Updated Dec 13, 2012 - 6:43 pm
Where Seahawks stand after beefing up pass rush
The Seahawks invested heavily in their pass rush after finishing last season with 33 sacks, tied for 19th-most in the NFL.
They gave Jason Jones a one-year deal, drafted Bruce Irvin in the first round and rewarded Chris Clemons with a lucrative new contract.
The results have been mixed. Irvin and Clemons have performed relative to reasonable expectations, but the overall improvement in Seattle's pass rush hasn't been overwhelming. The Seahawks have 32 sacks with three games remaining.
"We've played solid and we've been a little bit inconsistent on [getting to] the quarterback I think at times, even though we are in the top 10 in sacks per attempt," defensive line coach Todd Wash told Bob Stelton, Dave Grosby and Dave Wyman during "The Huddle" on Thursday. "We've got to do a better job of getting after the quarterback."
With that, here's a look at how the Seahawks' pass-rush production breaks down:
 Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin leads all rookies with eight sacks. (AP) |
Irvin. The 15th overall pick leads all rookies in sacks with eight. He picked one up late in last week's blowout win over Arizona to avoid going a third straight game without a sack. The Seahawks raved about Irvin's explosiveness when they drafted him. Wash said he recently fell back into a habit of not coming off the ball as quickly as he could. "Timid" was the word Wash used. Wash also said Irvin is developing a nice spin move.
Jones. The Seahawks hoped Jones would improve their interior pass rush when they gave the versatile lineman a one-year, $4.5 million deal. Jones has 2.5 sacks and has missed two games with an ankle injury.
Brandon Mebane. Mebane, better known as a run-stuffing defensive tackle, has managed three sacks despite often coming off the field in obvious passing situations.
Others. Defensive linemen have combined for 25.5 of Seattle's 32 sacks. The number was 21 for all of last season. So even if the overall sack total hasn't drastically improved, it's safe to say that Seattle's defensive line is producing more in that department than it did a season ago. Rookie defensive end Greg Scruggs has two sacks while defensive tackle Alan Branch has one.
Red Bryant has yet to record a sack while playing mostly on first and second downs. You may remember the run-stuffing defensive end vowing to improve as a pass rusher over the offseason. Linemen can impact passing plays even if they don't get to the quarterback, of course, and Bryant has been credited with three passes defensed. He's also coming off the field in obvious passing situations.
The Bills, Seattle's next opponent, have allowed only 25 sacks this season. The Seahawks do play their final two games at CenturyLink Field, where the crowd noise puts opposing offensive tackles at a disadvantage.
This will be a discussion to revisit when the season ends.
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Big Zipper wrote...Numbers don't tell the whole story...December 13, 2012 7:36 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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Newton wrote...Brady good point..December 13, 2012 8:22 pm{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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CJinVic10 wrote...Lets Evaluate Last Draft .December 14, 2012 8:22 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }- Reply
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jrock419 wrote...Irvin Sacked Newton On The RoadDecember 14, 2012 8:29 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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CJinVic10 wrote...ContinuedDecember 14, 2012 8:43 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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CJinVic10 wrote...ContinuedDecember 14, 2012 9:12 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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jrock419 wrote...Scruggs Has Two SacksDecember 14, 2012 10:08 am{ "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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Bob Stelton is the co-host of "Bob and Groz". He came to 710 ESPN Seattle from 101 ESPN in St. Louis and had previously worked for Sporting News Radio in Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif. Bob began his radio career in Seattle in 1997 after a failed attempt to become a rock star. 
Dave Grosby is the co-host of "Bob and Groz." The Groz has spent the last 21 years of his 39-year broadcast career as a Seattle sports talk show host. Dave is also the play-by-play announcer for Seattle U basketball on KTTH 770. Before coming to Seattle, Dave worked at KFI in Los Angeles and KFBK in Sacramento. He's been married to his wife Bonnie for 23 years.
After two years as the producer for "Brock and Salk," Colin Paisley now produces "Bob and Groz." Colin also hosts "Seattle Sports at Night" with Tom Wassell and Matt Pitman. Colin came to 710 ESPN Seattle after five years at various FM music stations in Bellingham and Seattle. In addition to his time as producer and host, Colin likes to spend his time embracing his "Slacker Gen-Y" persona by napping and not caring about stuff. Plus he likes tons of bands you've never heard of, and once you hear of them he'll stop liking them.
