As we’ve been doing for several years now, we’ll break down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ opponent each week, telling you what to expect from a scheme and individual standpoint. Like last year, Josh Carney and I will cover the opposing team’s offense. I will focus on the scheme, Josh on the players.
Today, our scouting report on the Seattle Seahawks’ offense.
Alex’s Scheme Report
Seahawks’ Run Scheme
Seattle’s running game has been only average to a bit below this year. As a team, the Seahawks are averaging 4.0 YPC, which ranks 21st in the league. They also don’t run the ball a lot despite their winning record. Their 342 attempts are just 29th in the league and they average only 90 yards per game.
The backfield is led by two men. Kenneth Walker III and rookie Zach Charbonnet. Walker leads the team with 192 carries to Charbonnet’s 101 (there have been injuries to both, as there often seems to be in this backfield) while Charbonnet has a slightly better average than Walker, 4.2 to 4.0. Their run-success rates are nearly the same. Walker is more the hammer in close with seven rushing scores to Charbonnet’s one.
The Seahawks have just 39 runs of 10-plus on the season, 20th overall. But their backs are talented with size and athleticism and should be taken seriously. Walker is a strong zone and cutback runner.
Conceptually, there’s a good blend schematically. There’s a mix of zone and gap runs. They have this interesting Zorro action, usually associated with tosses where the EMOL runs across the formation pre-snap, but they’ll actually pair it on their split zones or gap schemes, too. Examples.
And they get creative with their looks. You’re going to see some unusual alignments. Like the running back being offset between tackle and guard. They can run a toss or dive off it. Or this in the first example, this Wing-Tish formation where they run power.
Though they have three talented receivers, they also utilize three tight ends and run a solid amount of 12 personnel and have the second-highest 13 personnel rate in the NFL. Watch this man run to the tight end/field side that Walker bounces for a big gain.
Other stats. They’re the 18th-ranked scoring offense, averaging 21.3 points per game. However, they’ve slowed as of late, held to 20 points or less in five of their last six. Their season total is boosted by a hot start, the Seahawks scoring 37 points in two of their first three games of the season. Situationally, they have been poor, 26th on third down (35.5 percent) and 28th in the red zone (47.9 percent). They’ve only turned the ball over 16 times, a top-10 figure, and have a plus-three turnover ratio, which runs comfortably in the top half of the league. The Seahawks hasn’t given the ball way in their last two games, a key reason why they’ve won both.
Seahawks Pass Scheme
Geno Smith returned from injury last week and helped earn the win over the Tennessee Titans, though Drew Lock held down the fort well. Smith has regressed from his awesome 2022 campaign. His completion rate has dipped five points to 64.8 percent after leading the league a year ago. His YPA is down, his touchdown rate is down, his Adjusted Net Yards per Passing Attempt is down, and his interception rate is up. However, over his last two games, he’s thrown five touchdowns and just one pick.
The steady Tyler Lockett is their top receiver in terms of receptions, 76 grabs for 813 yards and four touchdowns. He remains one of the league’s most underrated and consistent receivers. D.K. Metcalf is a physical freak with 60 receptions for 998 yards (a 16.6 yards average) and eight touchdowns. Should be a fun battle against Joey Porter Jr. And rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba is an underneath and possession threat, averaging just over 10 yards per catch. He’s also a favorite on third down. Despite having fewer catches than Lockett and Metcalf, his 22 third-down grabs lead the team and are tied for 15th in the entire league, even against guys with significantly more receptions.
TE Noah Fant is a matchup concern with size and athleticism, and he’s averaging over 13 yards per grab this year. But 45.3 percent of his 355 yards came across Weeks Two-Four and he’s only been over 35 yards just once in his last 11 games. Still, Seattle could target him more given Pittsburgh’s messy inside linebacker situation.
Conceptually, a lot of 2×2 mirrored concepts. Usually Hank/spacing/stick, something like that. Also get a lot of stacked receiver looks for free releases. Examples.
They like to use Metcalf in the slot as No. 2 to open up his route tree and try to make some big corners cover inside but Porter should be comfortable regardless of alignment. Lots of slants and in-breakers overall in this offense. And watch out for their boot and play-action game. Couple clips of that.
Josh’s Individual Report
It’s Seahawks week, Steelers fans!
Coming off a big Week 16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers now hit the road for a tough matchup in the Great Northwest against the 8-7 Seattle Seahawks with everything on the line.
Seattle finds itself in a very similar position as Pittsburgh, needing to win out down the stretch to get into the postseason. Something has to give Sunday at Lumen Field.
On paper, this looks like a tremendous matchup, especially between Seattle’s offense and Pittsburgh’s defense.
Seattle is led by quarterback Geno Smith, who remains quite a heartwarming story in the NFL. Battling back from being a bust with the New York Jets and biding his time as a backup with the Giants and Seahawks, Smith became a starter last season, earning a Pro Bowl trip and a big contract extension as the face of the franchise in Seattle.
He has a strong, accurate arm and can make every throw on the field. He’s very smart with the football, too, and takes calculated risks. It helps that he has a great cache of weapons at his disposal.
Wide receiver DK Metcalf is a physical specimen and one of the best receivers in football. He’s hit his stride in the last month or so and is on a dominant run.
He can run much of the route tree, has terrific hands and is a legitimate speed demon with the football in his hands.
Going to need to keep a lid on him Sunday. He can change the game in a hurry. His matchup with Joey Porter Jr. will be quite entertaining to watch between two physical players.
There’s a lot of mutual respect there. Let’s see how it plays out on the field.
Tyler Lockett remains one of the best route runners in football, bar none. He is constantly open, has great awareness for when to sit in zones and show his quarterback his numbers, and is just a steady, dependable receiver.
He’s tough as nails, too. Reminds me a bit of Hines Ward.
Rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba has really emerged in recent weeks. He caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Drew Lock against the Philadelphia Eagles, beating veteran cornerback James Bradberry in man coverage on a go route.
He, like Lockett, is a great route runner. That trait is what attracted the Seahawks to him in the 2023 NFL Draft coming out of Ohio State. He has great hands, creates consistent separation and has some serious YAC skills.
While the Seahawks are loaded at receiver, this is a team that thrives with the running back thanks to a two-headed monster in Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
Walker, when healthy, is a dynamic back. He’s a load to tackle, yet is also rather explosive, able to turn the corner and hit the home run.
He has great vision and feel, too, and plays well behind the Seahawks’ offensive line.
He doesn’t always dance, either. He has a good feel for things, knows when to press the line of scrimmage, when to take what’s there and when to search for the big play.
When he rolls downhill against defenses it’s a tall task to stop him.
Same with Charbonnet, whom the Seahawks surprisingly drafted this year despite having Walker.
The two have worked very well together and form a terrific 1-2 punch that Seattle can truly lean on, set the tone with and take over games.
Charbonnet is a bigger back, but he has great feet, is very elusive and has good speed. If you’re not careful, he will run away from you. But he’ll also punch you right in the mouth over and over again and impose his will.
It helps that the Seahawks have three strong blockers at tight end to roll with in all situations.
Colby Parkinson, Noah Fant and Will Dissly. All three can control the line of scrimmage in the run game as blockers, giving the Seahawks the ability to overwhelm defenses up front in the run game.
They are solid pass-catching options, too, and can hurt defenses over the middle when given the opportunity.
Up front, the Seahawks have done a nice job rebuilding in the trenches the last two seasons. Here’s how I expect them to line up Sunday, left to right:
LT — Charles Cross
LG — Damien Lewis
C — Evan Brown
RG — Anthony Bradford
RT — Abraham Lucas
Cross and Lucas, when healthy, have been a really strong bookend duo for the Seahawks. They were both drafted in the same class and took to the starting lineup immediately. They’ve really solidified the Seahawks’ offensive line, both from a run game and a pass protection standpoint.
Lewis is one of the more underrated guards in football. He’s a mauler in the run game and has a strong anchor in pass protection. He was quite the steal for the Seahawks and continues to get better and better.
We might even see the ageless veteran Jason Peters on Sunday, too. The Seahawks added him to their roster a few weeks ago and he’s filled in at tackle and guard at times. He still can play, too.
On special teams, Seattle is rather dependable.
Jason Myers has a big leg and a penchant for hitting big kicks in clutch situations. He has missed seven kicks on the season though, with four of them from 50-plus yards. That said, he’s 30-for-37 on the year, numbers that shouldn’t be glossed over.
Punter Michael Dickson has a big-time leg, one that can flip the field in the blink of an eye. He’s averaging 44.2 net yards, has a long of 73 yards on the season and 23 of his 58 punts have been downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
A real weapon.
In the return game, backup running back DeeJay Dallas handles the punt-return duties while wide receiver Dee Eskridge handles the kick returns.
Dallas averages 10.4 yards per return, while Eskridge averages nearly 28 yards per kick return when given the opportunity.
