Seahawks Halftime Observations: 'Hawks Doomed By Atrocious Tackling, Trail Steelers 17-14

Struggling to get ball carriers to the ground throughout two quarters of play while surrendering almost 150 rushing yards, the Seattle Seahawks went into halftime trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14 in a must-win Week 17 contest.

Here are three quick observations from the first half of play at Lumen Field:

1. Geno Smith's impeccable pocket presence creates several explosives to guide passing attack.

Earlier in the week, Smith admitted to reporters he still was rehabbing elbow and groin injuries suffered earlier in the season. But if an observer didn't know any better or hadn't heard his comments, the latter injury looked like a non-factor as the veteran quarterback masterfully maneuvered the pocket with quick feet throughout the first half to turn potential sacks into big pass plays.

On the first play of the second quarter, Smith somehow evaded All-Pro pass rusher T.J. Watt on 2nd and 6, stepping up in the pocket to buy himself extra time and unloading a strike to DK Metcalf for a 33-yard gain deep into Pittsburgh territory to set up a Ken Walker III touchdown run. On the ensuing drive, playing as if he had eyes on every side of his head, he sidestepped defensive tackle Isaiah Loudermilk in the pocket and again took advantage of the extended play to deliver a 21-yard pass to tight end Noah Fant. Following a 21-yard connection to Metcalf on a slant, he capped off the drive feathering a 12-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the back of the end zone to give his team a 14-10 advantage.

2. Bouncing around like a pin ball, an elusive Walker brought much-needed balance to counter a talented front line.

Despite finding a way to hang on for a victory over the Titans in Nashville, the Seahawks couldn't get their run game untracked all day last weekend, rushing for under three yards per carry and just 58 total yards. Getting off to a quick start on Sunday, Walker nearly hit that total before halftime, displaying his blend of speed, quickness, and power as he diced through and around the Steelers defense for 45 yards on just six carries.

Immediately after Metcalf's 33-yard reception, Walker went into jitterbug mode, bouncing a duo run wide left and managing to outrun a pair of Pittsburgh defenders to turn a minimal gain into an 11-yard run and a first down. On the very next play, thanks to Metcalf's efforts blocking on the outside, he burst through a massive hole to rocket his way into the end zone and knot the game at seven apiece. Helping set up Smith's touchdown pass, he weaved through the front line and made a defender miss to move the chains on a nine-yard run on 2nd and 8, proving to be a catalyst for the second quarter offensive barrage.

3. Poor tackling, gap fits continue to ail a struggling Seahawks' run defense.

For as great as Seattle's offense played aside from a rough opening series, coach Pete Carroll had to be embarrassed by the atrocious display of tackling by his defense as a whole. From the game's opening series, Pittsburgh came out emphasizing the run game with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, leaning on the thunder and lightning duo against a unit that didn't seem interested in trying to bring either to the ground.

Though the Seahawks managed to get off the field with a fourth down stop on their first defensive possession, the Steelers kept pounding the rock with great success. On the second series, Warren shook multiple would-be tacklers out of their cleats on a scintillating 18-yard touchdown run to cap off an impressive 14-play, 80-yard drive and take an early 7-0 lead. On the next possession, the former Oklahoma State standout slipped through multiple tackles on a counter run, turning a short gain into a 23-yard pickup leaving several Seahawks grasping for air. The worst tackling came inside two minutes to go in the half when Harris seemingly steamrolled through the entire middle of the defense while keeping his feet before extending the ball past the goal line to put the Steelers back in front.

In total, Pittsburgh rushed for 145 yards and averaged six yards per carry, gashing Seattle in one of its best offensive halves of football this season.

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