Qi into a world-destroying beam.

Oh my he’s taking this seriously.

Play 5: In which Adams times and disguises the blitz damn near perfectly.

Technically though this isn’t a blitz. Adams rushes, Reed pops into coverage, Benson Mayowa and Rasheem Green run a tackle-end stunt, and all four pass rushers get home.

Play 6: In which Poona Ford bodies Isaac Seumalo

Seumalo is prepared for Ford to slant into the gap. Ford has no obvious advantage but still forcefully disengages. Sanders runs into the tackle.

Let’s be honest: Philly’s offense is a travesty. It’s a mess. Wentz is a mess. He doesn’t trust his skill position players. He doesn’t trust himself. He threw an incomplete pass biting on a move by his tight end Richard Rodgers. He threw a pick to no one but Diggs.

Maybe this was a get right game for the Seahawks defense. Maybe Philly’s just this bad.

Probably this was Poona Ford’s best game ever as a pro. It’s tempting, and trust me I am very much tempted, to see this as a game in which Seattle used a very weak opponent to “get right.” But I haven’t seen Ford regularly perform at this level. Maybe this was an extremely good matchup for Ford, or set of matchups, and an extremely good set of matchups for Seattle’s defense overall. Bad receivers, injured line, shaky quarterback, maybe Philly is a good matchup for most defenses.

I know Wentz missed open guys. I know Wentz misread coverage. I know Wentz is wilder than ever. And I know his blocking stunk. A good defense would use this opportunity to dominate. Mostly Seattle did. The East offers a movable feast of busted offenses and bad quarterbacks for the Seahawks to tee off on. I expect Seattle to dominate. That’s gotta be the standard.