If anyone can copy entire article it would be nice here is link...earl thomas injury has ruined them....https://www.google.com/amp/ftw.usatoday.com/2016/12/seattle-seahawks-earl-thomas-injury-playoffs-super-bowl/amp?client=safari
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The Seattle Seahawks have been the NFC’s best team for the last five seasons. Every year around this time, Seattle always seems to be that one team nobody wants to face in the playoffs.
Usually, that’s an accurate assessment. Not this season. The Seahawks defense, the driving force behind the team’s recent run of success, just isn’t the same without its driving force, Earl Thomas, whose absence has proven he is the most important player on the league’s most consistent unit.
Thomas’ injury — a broken leg ended his season in Week 13 — hasn’t received nearly as much attention as Rob Gronkowski’s and Derek Carr’s have, but it will have a similar impact on the outcome of the NFL postseason. And that’s just the nature of the safety position; because the broadcast camera angle focuses on the quarterback in the pocket, we don’t get to appreciate the work done by the best safeties in the league. And Thomas is the best the NFL has to offer.
RELATED:
Dec 4, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) is carted to the locker room during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
What Earl Thomas said after breaking his leg perfectly sums up how much he loves football
The 27-year-old has a very specific role in Pete Carroll’s defense. He is the Ken Griffey Jr. The centerfielder blessed with range and instincts. The Seahawks will play single-high safety looks for pretty much an entire game, which allows strong safety Kam Chancellor to drop into the box and serve as an ancillary run defender. And with Seattle’s corners playing tight on the receivers outside, Thomas is responsible for defending about 30 yards of the field on his own.
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Thomas possesses elite speed and quickness, but it’s his instincts and Football IQ that allow him to cover so much ground. Take the following play, for example: He not only reads this receiver screen before the ball is snapped, but he has the athleticism to actually make a play on the ball despite starting 10 yards downfield.
Though many teams have tried to replicate the Seattle set-up — the Saints, Jaguars and Falcons are the most notable examples — it doesn’t work without a player like Thomas manning the deep middle. Offenses can abuse those single-high looks by overloading the free safety with two seam routes. That works against your run-of-the-mill safety, but not against the metahuman they have up in Seattle.
Now it’s the Seahawks’ turn to learn the our-defense-only-works-with-Thomas lesson. Carroll has not adjusted his defense since Thomas went down. Seattle plugged in backup Steven Terrell and continued to favor the single-high looks. The results have been uneven. And by uneven, I mean they’ve been torched by two good offenses and played well against rookie Jared Goff. The Packers scored 38 in Week 14; the Cardinals dropped 34 on the Seahawks in Seattle. One stat reveals why the defense is struggling…
Quarterbacks targeting the deep middle were completing 14.3% of their passes with an average of 3.8 yards-per-attempt for a passer rating of 13.9 before Thomas’ injury. Since the injury, those numbers have jumped to 71.4%, 29.4 and 153.3, respectively.
It didn’t take long for opponents to realize this defense just wasn’t the same without Thomas. On the very first drive of Terrell’s first start, Aaron Rodgers was able to hold Seattle’s backup free safety with his eyes, allowing Davante Adams to get a one-on-one matchup deep down the sideline. Look at all the wasted steps Terrell takes on the play.
In fairness to Terrell, there aren’t a lot of safeties in the league who impact a play like that. But Thomas is one of them.
The deep middle was once No Man’s Land when playing Seattle’s D. Now teams are routinely targeting the deep middle by baiting Terrell with one route and hitting another over the top, as the Cardinals did for a long touchdown on Sunday.
Thomas’ range and instincts allows him to play deeper than most safeties would. He’s still able to break on passes in front of his face but is deep enough where it’s nearly impossible to beat him over the top. For Terrell, it’s one or the other. After the Cardinals beat him over the top, he dropped deeper, opening up the seam route in front of him.
Unfortunately for the Seahawks, there are no Jared Goff’s in the playoffs. If Seattle wants to make it back to the Super Bowl, they’ll have to take down some combination of Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers. It ain’t happening with Thomas in street clothes.
Either Russell Wilson and Seattle’s offense will finally live up to the preseason hype and carry the defense throughout the playoffs, or the Seahawks are looking at another lost season.Comment -
They'll win the wild card game and fall in the divisionalComment -
They will be fine.Comment -
For some reason I really like seeing Seattle lose. The sooner the better. Love the city....but for some reason hate the team.Comment -
Seattle with some help from the refs can make a run againComment -
Never count out the Seahawks. One of the most resilient teams ever.Comment -
Is Thomas done for sure for the playoffs?Cause Sleep is the Cousin of DeathComment -
Will be tough if they don't get #2 seedComment -
Seahawks had a string of 91 games broken this year where they either led or were within 1 score in the 4th quarter.Comment -
there not even close to a great team
averageComment -
Does one injury completely ruin a defenseComment -
There offense hasn't looked that good, talking about RW.Comment -
Seattle will play at home we shall see how they put up their playoff roster and playcallingComment -
Line will be all good to pounce on Seahawks going down 1st round let's see what number we getComment -
YAh can't wait to see a line don't see Seattle being more then- 3.5Comment -
injuries part of game
Brady wins with college kids year after yearComment -
Hey gold come out here so I can knock your head offComment -
There not playing like 7.5 point favorites did you see them today? My godComment -
Lions bad has that line 7Comment -
Whas even worse they get the ball thrown on them like no other....the DLINE making up for them but the deep ball is a problemComment -
I got 8 with the Lions and pounced on it. Hoping the line comes down later in the week so I can middle it across the number of 7. We'll see. Seattle's not showing much and Sherman has become too big for his britches. That said, Detroit coach Caldwell is about as motivating as a fern. He's awful.Comment -
If the Seattle Seahawks locker room is divided, defensive end Michael Bennett is doing his very best to hide it.
On Thursday, ESPN released an article, which spoke to friction among the Seahawks players. Namely, Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman were the main divided parties but the rift indicated a clear fracture between offense and defense.
Bennett immediately dismissed the article as "trash" and spoke about Wilson in glowing terms. He continued that strategy on Friday but with both players.
Along with safety Kam Chancellor, Bennett is one of the more silent (in terms of on-the-field leadership) leaders that the Seahawks employ. He prefers to lead by example than explicitly call teammates out.
For this situation, he's projecting a more united front to the world.
But, one has to wonder:
Is he trying to convince us or himself?
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The question is who can defeat Seattle in the NFC West? Arizona has to depend on an old and oft injured QB. The Rams and 49'ers are still train wrecks. The Seahawks may win by default.Comment -
Big daddy they can't seem to get over the 1yard pass with the best back in the league in the backfieldComment
