The Seattle Seahawks return to the sphere this Sunday for a Week 7 highway sport in opposition to the NFC South main Atlanta Falcons. Whereas there will likely be rightful concern about what the Falcons offense may do to a struggling Seahawks protection, there’s an enormous image storyline that will inform us the place Seattle’s offensive line really stands as one of many worst models within the NFL.
As soon as once more, the Falcons are final within the NFL in sacks, with a paltry 5. A type of sacks got here from defensive again Dee Alford, which suggests Atlanta’s defensive position has 4 sacks in six video games. They’re twenty seventh in ESPN’s cross rush win fee metric, thirty second in stress fee (23.0%), and thirty second in sack fee (2.3%). Atlanta blitzes at an above-average clip and is thirty first in stress fee when blitzing! Given Geno Smith has (curiously, in a complete reversal from earlier seasons) been statistically higher versus the blitz than a four-man rush, you’d hope the Falcons drive themselves to maintain blitzing. In keeping with NFL Professional, none of Atlanta’s cross rushers has a stress proportion above 7.2%, which belongs to commerce acquisition Matt Judon. For reference, each Boye Mafe and Derick Corridor are north of 12%.
Atlanta has had a problem discovering a cross rush for a number of seasons. Vic Beasley is the final Falcons participant to succeed in double digit sacks, and that was eight years in the past. The true low level was 2021, when each T.J. Watt (22.5) and Robert Quinn (18.5) had extra sacks than your complete Falcons crew (18).
Are the Falcons a minimum of good in opposition to the run? Nope.
there is not any sugarcoating it. this is without doubt one of the worst run defenses within the league
– inside is delicate, and the road is pushed round at will- linebackers look misplaced and seem like guessing – the panthers had 4 runs over 10+ yards final evening, gaining 64 in whole pic.twitter.com/GdcT9BQzVH
— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) October 14, 2024
The Falcons protection ranks twenty fourth in dashing EPA/play and twenty ninth in success fee. They’ve allowed as many explosive rushes of 10+ yards (21) because the Seahawks.
This isn’t to say the Falcons protection as an entire is weak, even when it isn’t superb. Atlanta has the most effective security tandems in Jessie Bates and Justin Simmons, and the Falcons have been the perfect at limiting explosive cross performs of 20+ yards. Even alongside the defensive position, Grady Jarrett remains to be somebody value respecting given how nicely he’s performed all through his profession.
Nonetheless, that is the worst defensive position the Seahawks have confronted all season. Examine Atlanta’s respective twenty seventh and twenty eighth cross rush and run cease win charges with the opposite six Seahawks foes and see the distinction.
vs. Denver Broncos: No. 1 in cross rush win fee | No. 10 in run cease win ratevs. New England Patriots: No 16 in PRWR | No. 19 in RSWRvs. Miami Dolphins: No. 17 in PRWR | No. 12 in RSWRvs. Detroit Lions: No. 6 in PRWR | No. 20 in RSWRvs. New York Giants: No. 5 in PRWR | No. 6 in RSWRvs. San Francisco 49ers: No. 10 in PRWR | No. 13 in RSWR
If we are able to reduce Seattle’s beleaguered offensive line any slack, it’s the truth that the energy of defensive position schedule has been tough. New England and Detroit rank close to the underside in stress fee, whereas everybody else is within the high 12. Not coincidentally, Geno Smith’s finest video games got here in opposition to the Patriots and Lions. I think about Detroit’s not going to have a excessive cross rush win fee any time quickly except there may be an ample Aidan Hutchinson alternative.
Atlanta’s defensive entrance can’t get stress and might’t cease the run. The Seahawks offensive line leaks pressures and might’t run block. It’s the stoppable drive in opposition to the movable object. Aside from the Arizona Cardinals, the Seahawks won’t get a neater OL vs. DL matchup for the remainder of the season. If the Seahawks offensive line can’t adequately defend Geno Smith or open up dashing lanes for Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet even on this matchup, then overlook in regards to the hopes and goals for the remainder of this season. The 2024 group will go down in historical past as being as unhealthy because the 2016 and 2017 teams that had the likes of Bradley Sowell, J’Marcus Webb, Luke Joeckel, and Mark Glowinski within the rotation.
Mike Macdonald has made “make it proper” his mantra. I’ve misplaced rely of what number of occasions he’s stated this phrase in press conferences. That is the offensive line’s alternative to “make it proper” and correctly operate in opposition to a unit that has scarcely been productive.
