The biggest concern about the Seattle Seahawks' overhauled | Forum

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panxing18 Nov 19 '18

  defense entering the season was probably the pass rush.The worries proved to be true in the season opener when the Seahawks generated just one sack and very little pressure against a quarterback that mostly sat in the pocket.The challenge in Week 2 will be different with the Seahawks facing the mobility of second-year Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky http://www.bearsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kyle-fuller-jersey , but the need to wreak at least some havoc in the backfield remains the same."Anytime you play you want to get the quarterback off the spot. Anytime you end up with one sack, everyone would like to have three or four," Seattle defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said. "It's something certainly we want to get better at. ... No question you want more pressure."Seattle's pass rush was perhaps a bigger worry going into the season than any of the changes that took place in its secondary. The Seahawks played most of last season without Cliff Avril due to a neck injury but still had Michael Bennett teaming with Frank Clark and finding success. Seattle finished last season 13th in the league with 39 sacks and was in the middle of the pack in the league rankings on the percentage of dropbacks that resulted in a sack. They were decent numbers considering the changes Seattle went through midseason with the loss of one of their top pass rushers.The overhaul in the offseason left most of the burden on Clark as really the only proven pass rusher on the roster. Avril hasn't completely shut the door on playing again, but it seems unlikely. Bennett was traded to Philadelphia as part of Seattle's changes.The opener against Denver showed there is still plenty to figure out.Clark had Seattle's lone sack, but just one of the five quarterback hits on Case Keenum. Seattle rarely brought pressure and the front four was unable to generate enough heat to make Keenum uncomfortable."We got stuck on the line of scrimmage on play passes and was really the part that was really disappointing that we didn't respond better to get into our pass-rush mode," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. "It just happened. That's one phase of it and we would have liked to have got off on the edge a little better than we did. It's just stuff we've got to keep working on."Getting Dion Jordan on the field more would be a big boost for Seattle. Jordan was limited to just 15 plays in the opener after missing all of training camp with a lower leg injury. Jordan was only activated to from the physically unable to perform list when Seattle made its final cuts, and his inclusion in Week 1 was a bit of a surprise considering the time he missed."Not having those reps for a while I was definitely a little rusty but other than that I physically felt really good," Jordan said.Jordan flashed late last season when he finally was healthy enough to get back on the field. He had four sacks in five games last season and was seen as a major piece of the pass rush moving forward. Jordan said he should be on the field more considering the way he felt coming out of the opener."We've got to do a better job this week of sticking to our rush plan, sticking to it, and executing," Jordan said. "Understanding that certain quarterbacks and (offensive coordinators) Bryce Callahan Jersey , they're going to try and get the ball out quick and block them up with eight guys in there so we can't get to them. We have to understand that and find a way around it."NOTES: Carroll didn't have updates on the timelines for three injured players: WR Doug Baldwin (knee), LB K.J. Wright (knee surgery) and G D.J. Fluker (hamstring). None of the three participated in practice Thursday. ... LB Bobby Wagner (groin) and rookie CB Tre Flowers (hamstring) also sat out practice. Bradley Chubb has made up for a slow September start in a big way.The Denver Broncos' rookie edge rusher was honored as the NFL's top rookie defender for the month of October after collecting 16 tackles, 12 of them solo, 5陆 sacks, five tackles for loss, 13 pressures, eight QB hits, a forced fumble and a pass breakup in five games last month.He joined Von Miller (November 2011) and linebacker D.J. Williams (December 2004) as the only Broncos to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month award."I'm nowhere near where I want to be," Chubb said Thursday. "I'm happy for the achievement, but ... I want to be 8-0 right now with multiple rookie of the months. This is my first one, so I'm still hungry to get more and for this team to get more wins."The Broncos (3-5) host the Houston Texans (5-3) on Sunday.Chubb said it took him a few games to get used to being chipped by tight ends and running backs."It's different because in college it's pretty much 1-on-1 the whole time Authentic Charles Leno Jersey ," Chubb said. "I feel like I'm more comfortable now."And making quarterbacks uncomfortable.Chubb is only the seventh rookie since 1982 to record at least 5陆 sacks over a three-game span and the first since Aldon Smith of the 49ers did it in 2011.Miller said he figured his pass rushing partner would quickly hit his stride after his September struggles, especially in covering tight ends for the first time in his life.Miller compared Chubb to a prodigy ."When you talk to him, you're not really talking to a rookie. He understands the language," Miller said. "He may not be able to talk back and speak to you in the same language, but he definitely understands it and he's a quick learner, fast learner, mature beyond his age."I'm extremely excited about where he's at with his career and the hot start that he's had," Miller added. "For him to get Defensive Rookie of the Month is huge. Not too many rookies out there are playing like him. He's got two more months and Defensive Rookie of the Year is in the bag for him."Miller won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2011.Chubb has seven sacks at the midway point of the season , putting him on pace to challenge for the rookie sacks record of 14陆 set by Tennessee's Jevon Kearse in 1999.Miller said one of the first things he advised Chubb to do after the Broncos selected him with the fifth overall pick of this year's draft was to write out his goals.Among the goals Chubb scribbled down were "sack record, win Defensive Rookie of the Year," Miller said. "He even had goals five years down the road. A guy with that type of mentality and that work ethic Youth Akiem Hicks Jersey , he'll definitely get all of the goals that he wrote on his paper."It's become a race between Chubb and Miller, who has eight sacks, to get to the quarterback, like last week when they sandwiched Patrick Mahomes."I feel like every pass play we have an internal race to the quarterback," Chubb said. "We might not say it out loud, but we want to get there first."Notes: RB Royce Freeman (ankle) returned to practice but didn't participate in any team drills Thursday. ... S Su'a Cravens could be activated off IR Friday. "He's a guy who can play a (dime) linebacker position and also cover a tight end," coach Vance Joseph said. "I think his skill set and his body type will help us play better defense." ... Joseph said Jared Veldheer (knee) will replace sub Billy Turner at right tackle Sunday. The Broncos are also considering having one of them move to the left side occasionally to give LT Garett Bolles a break. Bolles has been whistled 17 times for holding in his first 1陆 seasons after leading the NCAA in holding calls his one year at Utah. ... With ILB Brandon Marshall still nursing a sore knee, the Broncos are preparing Alexander Johnson to make his NFL debut this weekend.

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