The Seattle Seahawks’ missed tackle problem has finally done them in and in the process it may have killed their chances of making the playoffs. Today’s 30-23 loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers was an embarrassing showcase from a team that supposedly prides itself on toughness and is led by a defense-first, potentially future Hall of Fame head coach.
Then again, the Seahawks did get some silver linings during the storm. Most of them came on offense, which is having to carry a low energy, poor effort defensive unit. Here are our studs and duds from Sunday’s loss to Pittsburgh.
Dud: Seahawks tackling
Oh how we miss the days early in the 2023 season when this team’s biggest problem was penalties. Since about halfway through the shedule, Seattle’s tackling has been collectively stuck somewhere between atrocious and horrible. After so many failures to wrap up it’s a wonder why any opponent bothers throwing the ball against this defense at all. The problem is so pervasive that it’s not fair to single any one player out. Instead, we have a different culprit in mind…
Dud: HC Pete Carroll
If one or two guys have issues tackling that’s on them. If three or four in the same position group can’t tackle that’s on their assistant coach. If the entire team can’t tackle to save their lives, that’s on the head coach. Collectively, the Seahawks missed about 750 tackles against the Steelers today. That led to an easy game on the ground for Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, who combined for 197 yards and three touchdowns. Pete Carroll also set his team up for failure by punting on fourth and one twice and wasting another challenge.
Stud: DE Leonard Williams
There are only a couple of studs worth mentioning defensively, and once again the top billing goes to defensive end Leonard Williams. For the game Williams posted six tackles, one sack and two QB hits and he continues to be disruptive moving the pocket. It’s admittedly a low bar, but right now Williams is far and away the best defender on this team.
Stud: S Julian Love
The other stud defensively belongs to safety Julian Love, who continues to roll with his series of strong performances. Love played tight coverage and wound up totaling 14 tackles, second on the team behind Devin Bush (17). He also forced a fumble which could have changed the game but unfortunately went out of bounds.
Stud: RB Ken Walker
Before he had to leave the game Ken Walker was putting on a hell of a performance. On the ground Walker racked up 53 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries. He added another 22 yards on three catches. Walker’s numbers may not match up to other elite backs, but few rushers around the league have been more elusive this season.
Dud: Home field 'advantage'
After Pete Carroll’s regrettable decisions and the bad tackling, the most disappointing element of this loss came from the fans. In a critical game for playoff positioning they effectively surrendered home-field advantage to a well-traveled Steelers fanbase. Too many 12s got greedy and sold their tickets, resulting in a loud, largely pro-Pittsburgh crowd.
Dud: Seattle pass rush
While Geno Smith was getting harrassed on every dropback, it was a completely different story when Mason Rudolph was in the pocket. Leonard Williams got to Rudolph for one early sack but other than that the Steelers offense pitched a shutout. All together, the Seahawks only managed to get the one sack and two QB hits.
Stud: TE Noah Fant
The Seahawks got their biggest game from a tight end in what feels like several years today. Noah Fant was the second-most productive receiver for Seattle, catching five of six targets (including a couple of high-difficulty ones) and totaling 59 yards.That’s his best line since he dropped 63 yards on the Giants back in Week 4.
Dud: Seahawks pass protection
To be fair, Seattle’s offensive line suffered a couple of major injuries during the game that didn’t help. Right tackle Abe Lucas went down with his chronic knee pain issue and then shortly after center Evan Brown had to leave due to a concussion. While those losses contributed, the offensive line was already getting whooped on practically every snap. That they only allowed Geno Smith to get sacked once is entirely due to Smith’s functional mobility and ability to throw under pressure. They did allow Smith to get hit nine times, though.
Stud: WR DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf may have dropped what would have been a clutch touchdown in the fourth quarter in the end zone. However, Seattle wouldn’t have been even remotely close at the end without DK’s efforts. He finished the game with five catches and a team-high 106 receiving yards, going over 1,000 yards for the season in the process.
Stud: QB Geno Smith
It wasn’t enough for a win today, but Geno Smith continues to do superhero work under duress. Despite facing constant pressure, Smith did an exceptional job of escaping and extending plays throughout the game. In the end he went 23/33 for 290 yards, one touchdown and a 106.9 passer rating. Forget the numbers, though – Smith is playing some very high-level ball right now.
