Seattle Seahawks Pass Defense vs. Pittsburgh Steelers: 37/59, 480 Yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs

Pass #65

Situation: 2nd and Goal SEA 10
Description: Q4-(3:57) B. Roethlisberger Pass Incomplete Short Right to M. Bryant

I do not know what has gotten into Thomas (#29) this game but he is jumping a lot of routes he shouldn’t. Bryant (#10) is running the seam route and the Steelers are trying to free him up by having James (#81) rub Shead (#35) off his man coverage. James ends up being planted, but his rub is effective as Bryant gets a step on Shead. Thomas is playing in the deep middle of the field and should have been getting over the top of the seam route. Instead, he is too aggressive and tries to jump the dig route he thinks Bryant is going to run. Bryant is open in the back of the endzone for a touchdown but the Seahawks catch a breaks as Roethlisberger (#7) overthrows him. (36/56, 456 Yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs)

Pass #66

Situation: 3rd and Goal SEA 10
Description: Q4-(3:43) B. Roethlisberger Scrambles Right Guard to SEA 3 for 7 Yards (K. Wright)

Wright (#50) was in good position to tackle Roethlisberger (#7) on the scramble but he is lucky that Roethlisberger didn’t toss a pass over the top of him for a touchdown. The intial coverage by the Seahawks is solid, but a miscommunication happens between Wagner (#54) and Wright. Wagner sees that Heyward-Bey is running a speed dig route and pass him off to Wright in coverage. Wright doesn’t get any depth to get underneath Heyward-Bey though as he his focused on Roethlisberger scrambling. If Roethlisberger keeps his head up when running, he could have tossed it over the top of Wright to Heyward-Bey for a touchdown as Thomas (#29) is in bracket coverage with Sherman (#25) against Brown (#84). Instead, Roethlisberger sees the gap to run through (Formed by Wallace (#73) pancaking Hill (#97)) when Irvin (#51) gets around Villaneuva and takes off to scramble for a touchdown. Wright does a great job of stopping him in his tracks short of the goalline, but Wright gets lucky on the play.

Pass #67

Situation: 1st and 10 PIT 18
Description: Q4-(1:57) L. Jones Pass Incomplete Short Left to M. Wheaton

Lane (#20) needs to expand in his zone coverage and gets bailed out by a poor pass. The Seahawks are in a Tampa 2 and Lane is responsible for the hook zone coverage. Wheaton (#11) is running a curl route and Lane should naturally expand underneath this route in his zone coverage. Instead, he drifts straight backward and Wheaton is unopposed on the curl route. Jones (#3) throws a duck and Lane gets bailed out for his poor zone drop. (36/57, 456 Yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs)

Pass #68

Situation: 2nd and 10 PIT 18
Description: Q4-(1:54) L. Jones Pass Short Left to De. Williams Pushed Out of Bounds at SEA 48 for 34 Yards (E. Thomas)

There are two things that go wrong on this play. The first is Irvin (#51) needs to recognize that the screen is on. Williams (#34) acts like he is going to block Irvin and then spins out of the way to set up for a screen. This should be setting off every alarm in Irvin’s brain and he should turn immediately back to Williams to take away the screen. Instead, he keeps coming on his pass rush and Jones (#3) passes over the top of Irvin to Williams. The second is one of Shead (#35) or Wright (#50) have to beat a block and at least slow down the screen pass. Instead, Shead is too passive in attacking the block of Foster (#73) and Wright gets pinned to the inside by Wallace (#72). This gives an alley for Williams to run through and Williams is off to the races. (37/58, 490 Yards, 1 TD, 3 INTs)

Pass #69

Situation: 1st and 10 SEA 48
Description: Q4-(1:45) L. Jones Pass Deep Right Intended to M. Bryant Intercepted by K. Chancellor (D. Shead) at SEA 7. K. Chancellor to SEA 7 for No Gain (M. Bryant). The Replay Official Reviewed the Interception Ruling, and the Play was Upheld. The Ruling on the Field Stands

Hey look, Shead (#35) doesn’t get burnt deep by Bryant for a change. Shead has deep outside third coverage in the Cover 3 and he is bailing the whole time in his coverage. Bryant (#10) is running the go route and Jones (#3) should have never even tried to throw this pass to Bryant as Shead is in perfect position to take it away. Shead does a good job high pointing the ball and tipping the ball, but Chancellor (#31) makes an even better play to intercept this pass. Chancellor is playing in the deep middle of the field and does a good job hustling over to the sideline after the ball is thrown. He should not have been expected to get close to this pass but he takes a great angle and when the ball is tipped is in the air makes an acrobatic catch for the interception. Jones should have thrown this pass to James (#81) on the pop pass as Wagner (#54) (correctly) is getting underneath Wheaton’s (#11) seam route and Thomas (#29) is playing his hook zone coverage from his safety position. (37/59, 490 Yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs)