Seahawks DE Darrell Taylor 'Zeroed In' Toward Push for Playoffs
RENTON, Wash. - Coming off a stellar first NFL season and equally impressive offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks expected Darrell Taylor to emerge as a rising star and elevate their pass rush to new heights in 2022.
However, Taylor's third NFL season didn't get off to the fast start everyone within the organization believed it would. In fact, as opponents pushed him around in the run game and he struggled to generate consistent pressure rushing off the edge, Seattle opted to bench him in favor of journeyman Darryl Johnson after only three games.
In the first half of the season, despite the team racing out to a 6-3 start, Taylor stood out as one of the Seahawks biggest disappointments with only 13 tackles, a trio of sacks, and four quarterback hits through Week 9. With his production waning, he continued to see a steady decline in playing time, including logging only 31 defensive snaps in a Week 7 road win over the Chargers.
But since that point, with frustrations over playing time boiling over and the explosive rusher searching for answers, the light switch has seemingly flicked back on as Taylor has turned the corner figuratively and literally. Over his past five games, the former second-round pick has amassed 5.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, and 13 pressures, transforming into the disruptive force Seattle envisioned at the perfect time as Seattle pursues the final wild card spot.
"He's zeroed in," Carroll said. "It’s clear that he has changed, and he’s hotter with his pass rush right now. So, we have to keep him in that mode and still use him to game him up and all that kind of stuff to keep him guessing. You better get ready, he's flying. He’s flying at you.”
What's been the key to Taylor's swift turnaround? Speaking with reporters on Monday, coach Pete Carroll credited simplification for his recent run of success as the player has leaned more heavily on his elite burst and athletic traits rather than trying to do too much technique and pass rush plan wise. After the player and coach talked things over last month, it truly was a case of less being more.
“It made some sense to him about featuring his strengths and really trying to maximize the speed rushes that he is so good at. I think it has kicked him into a different gear," Carroll explained. "He’s out there more, and he’s trying to maximize his ability to run around guys. He has a great get off, and he’s very athletic, and that’s his strength as opposed on trying to do too many things and maybe watering down his good shots at getting to the quarterback."
Enjoying a career day in Sunday's 23-6 win over the Jets, Taylor played as if he drank jet fuel before kickoff, constantly rocketing upfield and leaving athletic right tackle in a state of panic trying to recover. Honing in on quarterback Mike White like a heat seeking missile, he racked up eight combined pressures while registering a personal-best 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Making an impact early, with Seattle already holding a 17-3 lead midway through the second quarter and the Jets facing 3rd and 16 in Seahawks territory, Taylor timed the snap count perfectly with a meteoric first step. Leaving Fant in the dust before he could even initiate his pass set, he flew around the corner without losing a step and wrapped up White before Quinton Jefferson joined in on the fun to combine for a crucial split sack, forcing the opposition to settle for a field goal.
Later in the second quarter, Taylor made his presence felt wreaking havoc off the edge again on the final play of the half. Rushing from wide-9 alignment off the right side against former teammate Duane Brown, he used a quick hesitation step to get the veteran tackle leaning back inside before exploding around him with a straight path to White as he bailed the pocket to the right. Hunting him down, he punched the ball loose for a strip sack and Uchenna Nwosu recovered for a turnover.
Capping off a phenomenal performance, Taylor closed out the game chasing down White again in frontside pursuit, wrestling him to the ground as the clock struck triple zeroes to set a new single game career-high in sacks.
"As things go through the course of a long season, he’s coming out of it in great shape right now. He’s really a factor," Carroll said. "I don’t know if you guys could tell if you watch close enough to see that he had some phenomenal efforts to finish on the quarterback. I mean phenomenal. He was laying out and flying and you can even see him on field goal block giving great effort and having a big impact there too. He has really given us everything that he’s got.”
Still only in his second season playing after sitting out his entire rookie year recovering from a broken leg, the 25-year old Taylor has plenty of room to grow and develop his game as he gains experience. His run defense has improved as the season has progressed, but he still has a tendency to play himself out of position when tasked with setting the edge and his run fits have been inconsistent at best.
As for rushing the passer, Taylor started to mix in other counter moves, including a spin move that Carroll indicated wasn't "natural for him," during the early stages of the season. While he didn't achieve the desired results expanding his pass rushing toolbox this season, his elite athleticism and coordination should allow such counters and a more versatile pass rushing plan to become effective parts of his game down the road.
For now, Carroll and the Seahawks will be counting on Taylor to stay red hot with a playoff spot still up for grabs and a pivotal rematch against the Rams looming this weekend. With the former Tennessee standout playing his best ball of late by maximizing on his strengths, he hopes to see the budding star in the backfield frequently giving Baker Mayfield a warm welcome to the NFC West.
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