'Do Your Job' vs. Jets: Seahawks Coach Cares Little for Tariq Woolen vs. Sauce Gardner
As the Seattle Seahawks host the New York Jets at Lumen Field on Sunday, there's an obvious focus on the playoff implications that the game has for both teams.
There's also some interesting, but less important story lines to follow. An entertaining one leading up to the game has been the potential battle between rookie cornerbacks, as New York's Sauce Gardner and Seattle's Tariq Woolen, who are both headed to the Pro Bowl.
Gardner caught some attention after publicly asking fans on social media "How are y'all letting this happen?" in regards to why Woolen had more Pro Bowl votes than him without calling out the fellow rookie directly.
This certainly stirred up the headlines, but Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt thinks the whole thing is blown out of proportion. He's hoping a "matchup" between two players who won't even be taking the field against each other on Sunday doesn't become a distraction.
"I would hope that, in a natural sense, that it doesn’t," Hurtt said. "He’s not going to line up against Sauce Gardner a single time ... I think sometimes when you make it about that, you lose sight of what’s important in the course of the game, which is to do your job."
Woolen will already have to worry about an underrated and talented Jets receiving corps that's highlighted by rookie receiver Garrett Wilson. Focusing on a "battle" with Gardner should be at the bottom of the priority list when Wilson is on the cusp of a 1,000-yard season.
"He has to cover Garrett and Corey Davis and the rest of those guys in the wide receiver group," Hurtt said.
While Gardner helped light the fire with his since-deleted tweet, there's equal blame placed on the media for seemingly always pinning big-name players of similar positions against one another. From position grades or statistical comparisons, it all serves as a way to create one more story line.
Hurtt is hardly blind to this fact.
"In terms of the comparisons and whatnot, you guys are going to make sure that they carry on for years to come," he said.
If both Gardner and Woolen make game-changing plays on Sunday in a must-win game, then the conversation will live up to the hype. But as both are faced with difficult matchups in the secondary, the head-to-head comparison takes a significant backseat for now.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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