Seahawks - 2012 by Sound Publishing

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Seahawks defense

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2012 Seahawks Special Section

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[Primary objective: Stop opposing offense]

Target: Opposing QB

Options: - pass - hand off

Earl Thomas

capable of! !Caution: play action

Position: Safety Options:

- blitz - zone coverage - man-to-man coverage

Protection Protection

Primary weapon: right arm

Latitude:

47.53

Longitude:

-122.20

Wind speed:

6.4 mph

Third down, chance of success:

33.8%

[[

Field enhancement: on - Magnify: variable

]]

photo/design by adam mcfadden

‘12 Seahawks:A different pointofview By ADAM McFADDEN

In a time when prolific passing offenses rule the NFL, Seattle is doing something different: Building around defense. And the progress is hard to ignore. Yes, the Seahawks finished at 7-9 for the second straight year. And yes, they missed the playoffs. But things are far from dire. Improvement was apparent across the board, and it was especially easy to see in the team’s young secondary, where Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Brandon Browner all made the Pro Bowl. “The expectations are high for those guys to really be a factor again,” head coach Pete Carroll said in a press conference during a June practice. “There’s nothing that these guys can’t do. They’ve worked really hard and they’ve taken a lot of pride.” The group improved as the season went on and developed a definite swagger that sunk in as the team’s identity. “It’s the personalities,” Chancellor said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are confident.

What’s inside? Read all about the 2012 Seattle Seahawks inside. Also, don’t forget to visit RentonReporter.com to find Seahawks news through training camp and the regular season.

You get that confidence and then you get that swagger about you.” In 2010, the Seahawks ranked 27th (out of 32) in total yards allowed, 27th in passing yards allowed, and 21st in rushing yards allowed per game. Last season, the team jumped all the way to ninth in total yards allowed, 11th in passing yards allowed, and 15th in rushing yards allowed per game. By other measures, the defense was even better. Advanced NFL Stats (advancednflstats.com) has a statistic called Expected Points Added (EPA). It measures the value of every play in points added or taken away from a team, as opposed to a traditional stat, like yards.

In this regard Seattle ranked fourth in the league in defensive EPA last season with -33.7. For context, San Francisco was first, at -60.3. Eight teams had negative defensive EPA values. Split even further, Seattle’s run EPA of -18.6 was seventh in the NFL, while its pass EPA of -15.1 was fifth. So while the Seahawks ranked 11th in passing yards allowed per game, the yards they allowed were not as damaging to the game outcomes as they sound. Contrast this to a team like Kansas City. The Chiefs allowed just 201.3 passing yards per game last year, which ranked sixth, and is almost 19 yards more than Seattle. Despite that, the Chiefs ranked 23rd in pass EPA at 65.4. EPA also shows a stark improvement for Seattle from 2010 to 2011. The team’s overall defensive EPA was 26th in the league in 2010, at 76. The Seahawks really struggled against the pass in 2010, ranking 27th in pass EPA, at 60.9. Thanks almost entirely to the improved defense, Seattle had a positive point

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differential (plus 6) in 2011 for the first time since 2007. And it wasn’t a gradual improvement. The Seahawks’ recent point differentials of minus 97 in 2010 and minus 110 in 2009 left much to be desired. So what happened to make the defense turn around so quickly? It was a combination of many things. Coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider had another year to bring in even more talent and get players used to playing in the system. But it’s also hard to discount the team’s confidence and mindset on the defensive side of the ball. “We’re going to grind every game,” Chancellor said. “We’re flying around the field trying to let them not catch anything on us.” Making things better is the fact that the secondary should only improve. Chancellor and cornerback Richard Sherman are 24. Safety Earl Thomas is only 23. Cornerback Brandon Browner is the group’s elder statesman at 27 (he will turn 28 in early [ more defense page 2 ]

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2012 Seahawks Special Section

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Watch the Seahawks during training camp at the VMAC Fans can watch 13 Seattle Seahawks training camp practices at the Virginia Mason Athletic center, from July 28 to Aug. 15. Online registration can be done at seahawks.com. Season ticket holders can pre-register starting July 11. Registration is first-come, first-served, and fans 15 or younger must be with an adult. Fans will park at The Landing in Renton and ride shuttles to the VMAC. The VMAC parking lot is closed to the public. There will be a $6 transportation fee per person. Fans can check in to receive their training camp passes at the Seahawks Bing

Training Camp Guest Services Center at 840 North 10th Place, Suite D. Open practice dates July 28 - 10 a.m. July 29 - 10 a.m. July 30 - 10 a.m. July 31 - 10 a.m. Aug. 2 - 10 a.m. Aug. 3 - 10 a.m. Aug. 4 - 10 a.m. Aug. 5 - 1 p.m. Aug. 7 - 1:15 p.m. Aug. 8 - 1:15 p.m. Aug. 9 - 1:15 p.m. Aug. 14 - 1:15 p.m. Aug. 15 - 1:15 p.m.

Seahawks fans watch a training camp practice last summer. adam mcfadden, Renton Reporter

Defensive line additions should help secondary [ defense from page 1 ]

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August). “There’s a lot of energy back there and a lot of big guys who make plays and fast guys who make plays, so hopefully that’ll be a big factor for our football team,” Carroll said. Changes are mostly minor elsewhere on defense. The team signed versatile defensive lineman Jason Jones after he tallied 16

sacks in four years with the Titans. Of course first-round pick Bruce Irvin should be a terror as a pass rusher if Schneider and Carroll are right about him. Carroll said the additions of Jones and Irvin, and subsequent overall improvement of the pass rush, should put less stress on the secondary, helping them get even better. With David Hawthorne gone, middle linebacker will come down

to free agent add Barrett Ruud or second-round pick Bobby Wagner. The defense will be put to the test early and often in 2012. In the season’s first eight weeks, the Seahawks face four of the top seven offenses from last year, according to offensive EPA. Green Bay (second, 257.6), New England (third, 224.5), Detroit (fifth, 125) and Dallas (seventh, 94.7) will be stiff tests for the young defense.

Cornerbacks Richard Sherman (25) and Brandon Browner (39) celebrate after an interception during a game last year. seattle seahawks photo

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2012 Seahawks Special Section

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Seahawks look to improve even more in 2012 with full offseason

ABOVE: Sidney Rice catches a pass during a drill at minicamp in June. RIGHT: Earl Thomas returns an interception during a scrimmage. adam mcfadden, Renton Reporter

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complaining about it.” Even with the extra challenge, the Seahawks still made progress in 2011. The team’s point differential was positive for the first time since 2007. And with differentials of negative 97 or worse all three previous years, a positive differential is a big sign of improvement. Seattle faces a tough opening half of the season, with Dallas, Green Bay, New England, San Francisco and Detroit on the docket, so immediate improvement might be hard to see. Still, look for this team to take another step forward in 2012.

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Few teams struggled with the lockout like the Seahawks did last summer. In the midst of a heavy rebuild that saw new players brought in by the dozens, head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider were left to hurriedly put the pieces together without the normal safety net of a full offseason. “It was such a mess trying to put this whole thing together,” Carroll said in a press conference during a June practice. “For a coach you just felt like you were getting cheated from an opportunity to present a really good product. But it was relative and we’re not

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2012 Seahawks Special Section

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Who will start at quart

2011 recap Which players led the Seahawks last season? See below for the team’s rushing, receiving and passing leaders in 2011.

rushing

receiving marshawn lynch 285 att, 1,204 yards, 12 TD

passing doug baldwin 51 rec, 788 yards, 4 TD

#24

tarvaris jackson 3,091 yards, 14 TD, 13 INT

#89

Curious to see how the Seahawks lined up with the rest of the NFL in 2011? Each blue dot represents a team’s average points scored or allowed last season.

points scored per game

Green Bay Packers 35.0 PPG

points allowed per game

game-by-game breakdown

“THE INCUMBEN

Week 1 at San Francisco 49ers

Week 10 vs. Baltimore Ravens

33-17 LOSS

22-17 WIN

San Francisco commanded the early game, leading 16-0 at the half. Seattle crawled back into it later to trail by just two, 17-19, but the 49ers pulled away again.

Seattle surprised Baltimore with a 10-0 lead early and never relented. The Ravens couldn’t overcome three turnovers.

Week 2 at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 11 at St. Louis Rams

24-0 LOSS

24-7 WIN

Pittsburgh’s defense smothered Seattle and the Seahawks could only muster 164 total yards.

The Rams scored first, but Seattle dominated after the early touchdown, rattling off 24 straight points.

Week 3 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 12 vs. Washington Redskins

13-10 WIN

23-17 LOSS

Neither team was never ahead by more than seven points in this tight game. Arizona outgained Seattle 324-261, but two turnovers sunk the Cardinals.

The Seahawks led most of the way, but the Redskins scored 16 straight points in the fourth quarter to steal the win.

Week 4 vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 13 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

30-28 LOSS

31-14 WIN

Atlanta looked to be cruising, up 27-7 in the third quarter. But Seattle closed the gap late, outscoring the Falcons 21-6 in the second half.

Seattle dominated, thanks to four Eagle turnovers. The Seahawks never trailed in the game.

Week 5 at New York Giants

Week 14 vs. St. Louis Rams

TARVARIS JACKS

Tampa Bay Bucs 30.9 PPG

TOUCHDOWN

36-25 WIN

30-13 WIN

Seattle Seahawks

In a wild game that featured eight turnovers, a safety and a 94-yard interception return for a touchdown by Brandon Browner helped Seattle come out on top.

St. Louis trailed early, then pulled to within seven points at 6-13 in the third quarter. The Seahawks cruised from that point and built a 17-point lead.

19.7 PPG

Week 7 at Cleveland Browns

Week 15 at Chicago Bears

6-3 LOSS

38-14 WIN

Seattle mustered just 137 total yards of offense as both teams struggled mightily to get into a rhythm.

Chicago led at the half, but Seattle outscored the Bears 31-0 in the second half. Chicago turned the ball over five times.

Week 8 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 16 vs. San Francisco 49ers

34-13 LOSS

19-17 LOSS

Pittsburgh Steelers

Cincinnati controlled the pace the entire way, then put Seattle away with a 17 straight points in the fourth quarter.

San Francisco took the final lead on a 39-yard field goal from David Akers in the fourth in the tightly contested game.

14.2 PPG

Week 9 at Dallas Cowboys

Week 17 at Arizona Cardinals

23-13 LOSS

23-20 LOSS

Three turnovers stung the Seahawks and Seattle didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth, when Marshawn Lynch plunged in from four yards out.

Seattle never led in this game, but still forced overtime when Ricardo Lockette scored on a 61-yard pass from Tarvaris Jackson in the fourth.

Seattle Seahawks 20.1 PPG

home

The Sea winning perce

St. Louis Rams 12.1 PPG

The numbers

102 56.4

+EPA of Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor last season, best in the NFL

“THE ROOKIE

RUSSELL WILSO

Quarterback hits allowed by Seattle’s offensive line, the most in the NFL

16.6 22

Interceptions by the Seahawks, fourth most in the NFL last year

First downs per g last year, third-low

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2012 Seahawks Special Section

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terback?

Ready for a QB battle?

COMPLETION

By ADAM McFADDEN amcfadden@rentonreporter.com

Tarvaris Jackson returns after starting 15 games for Seattle last season. One of the top quarterbacks available in the offseason, Matt Flynn, comes in after signing a three-year deal. Toss in third-round pick Russell Wilson out of Wisconsin, and the team has plenty of options at quarterback. But is that a good thing? Jackson, Flynn and Wilson all saw first-team reps during the Seahawks' June minicamp, and head coach Pete Carroll steadfastly maintained the team was having an open competition between the three. The problem is that while all three have positives, they also come with big questions. Here's a breakdown of the three options:

NT”

SON

start in 2011, completing 31 of 44 passes for 480 yards and six touchdowns, with just one interception. He also flashed brilliant potential in his previous start in Week 15 of 2010 (24-37, 251 yards, three touchdowns). Minus: Flynn has only started two games, making any sort of a projection a huge risk. His arm doesn't wow scouts; he was a seventh-round pick in 2008. Summary: Even without massive arm strength, Flynn has done everything that could be hoped for in his two starts. While the small sample size makes him a risk, he seems to have the biggest immediate upside of all three options.

Career stats: Completions - 82 Attempts - 132 Yards - 1,015 Yards/attempt - 7.7 Touchdowns - 9 Interceptions - 5

Tarvaris Jackson

Plus: Despite a second-straight 7-9 record in 2011, the Seahawks clearly improved, and Jackson was at the helm for that improvement. He is very familiar with the team's offense and might be the safest option. Minus: Jackson may also be the option with the most limited upside. Jackson's WPA (Win Probability Added) of -0.88 ranked 35th out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks last season. Only Mark Sanchez (-1.54) and Blaine Gabbert (-2.21) started at least 15 games and had worse WPA totals. After six seasons and 51 games, many wonder if Jackson can really get much better. Summary: Defenses teed off on Jackson last year, sacking him 41 times (second most in the NFL). How could he perform with better pass protection?

SCRAMBLE!

Career stats:

E”

Completions - 625 Attempts - 1,053 Yards - 7,075 Yards/attempt - 6.7 Touchdowns - 38 Interceptions - 35

“THE FREE AGENT”

MATT FLYNN

Russell Wilson

Plus: Wilson's leadership qualities and intangibles are reportedly off the charts. Despite transferring in to Wisconsin as a senior, he quickly took over and became a captain of the team. Wilson excelled in college, posting impressively efficient numbers as a senior (33 touchdowns, four interceptions, 72.8 completion percentage). Minus: At just under five-foot-11, Wilson's height sent up a red flag for most NFL teams. Summary: A high-release point and strong arm might render Wilson's small stature moot. Wilson's height caused him to slip all the way to the third round, but he certainly has a mountain of upside. Of the three options, he likely has the biggest variance.

Career stats (college): Completions - 907 Attempts - 1,489 Yards - 11,720 Yards/attempt - 7.9 Touchdowns - 109 Interceptions - 30

Matt Flynn

Plus: Flynn performed astoundingly well in his one

ahawks have produced a home record of 24-18 (.571 entage) the past five years, while going 33-47 (.413) overall in that span.

2011 record: 13-3

2011 record: 8-8

2011 record: 2-14

First, NFC West Points per game: 23.8 Points allowed per game: 14.3 Questions: While Alex Smith

Second, NFC West Points per game: 19.5 Points allowed per game: 21.8 Questions: Kevin Kolb was

Fourth, NFC West Points per game: 12.1 Points allowed per game: 25.4 Questions: Many expected Sam

brought in by trade and signed a big contract but struggled to stay healthy and disappointed last year. Can he beat out third-year QB John Skeleton this year?

Bradford to make huge strides going into his second year, but his numbers fell off the table in 2011. Can he get back on track, and can the Rams find suitable receivers to help him do so?

excelled in a conservative, short passing game last year, the team added some weapons at WR in the offseason. Can he perform as well with an offense that tries to get the ball downfield?

game by the Seahawks west in the NFL

Total touchdowns by the Seahawks last year, tied with the Bengals and 49ers for 21st in the league

Photos/designs by Adam mcfadden

The Rest of the NFC West

e field advantage

Turnover ratio by the Seahawks last year, fifth-best in the NFL

EPA by the Seahawks -33.7 Defensive last year, fourth-best in the NFL

39.4

Success Rate by the Seahawks last year, which measures plays that add to the team’s Expected Points Added Statistics from advancednflstats.com

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2012 Seahawks Special Section

Seahawks, Clemens agree to deal After missing a mandatory minicamp in June, defensive end Chris Clemens will be back with the Seahawks after agreeing to a multi-year deal with the team Monday. Seattle acquired Clemens in a trade from Philadelphia and he has led the Seahawks with 11 sacks in each of his

two seasons with the team. Clemens, 31, played for the Redskins, Raiders and Eagles before coming to Seattle. He has set career highs in sacks and tackles for the team, largely because he's a great fit for the "Leo" position in head coach Pete Carroll's defensive scheme.

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2012 Seahawks schedule Seahawks defensive end Chris Clemens chases down quarterback Eli Manning. seattle seahawks photo

Opponents 2011 record: 129-127 (.504 winning percentage)

VS. TITANs

at lions

AT BRONCOS

vs. vikings

at CHIEFs

vs. jets

Aug. 11

Aug. 18

Aug. 24

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vs. raiders

AUG. 30

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at cardinals

at dolphins

vs. COWBOYS

at bears

vs. packers

vs. cardinals

at rams

at bills

sept. 9

sept. 16

sept. 24

Sept. 30

at pantHers

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vs. patriots

oct. 14

nov. 25

Dec. 2

dec. 9

dec. 16

vs. 49ers

dec. 23

vs. rams

dec. 30

at 49ers

oct. 18

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