How do you beat the Seahawks?

[denverYooper]

hey, I actually agree! Sherman has great outside technique. His ability to maintain coverage and keep his eyes on the QB are uncanny, esp if he has the WR along the sideline.

He can't go to his left on the basketball court.

“All he did was post up on me,” Sherman says, “and then when I had the ball he knew I couldn’t go left.”

Obviously he's not exactly harmed on the football field by being right-dominant but what if there's a chink in his armor when you force him to work more with his left hand?

[mraynrand]

"watching the Cowboys-Packers playoff game in the cocoon of Sherman’s 9,435-square-foot mansion outside Seattle."

a 9,435-square foot home isn't a cocoon, unless it came from Mothra

[mraynrand]

He can't go to his left on the basketball court.



Obviously he's not exactly harmed on the football field by being right-dominant but what if there's a chink in his armor when you force him to work more with his left hand?

“All he did was post up on me,” Sherman says, “and then when I had the ball he knew I couldn’t go left.”

I like the idea of posting him up. Finley would have been ideal!

[woodbuck27]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2014...-great-defense

Seahawks are NFL's last elite defense

In an era that strongly favors offense, Seattle's dominance unlikely to be duplicated

By: Jeffri Chadiha | ESPN.com ... Originally Published: January 13, 2015

" Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Joe Greene is picky when it comes to watching NFL games. When he plops down on the sofa in his suburban Dallas home, the Sunday action usually doesn't hold his attention for long. He'll fidget with his remote, scroll through the channels and then roll his eyes at the mediocrity displayed on his big screen. The only time Greene, a Hall of Famer who anchored one of the best defenses in history, is consistently entertained is when the Seattle Seahawks are playing.

That's when he'll lean forward in his seat and focus on the activity. When Greene watches Seattle's defensive players flying around the football, he has the expertise to accurately assess what he sees: a unit that might go down as one of the best ever. "

[KYPack]

Beyond just a list of cliche "dont's" that are needed for winning any football game, here's the strategies I think are important specific to this game:

On defense

Marshawn Lynch is going to get some yards. This is a well executed zbs scheme with some twists thanks to Wilson's athleticism. No matter what you plan, they can create a numbers advantage through leverage, effectively blocking a man with scheme alone. Carolina did nothing special, they just have stud linebackers who don't miss tackles. The Packers are in a better position than most to ask more of their secondary in the run game. The double switch of Perry at OLB and Matthews at MLB is ideal for this game.
On offense

This is clearly what this game is about. The number one offense facing the number one defense. Contrary to popular opinion, I'd give Richard Sherman the exact same treatment as last game. Its not cowardice, its offense and the reasons for doing it are still sound. If he wants to cover Jordy Nelson we should make him leave his comfort zone to do it and I expect he will this time. He must really love that side of the field but I doubt its worth letting us dictate all the matchups.

Week 17 Seattle lost interior rusher Jordan Stills for the year which deepened the wound of an already battered unit. Those snaps are now going to the double switch of Bennett and Irvin and the rest to emergency waiver pickup Demarcus Dobbs. For the last two weeks this defense now has just two lineman on the roster weighing 300 lbs. The sensible path to victory goes through Eddie Lacy. We'll likely spend much of the game in shotgun formations due to Rodgers calf. Getting completions underneith to Lacy and the TE's early and utilizing the no huddle to prevent substitutions could get us some drastically undersized defensive fronts to run against. This is how you can find a rhythem and keep Seattle's defense uncomfortable.

Take the Packers to cover.

(Some snippage to accommodate brevity)

Great post 31.

We have a punchers chance, if we punch in the right spots.

[3irty1]

He can't go to his left on the basketball court.



Obviously he's not exactly harmed on the football field by being right-dominant but what if there's a chink in his armor when you force him to work more with his left hand?

My bullshit speculation of course but that could possibly explain why he strongly prefers playing the right sideline. When you watch him press its a one-handed technique during his drop. Using his right hand to extend he's already turned in case he needs inside technique up the sideline.

[Joemailman]

Reasons the Packers are better now than they were opening night:

Linsley and Ha-Ha were rookies starting their 1st NFL game in the toughest environment possible.

Adams and Richard Rodgers were not factors in the offense then. They are now.

Bryan Bulaga got hurt and had to be replaced by the since released Derek Sherrod.

Brad Jones was starting at ILB. He has been replaced by Matthews/Barrington.

Eddie Lacy was not running effectively early in the season. He's a beast now.

[pbmax]

I am stunned to see Steve Smith stopped by a one handed punch. Smith isn't tall and he is old, maybe he has lost a thing or two or just didn't expect it in that spot.

But any receiver worth his salt should be able to abuse that technique. Not to mention stopping and bumping into Smith should be illegal contact or DPI, it was after five yards.

Unfortunately, I suspect if someone has trashed this technique earlier, I would have been alerted to the fire alarms going off at the First Take set.

[woodbuck27]

I am stunned to see Steve Smith stopped by a one handed punch. Smith isn't tall and he is old, maybe he has lost a thing or two or just didn't expect it in that spot.

But any receiver worth his salt should be able to abuse that technique. Not to mention stopping and bumping into Smith should be illegal contact or DPI, it was after five yards.

Unfortunately, I suspect if someone has trashed this technique earlier, I would have been alerted to the fire alarms going off at the First Take set.

I don't recall that play on my recording. I erased that yesterday.

Normally after a play like that Steve Smith would go hunting Richard Sheman's head.

I wonder what happened after that DPI by Richard Sherman? Was a DPI called? Did Smith attack Sherman?

[3irty1]

I am stunned to see Steve Smith stopped by a one handed punch. Smith isn't tall and he is old, maybe he has lost a thing or two or just didn't expect it in that spot.

But any receiver worth his salt should be able to abuse that technique. Not to mention stopping and bumping into Smith should be illegal contact or DPI, it was after five yards.

Unfortunately, I suspect if someone has trashed this technique earlier, I would have been alerted to the fire alarms going off at the First Take set.

He does it all the time and it seems to work well for him.



Just enough to disrupt the timing while minimizing the risk typically associated with press coverage.

[channtheman]

My gut too. Woody's as well. KY also on board. You aren't alone.

Add me to that list. I think Seattle is good but a bit overrated. They've played very few decent QB's this year. Week 1 was a mirage, and we will not see a repeat of that.

[pbmax]

Well, that shot doesn't really stop Fitz, maybe slows him down a touch. It might as much to help Sherman get up to speed as slow down Fitz.

But its a bad throw, short and away from the sideline. Sherman can afford to look at the QB in the short area not because of route concepts, but because the safety is over the top, being patently unworried about the other side of the formation.

[pbmax]

I am not sure he will risk it with a hobbled Rodgers, but you can see why McCarthy was going deep in the Fail Mary game early. Nelson or Jones were going to get on top of that coverage, the safety will need to choose and a deep sideline throw will beat either CB. Rodgers just didn't have enough time while Bulaga and Newhouse struggled.

[King Friday]

John Kuhn's days are numbered. He's pathetically slow these days. He's having trouble holding onto the easiest of dump off passes. However, John Kuhn will be one of the most important players on the roster this week.

Kuhn's blocking will be absolutely necessary to win this game at Seattle. He has to get to the second level and wipe out the LBs for our run game to do the kind of damage necessary to win this game.

The value of the FB has declined along with the strength of NFL defenses. In this game, against an elite defense, Kuhn's value will be readily apparent if the Packers use him properly.

[denverYooper]

I am not sure he will risk it with a hobbled Rodgers, but you can see why McCarthy was going deep in the Fail Mary game early. Nelson or Jones were going to get on top of that coverage, the safety will need to choose and a deep sideline throw will beat either CB. Rodgers just didn't have enough time while Bulaga and Newhouse struggled.

They can be had by a good QB who's willing to attack those. Rivers this year and Luck last year had some success there. Both of those guys are less risk averse as elite QB's go, which is probably another element needed.

It'd be interesting to see them play good Flacco. He lives (and died) on those.

[KYPack]

Rodgers just didn't have enough time while Bulaga and Newhouse struggled.

It was Sherrod.

Doesn't it seem like he was from a different era, but only was cut a few months ago?

For all you Marshmallow fans, the Bengals benched him and picked up Eric Winston as a replacement.

[smuggler]

The way to beat Sherman's press move is to have the receiver push off at the snap and hit another player on the underside of it for an easy 5-8 yards. He's bailing at the start, and he'd be smaller than Jordy, Boykin, or Adams.

It's similarly weak against a run call.

[pbmax]

It was Sherrod.

Doesn't it seem like he was from a different era, but only was cut a few months ago?

For all you Marshmallow fans, the Bengals benched him and picked up Eric Winston as a replacement.

I was talking about the 2012 game, the Fail Mary when M3 and AR came out looking to go long. Newhouse had replaced Clifton at LT.

[mraynrand]

For all you Marshmallow fans, the Bengals benched him and picked up Eric Winston as a replacement.

Didn't see that one coming. Was certain Outhouse would make the pro bowl with the Bengals.

[KYPack]

I was talking about the 2012 game, the Fail Mary when M3 and AR came out looking to go long. Newhouse had replaced Clifton at LT.

OOps.

Yer right, should have caught the reference to Jones as WR.