Northwest Pro Sports 12
Posts tagged Byron Maxwell
2012 moments in time: Seattle Seahawks second quarter report card
Nov 3rd
Grades Are In
The Seattle Seahawks went 2-2 during the first quarter of the season. As I expected, they split the games in the second quarter of the season as well.
After the first half of the season, the 4-4 Seahawks are tied for 7th place in the NFC and are 3rd place in the NFC West.
Here is how they got there:
At Carolina
Seattle won 16-12
Despite having seven penalties and three turnovers, the Seahawks pulled off their first win on the road of the 2012 season.
The defense dominated the air as well as the ground. Carolina was only able to manage 190 yards of total offense. The only touchdown the Panthers scored was an interception off a Russell Wilson poorly thrown ball.
Canada Day
Seattle played an impressive game against the New England Patriots in the second quarter of the season. Photo Credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
Seattle beat the Patriots 24-23, at CenturyLink Field.
Russell Wilson had the best game of his young career at home versus one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. It couldn’t have come at a better time, because Marshawn Lynch had his least productive game since last October.
Jon Ryan became the first punter to average 60 yards per punt, with a minimum of 4 attempts, since 1946. Jon, a native to Canada, picked the perfect day to accomplish the feat.
Defensively, the Seahawks did what they needed to do to win. Bobby Wagner had the best game of his career and both Earl Thomas and Richard Shermanintercepted Tom Brady passes. Of course, they came after Earl had already dropped two interceptions earlier in the game.
The game will most notably be remembered for the photo that Richard Sherman tweeted after the game. In case you didn’t see it, the photo was of him and Tom Brady, after the game, with the caption “U Mad Bro?”.
Richard took the photo down after persuasion from Seahawks media relations.
At San Francisco
Seattle lost 6-13.
Seahawks MMQB (Friday edition): Mental mistakes seal the Hawks fate 13-6
Oct 19th
Dropped passes and missed opportunities
Boxscore | Play-by-Play | Q’s Post Game Recap
When the Seattle Seahawks 2012 schedule was released I knew that going down to San Francisco on such a short week was going to be a tall order. To make maters worse, it was the 49ers third straight home game.
Both teams only had 4 days to prepare for the big divisional matchup. The Seattle Seahawks were coming off a big home win against the Patriots, one of the best teams in the AFC.
In contrast, the San Francisco 49ers were coming off an embarrassing loss to the New York Giants in San Francisco.
The funny thing about winning and losing, it is a lot easier to focus on the next weeks game after a loss than it is after an emotional win.
The difference was evident on the field Thursday.
Defense
When you look at the stats from the game, it looks like the Seahawks defense had another great game. Unfortunately, stats do not tell the entire picture.
Both teams only had 4 days to prepare
During the first half of the game defense played fine.
Then, at halftime, the 49ers made an adjustment.
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman realized that the Seahawks were vulnerable in the middle of the defense and once the 49ers started attacking it, there was nothing the Seahawks defense could do to stop the onslaught.
(Insert any trap play you like)
In the second half, San Francisco had 4 drives (excluding the final 2 plays from victory formation).
Those four drives went as follows:
- 85-yards and a touchdown.
- 68-yards, but Brandon Browner intercepted in the end zone on an ill advised pass from Alex Smith that was intended for Randy Moss. Moss had been wide open while he was in the middle of the field. His drag route, in the back of the end zone, was outside of the hash marks by the time Smith released the ball and Browner was able to step in front of the ball.
- 3 runs up the middle that totaled 40-yards. After a 49er tripping penalty More. . .
Seahawks player grades vs Titans: Defensive backs
Aug 17th
Seahawks defensive back player grades
Brandon Bowner #39
After making the pro bowl last season, Brandon Browner wasted no time proving he hadn’t been resting on his laurels during the off season. On the first play from scrimmage Brandon intercepted Matt Hasselbeck’s first pass in CenturyLink Field as a member of an opposing team and took it to the house. It wasn’t Matt’s fault, but Browner made an outstanding play by staying with the action through the whistle. It appeared the pass was going to be incomplete, but it bounced off Earl Thomas‘ arm and Brandon grabbed it. Being a big physical corner allows him to play the run well and Saturday was no exception.
the grade: A-
Earl Thomas #29
Earl Thomas is ready for some action Saturday. Photo by Brett Bivens
Earl Thomas seems to be playing at a different level this year. I think he is starting to understand the game better than he has in the past. Instead of relying solely on his physical talents to run around and make plays he’s using his head more. That’s a scary thought for opposing offenses. This could be the year that Earl breaks away from being a talented young safety and becomes a dominant force, like Troy Polamalu. In the first preseason game I noticed Earl playing the run extremely well. I couldn’t have asked for much more out of him.
the grade: b+
Jeremy Lane tackle the Titans tight end. Needs to keep his head up or a better player will hurdle him. Photo by Brett Bivens
Jeremy Lane #1
The good:
Jeremy Lane is a big physical corner, the kind of kid that Pete Carroll likes to see play the position. He was playing the run very well and was one of the best tacklers on the team Saturday. Late in the game Jeremy stripped the ball that could have ended the game but unfortunately it was recovered by the offense
the bad:
On the play where Jeremy stripped the ball he didn’t stick with it. Unlike when Heath Farwell punched the ball out earlier in the game, Heath’s eyes never left the ball and Farwell was able to recover the fumble. Jeremy Lane seemed content with stripping the ball. He hesitated, for just a moment, before going after it. In the NFL if you hesitate at all in the NFL you miss out and he learned that lesson the hard way…I hope. Jeremy needs to work on his timing a little bit and avoid pass interference penalties. Now for a little rant, I cannot stand to see players who don’t either kick the ball or throw it who don’t wear a single digit number.
the grade: B
Kam Chancellor #31
Kam Chancellor did not see much action against the Titans but he did have a big hit on Chris Johnson. The play was a run up the middle and I’m sure Chris was feeling that hit most of the week.
the grade: C+
DeShawn Shead #5
DeShawn Shead, an undrafted free agent out of Portland State, was not tested in the passing game but he did have an opportunity to show that he can play the run very well.
The grade: C+
Coye Francies looked good returning a kickoff on Saturday. Photo by Brett Bivens
Coye Francies #37
the good:
Coye Francies looked very solid in coverage against the Titans. When he kept the receiver from going out of bounds and stopping the clock he also demonstrated awareness of the situation late in the game.
The bad:
Tackling is an area that he needs to improve on if he want to stay in the NFL.
the grade: C+
Richard Sherman #25, Chris Maragos #42, Marcus Trufant #23, Jeron Johnson #32 and Byron Maxwell #41
all received C grades.
Winston Guy #27
The good:
Winston Guy showed some awareness recognizing the draw play.
the bad:
Winston looked lazy out there to me. I did not see him finishing plays but I did see him half heartedly try to tackle and miss it. If he doesn’t want to be the NFL bad enough there are other players that can replace him who do.
the grade: C-
Phillip Adams #35
the good:
It was tough to find something Phillip Adams did well, but on one play I saw him take on a blocker and still tackle the running back.
the bad:
Most of the time when Phillip was in position to tackle he missed it, having 2 missed tackles in the game. On the long touchdown run he was in position to make a play or force the running back inside to help. Instead, he spun himself out of bounds and completely took himself out of the play. If it were up to me, I would have already cut him and brought someone else in.
the grade: F
Seahawks Linebacker and Defensive Back Grades Regular Season Game 2011-9
Nov 19th
Seahawks Player Grades Vs. Ravens
Linebacker
1) David Hawthorne (B+)
Last week C
THE GOOD:
David had a quarterback pressure, a quarterback hit, a pass defensed and an interception that he almost returned for a touchdown.
THE BAD:
He missed a tackle.
2) Leroy Hill (B-)
Last week he led the linebackers with a B
THE GOOD:
Leroy did a nice job shooting the gap on a running play. He had a quarterback pressure, a pass defensed and a nice open field tackle.
THE BAD:
He had a couple issues in coverage. He lost track of Ed Dickson on one play and fell down on another.
3) Malcolm Smith (C+)
Last week D+
THE GOOD:
Malcolm had a quarterback pressure and a sack.
THE BAD:
On the Ravens final touchdown he was in position but never looked back to try to find the ball.
4) KJ Wright (C)
Last week C
Cornerback
1) Richard Sherman (B+)
Last week he led the CB’s with a B
THE GOOD:
Sherman had really good coverage most of the game and broke up 3 passes.
THE BAD:
He fell behind Torrey Smith on a deep rout but luckily the ball was overthrown. In the two minute defense Richard let the receiver get out of bounds to stop the clock. This is a rookie mistake and a very coachable moment.
2) Brandon Browner (B-)
Last week C
THE GOOD:
Browner had a nice block on a punt return and almost had an interception but Earl Thomas ran into him. Brandon also broke up another pass later in the game.
THE BAD:
He got called for pass interference but it was a really bad call in my opinion.
3) Byron Maxwell (C+)
Last week D
THE GOOD:
Byron forced the second fumble in kick coverage.
THE BAD:
He over ran a play on punt coverage.
4) Roy Lewis (D-)
Last week B-
THE GOOD:
Lewis had a rough game. Hopefully he is just breaking off some rust.
THE BAD:
He took a bad angle on one play and wasn’t able to get in position to make a tackle. He dropped an interception that squirted through his hands and was caught by the receiver. Then he was called for holding and illegal contact.
Safety
1) Atari Bigby (B-)
Last week C
THE GOOD:
He recovered the second kick that the Ravens fumbled.
THE BAD:
He was injured during the game.
2) Earl Thomas and Chris Maragos (C+)
Last week Earl got an A- and Chris wasn’t graded
THE GOOD:
Thomas made a couple nice open field tackles and had a pass defensed. Maragos was able to fight off a blocker and still make a tackle inside the 20 on a kick return.
THE BAD:
Earl was pancaked and he missed a tackle.
4) Kam Chancellor (C)
Last week D+
Seahawks Defensive Back Grades Regular Season Game 2011-8
Nov 11th
Seahawks Player Grades
Cornerback
1) Richard Sherman (B)
Last week A-
THE GOOD:
Richard had multiple plays where he had excellent coverage including a play in the end zone and another where he almost intercepted the ball but Dez Bryant knocked it away. He made a nice open field tackle and laid a big hit on Bryant at the goal line causing him to fumble the ball.
THE BAD:
He missed a couple tackles and was beat deep on one play by Miles Austin.
2) Roy Lewis (B-)
Last week C-
THE GOOD:
In the 2 minute drill he did a great job forcing the receiver inside after he caught the ball to keep the ball running. He also recovered Sherman’s forced fumble.
THE BAD:
Lewis was late in reacting to one route.
3) Brandon Browner and Kennard Cox (C)
Last week: Browner C- and Cox did not get graded
5) Byron Maxwell (D)
Last week C+
THE GOOD:
He usually plays much better than he did against Dallas.
THE BAD:
All of his troubles were on special teams. He had a missed tackle on punt coverage and was called for two Un-sportsman like conduct penalties for running out of bounds and not making an effort to re-establish himself in bounds.
Safety
1) Earl Thomas (A-)
Last week D+
THE GOOD:
Earl Thomas was probably the most sure tackler on the team last Sunday. He made a nice open field tackle, tackle for a short gain and a tackle for a loss. Earl had really good coverage on a couple plays including a play in the end zone. He came close to intercepting a pass that Richard Sherman had broken up.
THE BAD:
Earl Played a solid game.
2) Atari Bigby (C)
Last week C-
3) Kam Chancellor (D+)
Last week B-
THE GOOD:
Kam had a big hit on a running back and had a tackle for no gain. He had good coverage on a couple play including one where he broke up a pass that Cowboys tight end Jason Witten already had in his hands.
THE BAD:
He struggled a little in coverage and was late getting out to help cover the deep route on one play. He was called for pass interference but I can’t see what he did wrong so I did not dock him for it. Usually a fairly sure tackler, he struggled in Dallas missing several tackles including one where he went through the hole to hit the running back and turned his head away and completely missed the hit.
Defensive Back Grades Regular Season Game 2011-1
Sep 17th
Cornerback
Marcus Trufant (B-)
THE GOOD:
Marcus did a nice job coming in supporting the run and also hit a receiver which caused him to drop the ball.
THE BAD:
Trufant was playing up on the line and missed his attempt to redirect the receiver who was able to run right by him and make a big reception down the field.
Byron Maxwell and Richard Sherman (C+)
THE GOOD:
Byron forced a hold (more like a horse collar) while covering a kick but was unfortunately hurt on the play. Richard had a big block on a punt return that sprung Leon Washington.
THE BAD:
Losing Byron to injury really weakened the special teams unit.
Brandon Browner (C)
For his first game in the NFL I would say he had a pretty good game.
Safety
Kam Chancellor (A)
Kam is a first year starter who has been making a name for himself. His nickname is “Bam Bam” but I found out recently it stems from a previous nickname that he prefers “Kam Bam”
THE GOOD:
Chancellor has the ability to play sideline to sideline as shown when he got out to the sideline to support the run and recorded a tackle for a short gain. He showed his toughness taking on a block by the guard cutting him down and forcing the running back to cut back inside where defenders were waiting. Kam came up in run coverage on 3rd and short and made a tackle for no gain. He went out to covered the fullback in the flat and picked up a tackle for loss. At the goal line he saved a touchdown by cutting through the traffic and hitting Frank Gore stopping his moments so that others could bring him down.
THE BAD:
When Alex Smith scrambled for the touchdown he was in position to make the stop but reached out to tackle him instead of driving through him.
Earl Thomas (B-)
You can really see how much Earl has learned over the last year. He has become a smart instinctual player who fly’s around the field.
THE GOOD:
He recognized the tight end crossing behind the line after the snap and met him out in the flat to tackle him for a loss. Thomas was able to diagnose the end around and disrupt it. On a blitz he noticed the quarterback handing the ball off to the running back and was able to stay under control and tackle him for a loss. Earl also shot in through everyone and tackled a wide receiver on a WR screen for minimal gain.
THE BAD:
Earl had a big hit on one play but didn’t wrap up and missed the tackle. He still needs to work on controlling the chaos he brings as show by a play down near the goal line he went through the line backwards expecting to meet resistance and instead knocked Alan Branch out of the play. On the kick return for a touchdown he left his lane responsibility outside moving over two lanes before he saw Ginn cut it to the outside and by that time he couldn’t recover fast enough to stop him from running right by where he should have been.
Defensive Back Grades Preseason Game 2011-4
Sep 10th
Image by Ryan Gray
Cornerback
Richard Sherman (B-)
Last week D+
THE GOOD:
Richard was pretty solid in coverage knocking a ball out of a receivers hands and deflecting a pass most corners would not be able to make that play on in the air that would have been a touchdown. In the running game he held his ground and forced the runner back inside.
THE BAD:
Sherman had a missed tackle on special teams and was called for Pass Interference.
Brandon Browner and Marcus Trufant (C+)
Last week: Brandon B and Marcus B+
THE GOOD:
Brandon Had the block on Golden Tate’s big punt return that sprung him. Marcus did a nice job fighting off a blocker to remain in the play.
THE BAD:
Neither player played very much and will be the starters to open the regular season so they didn’t get much of a chance to make plays.
Kennard Cox and Byron Maxwell (C-)
Last week: Kennard C+ and Byron B+
THE GOOD:
Kennard has finally played his way off the team. Byron showed his ability to tackle making a nice open field tackle.
THE BAD:
Cox wasn’t confident in his speed as proven by giving a guy a 15 yard cushion in man coverage and filling his hips around on his second or third step so he wouldn’t get beat deep. This left him with no chance to cover anything underneath. Maxwell was playing like a rookie getting called for a pass interference and a face mask penalty
Walter Thurmond (D+)
Last week D+
THE GOOD:
Walter had a nice open field tackle and showed awareness on a play that the raiders were running a wide receiver pick on third down. He saw it coming and gave the necessary ground to avoid the pick while keeping up with the wide receiver on the slant. Although the receiver caught the ball Walter was able to stop him short of the marker.
THE BAD:
Thurmond Fell down in coverage but was smart enough to take the receiver down with him instead of allowing the guy a chance for and easy touchdown because he did not have any safety help over the top. He was playing too loose in coverage. On a punt return he muffed a punt and lost it.
Safety
Josh Pinkard (B-)
Last week C-
THE GOOD:
Josh played in the box well crashing in on the run and had a quarterback pressure.
THE BAD:
You would like to see him make more plays.
Earl Thomas, Jeron Johnson and Atari Bigby (C)
Last week: Earl led all Safeties with a B, Jeron C and Atari C+
Mark Legree (C-)
Last week C+
THE GOOD:
He did not make any above average plays in the game.
THE BAD:
He showed he needs to work on his hands when he dropped an interception thrown right at him.
Defensive Back Grades Preseason Game 2011-3
Sep 2nd
Image by Ryan Gray
Cornerback
1) Marcus Trufant and Byron Maxwell (B+)
Laste week: Marcus C- and Byron C+
THE GOOD:
Marcus was good all around against the Broncos. He had a sack for a 16 yard loss, crashed down on run getting a tackle, he came down on a run perfect forcing the runner back inside where he had help, and had good coverage. Byron Had a nice tackle on punt coverage and forced a fumble. He stayed at home on a running play and made an open field tackle. In the passing game he did a good job blitzing hitting the quarterback twice including one where he hit the QB’s hand as he threw.
THE BAD:
Trufant lost his base on one play and fell down in coverage.
3) Brandon Browner (B)
Laste week B
THE GOOD:
I noted Brandon having exceptional coverage on three plays. He showed his awareness when Orton ran dropping out of coverage as soon as he could and stopping Kyle short of the first down.
THE BAD:
Browner had an illegal hands to the face call.
4) Kennard Cox (C+)
Last week C
THE GOOD:
Kennard had good coverage and got penetration on a running play making the tackle. He got downfield on punt coverage and was there as the ball arrived.
THE BAD:
Cox missed two tackle including one on the punt return where he was there as the ball arrived.
5) Ron Parker (C)
Last week C+
6) Walter Thurmond and Richard Sherman (D+)
Last week: Walter didn’t play and Richard received a D
THE GOOD:
This was Walter’s first action of the preseason.
THE BAD:
Thurmond missed a tackle and he missed a receiver re-direct and fell behind in coverage because of it. Sherman overran a play and lost outside contain and got called for illegal hands to the face.
Safety
1) Earl Thomas (B)
Last week C
THE GOOD:
Earl worked perfect with Trufant coming down leaving the runner no choice but to run into one of them. He played a run well on the goal line and probably saved a touchdown. Thomas knocked a deep ball away that would have been a touchdown.
THE BAD:
2) Atari Bigby and Mark Legree (C+)
Last week: Atari D+ and Mark C-
THE GOOD:
Atari crashed down on a run and upended the running back in the backfield and crashed in on the run on 3rd and short. Mark played a big part of the punt return for a touchdown. He made a block on the punter that was ultimately the final block Baldwin needed to score and he made a smart play not blocking the next guy because he would have been blocking in the back.
THE BAD:
Bigby lost outside contain on one play. Legree had a missed tackle.
4) Ricky Thenarse and Jeron Johnson (C)
Last week Thenarse didn’t get graded and Jeron C+
6) Josh Pinkard (C-)
Last week D+
THE GOOD:
Josh was able to get penetration on 4th and inches.
THE BAD:
Pinkard didn’t protect his zone on a play where he was ten yards away from the man in his zone. He also had a missed tackle.
Defensive Backs Grades Preseason Game 2011-2
Aug 26th
Part 8 of 8 (I changed it to 8 because I was originally going to do TE and WR together) of the Seahawks player grades from the Vikings game. Quarterbacks, Offensive Linemen, Running Backs, Tight Ends, Wide Receivers, Defensive Linemen and Linebackers have already been posted. This is a series that will go position by position, player by player evaluating the single game performance of the players on the Seahawks roster.
Cornerback
1) Brandon Browner (B)
Last week he also received a B.
THE GOOD:
Brandon did a nice job in coverage. On one play he stayed between the receiver and the quarterback and had the ball hit him in the back. I would like to see him turn around and make a play on the ball. He was able to fight off a block and make a tackle.
THE BAD:
He had a big missed tackle on third down that led to a first down.
2) Byron Maxwell and Ron Parker (C+)
Last week Byron led all corners with a B+ and Ron was tied for third with a B-
THE GOOD:
Byron did a solid job in coverage. Ron was able to knock the ball away from the receiver.
THE BAD:
Maxwell didn’t make a big impression. Parker did not get very much playing time.
4) Kennard Cox (C)
Last week he had a C-
5) Marcus Trufant and Kelly Jennings (C-)
Marcus fell a little from a C+ last week while Jennings held steady.
THE GOOD:
Neither played long enough to make many mistakes.
THE BAD:
Trufant Lowered his head trying to tackle the running back and Adrian Peterson jumped over Marcus leaving him to tackle the turf. It is more of the usual from Jennings. He is in position but never tried to find the ball and the receiver adjusted to make an easy catch while he had the best seat in the house.
7) Richard Sherman (D)
Last week he received a B-
THE GOOD:
He had a nice tackle on a kick off and had a play where he had nice coverage deep.
THE BAD:
He wasn’t consistent in his deep coverage on one play he got beat but the ball was overthrown so he didn’t give up a completion. On a route over the middle he tripped losing his man. He didn’t Fight for the ball in the air and had a missed tackle.
Safety
1) Kam Chancellor (B)
Last week B
THE GOOD:
Kam played well on punt coverage and had a nice play. He played the screen well lighting up the running back. On one play he was blitzing and they handed the ball off. He made an adjustment and hit the running back for a tackle for loss.
THE BAD:
He got a little dinged in the game.
2) Jeron Johnson (C+)
Last week he led all safeties with a A-
THE GOOD:
He had a forced fumble on special teams that Aaron Curry picked up. He did a nice job in coverage including while he was playing with the first team.
THE BAD:
He had a missed tackle on the quarterback while he was scrambling and was unsure what to do on the last touchdown of the game and by the time he decided the runningback had already ran by him.
3) Earl Thomas (C)
4) Mark Legree (C-)
Last week C+
THE GOOD:
Overall he did a pretty solid job in coverage.
THE BAD:
He lost track of the tight end on play action and he over ran the play on the last touchdown of the game.
5) Atari Bigby and Josh Pinkard (D+)
Atari joined the team this week and Pinkard apparently didn’t turn his homework in because he doesn’t have a grade.
THE GOOD:
Josh shot through the gap disrupting the running game and made a great play on the ball carrier from behind punching the ball out through the back of the end zone.
THE BAD:
Atari had two missed tackles while Josh added another. Pinkard missed two blocks on kick returns and missed trying to check a receiver on a crossing route and fell way behind him.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this series. Feel free to leave your thoughts wether you agree or disagree. To avoid spam the settings require you to register and your first comment needs to be approved before it posts but after that they will post instantly.
Thanks again,
Brett
Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @NWProSports if we reach 1200 followers by the season opener we will give away a Seahawks Jersey.
Defensive Backs Grades Preseason Game 2011-1
Aug 19th
Part 8 of 8 (I changed it to 8 because I was originally going to do TE and WR together) of the Seahawks player grades from the Chargers game. Quarterbacks, Offensive Linemen, Running Backs, Tight Ends, Wide Receivers, Defensive Linemen and Linebackers have already been posted. This is a series that will go position by position, player by player evaluating the single game performance of the players on the Seahawks roster.
Like the linebacking unit the defensive backs lost their veteran leadership. The team decided not to bring back 37 year old Lawyer Milloy in an effort to become younger not only in the secondary but the entire team.
Image by Ryan Gray
Cornerbacks
1) Byron Maxwell (B+)
The Seahawks drafted Maxwell in the sixth round of this years draft.
THE GOOD:
Byron did a nice job against the outside run holding his ground and not allowing the back to turn the corner forcing him back inside where he had help. He did and excellent job sticking to his man in coverage.
THE BAD:
I’m not saying he was perfect but he played a solid game and made no glaring mistakes.
2) Brandon Browner (B)
Brandon spent two years in the CFL and from what I have seen so far I cannot figure out why he never made it in the NFL before.
THE GOOD:
He showed good coverage ability especially when you take into considering he is an unusually tall cornerback standing 6’4″ tall. Brandon made a play on a ball to deflect it away from the receiver where he had his back to the quarterback and had to look back to find it in the air. That was a very difficult play to make and he made it look easy. Earlier in the game he found himself one on one in the open field and did a nice job sticking to technique and making the tackle.
THE BAD:
He’s been available for two years and he wasn’t brought in until now.
3) Richard Sherman and Ron Parker (B-)
Pete Carroll was familiar with Sherman after playing against him when they were both in the PAC-10. Parker is also a rookie but he is of the UDFA variety.
THE GOOD:
Richard showed good coverage skills and good awareness against the screen. He was playing well and was playing against the Chargers second unit. Ron also showed an ability to cover the wide receivers.
THE BAD:
Parker only got his number called on 7 defensive formations.
5) Marcus Trufant (C+)
The only player on the Seahawks roster (excluding Specialists) who has more experience in the NFL is DT Ryan Sims. Trufant is the longest tenured Seahawks player.
THE GOOD:
He had good position on the receiver in coverage and played aggressively.
THE BAD:
Marcus only played in one series. It was the first series when the Chargers systematically moved the ball down the field for a touchdown.
6) Jesse Hoffman (C)
This guy broke up two TD passes but unfortunately he was very inconsistent and made some major mistakes as well.
7) Kelly Jennings and Kennard Cox (C-)
Most Seahawks fans had assumed that they had seen the last of Jennings when the team didn’t seem to show any interest in him at the start of free agency. Kennard Cox was a special teams standout last season.
THE GOOD:
Kelly didn’t play very long. Kennard made it through the game healthy.
THE BAD:
Once again Kelly got beat deep due to his inability to compete for the ball in the air. Although Kennard was a special teams standout he had a knack for getting penalties called on him and during the game got called for holding on a punt return.
8 ) Marcus Brown (D+)
Brown earned the worst grade of all cornerbacks.
THE GOOD:
He only played the last two series so he didn’t have too many opportunities to make mistakes
THE BAD:
Marcus played soft in coverage and was beat with relative ease playing against end of 90 man roster competition.
Safeties
1) Jeron Johnson FS (A-)
Jeron played in all but the first two defensive series of the game. He is an UDFA out of Boise State.
THE GOOD:
He was outstanding in pass coverage both in man coverage and zone. Johnson also showed an ability to crash down on the run and recorded a tackle for loss. He played consistently throughout the game.
THE BAD:
He got called for offsides on a kickoff.
2) Rickey Thenarse SS (B)
Thenarse was brought in as an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA). He played in the last four defensive series of the game.
THE GOOD:
He played well in coverage and had a pass deflection. He was consistent and avoided making mistakes.
THE BAD:
Its tough to evaluate overall ability when he is only playing against guys who are just filling a roster.
3) Kam Chancellor SS (B-)
Kam backed up Lawyer Milloy last year and has developed into a good young safety.
THE GOOD:
He was very disrupted in the running game. Kam looked like he is continuing to improve and ready to step up as the teams new starter.
THE BAD:
Nothing stood out in his limited playing time.
4) Mark Legree FS (C+)
Legree was added in the 5th round og the 2010 NFL Draft.
THE GOOD:
He showed coverage ability in very limited duty.
THE BAD:
He was only in on 12 defensive formations.
5) Earl Thomas (C-)
He received the lowest grade out of all the safeties but that isn’t too troubling with such limited action.
THE GOOD:
He did his job in pass coverage in the two series he played in.
THE BAD:
A safety blitz was called and he half heartedly rushed the quarterback. A pet peeve of mine is when a player is asked to blitz and they give it less than all their effort on the play. This puts extra pressure on the rest of the guys in coverage.
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this series. I have been getting great feedback and compliments about the it and intend to continue it through the season. Feel free to leave your thoughts wether you agree or disagree. To avoid spam the settings require you to register and your first comment needs to be approved before it posts but after that they will post instantly.
Thanks again,
Brett
Don’t forget to follow us on twitter @NWProSports if we reach 1200 followers by the season opener we will give away a Seahawks Jersey.
