Jamal Adams, Seattle Seahawks.
Although the Seattle Seahawks got a touchdown this week, their first in eight quarters, they still didn’t have enough it (or defense, for that matter) to take down the NFC West Division leaders, Arizona. The Cardinals even gave Seattle a fighting chance by missing two field goals and an extra point. In the end, Arizona executed when they needed to and won the game.
The Seattle Seahawks must be gluttons for punishment because they don’t learn from their history. Despite knowing what doesn’t work on the field, they keep doing the same things that lead to defeat. From bad play calls to poor pass coverage, not much changes from week to week.
Hopefully, that doesn’t mean that if Seattle were in a big game situation on the one-yard line with the best touchdown scoring running back, Pete Carroll would call a pass play again. But, I digress from the matter at hand.
Here are our top four takeaways from the Seahawks 23-13 loss to Arizona.
Gerald Everett showed why so many people were excited about the Seattle Seahawks acquiring him in the offseason. The big tight end finished the day with three catches for 37-yards, and one of those catches flashed some of his immense potential as he broke tackles and showed a general unwillingness to be tackled without a fight.
Tyler Lockett had another good day. He got open several times and roasted Arizona’s secondary. That was evident on his 48-yard catch in the fourth quarter when he got behind Arizona cornerback Robert Alford. Lockett ended up with 115 yards on 4 catches but was held scoreless.
Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks defense did what it’s been doing all year long – letting the opponent move the ball down the field. The big difference was this opponent scored touchdowns as opposed to the field goals they’ve been giving up.
Jamal Adams made some big plays and was a force. Unfortunately, one of his plays drew a pass interference call on third down, giving Arizona another set of downs in the red zone and allowing quarterback Colt McCoy to throw a second touchdown to Zach Ertz.
Considering that there was rampant speculation about whether Arizona would be starting Kyler Murray or McCoy, it’s a bit baffling that Seattle’s defense couldn’t adjust their gameplan to a weak-armed passer. McCoy will never be confused with a Brett Favre, Josh Allen, Jay Cutler, or Justin Herbert type when it comes to arm strength. However, McCoy repeatedly made short to intermediate throws all game. From there, his receivers did the rest of the work.
Defense Coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s game plan or even in-game adjustments were lacking. Maybe this is too much couch coaching, but it would have been smart for Seattle to play tighter coverage, especially with All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins out for the game.
They should have dared McCoy to take a deep shot. Arizona has the receivers to hurt Seattle deep but did McCoy have the arm strength to make it happen? Not likely.
Again, this Seahawks defense isn’t great. The longer they play, the worse it gets. Arizona converted 7 of 14 third downs, and Seattle’s D couldn’t get off the field when they needed to. Additionally, they don’t pressure the quarterback at a significant level, as evidenced by their two sacks on McCoy, who isn’t exactly elusive.
For 2021, the Seahawks give up the most first downs per game and play the most snaps per game. They are out there too long and the opposition wears them down. This has to get better.
Wilson is still off. He fared better this week than he did last week. However, the finger injury is affecting his throws more than he will let anyone know. His inability to throw effectively significantly hampers an already compromised offense.
Wilson also showed some willingness to take what the defense gave him. Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to any points. The Seattle Seahawks made three trips into the red zone and only converted one for a touchdown. Conversely, if Wilson can utilize the shorter throws more frequently, it can help the Seattle Seahawks more easily move the ball.
ESPN’s Brady Henderson broke it down in a series of Tweets:
Now it’s onto Washington as the Seattle Seahawks travel to DC for Monday Night Football. Here’s to hoping for a win, but more importantly, everyone has a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.
What were your takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks loss to Arizona? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.