Seahawks’ practice methods have turned heads and created one of most opportunistic defenses in NFL

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/seahawks-practice-methods-have-turned-heads-and-created-one-of-most-opportunistic-defenses-in-nfl/

SEATTLE — Assigned to Stefon Diggs at the start of the fourth quarter, Seattle cornerback Tre Flowers broke on the route and blanketed himself around the Minnesota receiver as Kirk Cousins’ pass arrived. Diggs bobbled it for a moment and, as it hung in the air between the men, Flowers snatched it, rolled onto his side while staying in bounds upon impact and secured his third interception of the season.

It was an improbable play, one where ball skills and concentration marry at the exact moment needed for a game-shifting play in Vikings territory. After the game, Flowers won’t say it was luck but instead a collection of factors.

“Trying to catch my daughter with little sudden movements,” Flowers, the father of an almost-3-year-old, says. “Russ throwing the ball to me [in practice]. Concentrating. I give everybody credit on that.”

Blink and you’ll miss it, but this Seahawks defense is as opportunistic as any in the league. The 27 takeaways, including three in Monday night’s 37-30 victory against the Vikings, are good for third in the league and just three off the pace of the top-ranked Patriots. In the past three games, Seattle has produced 11 takeaways.

For Flowers and many men in the room I spoke with after the game, the emphasis placed on taking the ball away by the coaching staff has been there all season. It’s turned the heads of newcomers to this team and gotten the offense involved in some healthy competitions on specific days in practice.

A little more than a month ago, Seattle’s defensive backs began warming up with the Seahawk quarterbacks. That’s what Flowers is referring to when he says Russell Wilson’s practice balls have him better prepared for intercepting the ball in Year 2.

“They’re getting their hands right,” backup quarterback Geno Smith tells me. “Tre and those guys I think it’s helping out a lot because rarely do they ever catch passes from the actual quarterback. Usually they’re getting it from the coach or the JUGS (machine), but when you actually get to feel the ball coming from the quarterback I think it helps them out a bunch. Whatever we can do to help, that’s what we try to do.”

But that’s the only time the quarterbacks want the ball in the DBs hands. Smith says the team has Turnover Thursdays (or No Turnover Thursdays depending on how the day goes) that establish bragging rights for either side of the ball that week.

“Around here I would say the biggest difference from any team I’ve been on is the competition factor,” says Smith, who’s played on the Jets, Giants and Chargers since entering the league in 2013. “They really preach competition week in and week out. We’re competing in practice each week like it’s training camp. It keeps guys motivated and keeps morale high and spirits high. Every day is like a game. When you practice like that you usually play like that.”

Gone and never coming back are the Legion of Boom days. But outside of the 2013 season where the legendary Seahawks defense finished first in the league in takeaways, this is the only Seattle defense that has been in the top-three in turnovers in the league. In fact, Seattle hadn’t cracked the top 10 since that 2013 season.

In fact, the bulk of Seattle’s takeaways this season have been via forced fumble. Seattle has recovered 16 fumbles this season, including two recoveries on three Vikings fumbles Monday night.

Defensive tackle Rasheem Green forced his third fumble of the season (and second in consecutive games) when he dislodged the ball from Dalvin Cook’s grasp that Bradley McDougald recovered. That ultimately led to a field goal in the third quarter to give Seattle its first lead of the game.

“The ball is really our main focus around here,” Green says. “We always emphasize on offense protecting the ball and on defense getting the ball. On defense we always emphasize if there’s a way of getting the ball out and not compromising your tackle… you don’t have to miss a tackle to get the ball. You can get the guy down and get the ball out.”

Jadeveon Clowney forced Cook’s first fumble that was recovered by the Vikings, but the defensive end has been on a tear in Seattle despite missing time with (and playing through) a core muscle injury. Clowney has four forced fumbles in 11 games this season after having four forced fumbles in his previous five years with the Houston Texans.

It’s not by coincidence.

“They coach taking the ball away here. I got here and I’m like, ‘What in the world?’ In practice, this whole team in my first week, I’ve never seen so many guys punching at the ball. ‘Damn, that’s just something that ya’ll do?’ They were like yeah. So it started rubbing off on me.

“Every time I get a chance to see that ball carrier, the first thing I want to do is punch at that ball, and it’s from doing it so much at practice and it becomes second (nature). That’s what we do.”

To be sure, this isn’t an all-around great defense by any means. The defense still ranks in the bottom-third of the league in total yards, points, first downs, passing yards and rushing touchdowns. However, the addition of hard-hitting safety Quandre Diggs in the backend has been the team’s “missing piece,” according to McDougald, and talk of any team running the ball on the league’s eighth-best run defense is “over with,” per Clowney.

But it all comes back to takeaways with this group. And with the constants of Wilson’s MVP-caliber play and this rushing attack, the defense’s continued ability to force turnovers will be keep in staying atop its perch in the NFC West and getting past the divisional round of the playoffs for the first time in five years.

“We’re hawking the ball, and it’s coming out and we’re getting some shots at it,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “We need to keep riding that.”

Whether or not they were saving him from the stretch run (they claim they weren't), the Rams are using RB Todd Gurley more heavily https://t.co/0NNb9yzvRP

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 5, 2019

TurfShowTimes@TurfShowTimes
#LARams QB Jared Goff named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 13

LMU93
At this point in the season you start looking at Points Differential as one of the ways to tell who’s who in the league. Clearly the Ravens, 49ers and Patriots are the top 3 by that measure. Seattle is 10th (+36). The Rams are 12th (+33).

Remember the instant spark Mark Clayton gave the Rams offense? It was short lived because of injury unfortunately, yet ceremoniously this game from 2010 marked the first Rams victory over Seattle in 5 years! A 10 game losing streak snapped. It was a joyous moment at the time! pic.twitter.com/OyjKpZNrJg

— RAMS ON FILM (@RamsOnFilm) December 3, 2019

Suh-weet!

I think someone said the Rams now have a 26% chance of making the playoffs. I looked up NYT and it says 29%. 538 says 25%. Football Outsiders puts it at 16%. They’re obviously making different assumptions.

Teams that go 10-6 made the playoffs 56% of the time from 1990 to 2013. But the Rams picked a bad year to go 10-6 (if that’s in fact what happens). The division is too tough for that.

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
#LARams Todd Gurley hasn’t had the season most are used to him having, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t producing in 2019

Among all RB’s with at least 100 rush attempts, Gurley has the 6th highest Run Grade in the league this season

InvaderRam wrote:

edwards and evans are far from a sure thing.

Well, I am beginning to think of them as sure things, myself.

…

PFF LA Rams@PFF_Rams
#LARams rookie David Edwards has the 4th most pass-block snaps per pressure allowed this season among OT’s with at least 200 pass-blocking snaps!

==

Watch: Michael Brockers was mic'd up and dying for a sack vs. Cards https://t.co/0GxadSFjkS

— Rams Wire (@TheRamsWire) December 3, 2019

Never insult Carson Wentz in front of @danorlovsky7 👀 pic.twitter.com/jQMnKqgEZN

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 3, 2019

This spin by Obo Okoronkwo against D.J. Humphries is one of the best you'll see pic.twitter.com/t0p0tm4B7H

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 2, 2019

alyoshamucci

Game 12, Cards blowout,

Definitely a different team than Ive seen all year. Made me pretty happy.

The Great

1) Feeding Gurley. Let him get up to speed. The 28 yard scamper (BS holding) was a happy reminder.

2) Woods going off.

3) The TD pass to Kupp.

4) Goff’s sense of urgency and body language.

5) Higbee with a game to justify his salary.

6) 5 sacks on Kyler.

7) Rapp pick 6.

The Good

8)Keeping Goff clean … 2 rookies 2 backups … so Whit +4 and we’re still managing to hang.

9) Pride showing. Especially on D.

10) Obo’s hit that was stupidly a penalty.

11) Long’s PD.

12) Howard with meaningful snaps.

13) Gaines getting more push it seems.

The Bad

14) Hey, if it’s 3rd and 8 and you call another WR screen I think Im going to send the puke I puke to the Rams offices. 2nd and 14? Fine. 3rd and 4? Fine.

15) I don’t know who #21 is, and I feel like that’s a failing on my part.

16) Edwards had 4 penalties, 2 were reallllly iffy (especially since he comes from the Big 10, no way that gets called at Wisconsin). But he has to know he has to be careful once he gets one. He doesn’t want a rep.

17) Intentional Grounding? Seriously?

18) I sat Goff and the Rams D … and it looks like it’s going to cost me in fantasy. I’m ashamed of myself. I had seductive options I started in their place … but I deserve to lose … I know.

JoJo Natson is out 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury.

"There's a good chance" Darrell Henderson will return kicks, and Nsimba is next up on punt returns. https://t.co/Gb97HahFZx

— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) December 3, 2019