How Much Worse Could Seahawks Pass Rush Be in Week 3 Against Cowboys?
If you follow the Seahawks even just casually, you’re probably well aware of the concerns fans and pundits alike had about the team’s pass rush after their failure to sign a high-end pass rusher and inability to retain Jadeveon Clowney and Quinton Jefferson this offseason. Now, two weeks into the season, those fears have very much come alive on the field.
When the Seahawks acquired Jamal Adams, the meme going around the team’s fanbase was that the All-Pro safety would be Seattle’s most effective pass rusher in 2020. Unfortunately, that’s actually been the case. Adams currently leads the team in sacks (2), quarterback hits (4), and total pressures (8). For as great and versatile as Adams has been, this is ultimately a significant problem for Seattle.
Heading into a Week 3 bout against an insanely talented Cowboys offense on paper, the Seahawks are at even more of a disadvantage than they were in their abysmal pass rushing performance versus the Patriots a week ago. They lost Bruce Irvin to a season-ending knee injury late in that game, placed Rasheem Green on temporary injured reserve this week, and may also be without veteran Benson Mayowa, who’s listed as a game-time decision with a groin issue.
Despite how poor the position group has already been, this is pretty disheartening given the popular opinion that the three aforementioned names are the team’s most effective pass rushers on the edge, for whatever that’s worth. But seeing as how ineffective they were in getting to Cam Newton last week, allowing the Patriots to seemingly move the ball at will for the majority of the game, just how much worse could this unit really be in this game? You’d be surprised.
If Mayowa can’t go, the Seahawks are likely faced with the very real possibility of giving Alton Robinson, D’Andre Walker, and even Shaquem Griffin significant playing time despite all three not seeing activation yet this year. They would join L.J. Collier and Damontre Moore as Seattle’s primary pass rushing “threats” this week against one of the most consistent offensive line units in the NFL.
That’s a lot of inexperience to be relied upon, especially for a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a 3-0 start on the line, and the downside of all this is not even just on the pass rush. So while they may be able to match the effectiveness in getting to the quarterback to last week’s effort (which is to say, not at all), Green, Irvin, and Mayowa all would give the Seahawks far greater upside for defensive success in this game, albeit slim, and do more for you than just rush the passer.
It’s hard to imagine the Seahawks being able to get off the field in this game consistently, and if they do, they’re going to need a couple players to unexpectedly pop. One could be Jordyn Brooks, who’s getting his first start this week, though we still don’t know if it will be at strongside or weakside linebacker. Cody Barton could be another. Of the trio of Griffin, Walker, and Robinson, Griffin is the only one with some moderate success at the NFL level, though it would seem likely that Robinson would be in line to get the most snaps after impressing in camp.
The thing with Robinson, however, is that he was viewed as more of a project out of the two pass rushers the Seahawks drafted this year. It’s hard to know how mechanically and fundamentally sound he is currently despite the praise he’s received, especially when considering the fact that he’s been inactive in each of the first two weeks, much to the well-documented dismay of Seahawks fans.
This really isn’t a knock on any of the young players that will suit up on the defensive side of the ball for the Seahawks this week. It’s just an unfortunately tough situation to put a lot of these guys in and more than anything damning of Seattle’s offseason plan on the defensive line.
