Seahawks confident they can turn around ugly defensive numbers
RENTON, Wash. — Pete Carroll is confident a change is coming.
The Seattle Seahawks defence can’t be this bad and give up this many yards and points all season long, right?
Three weeks into the season, it’s become a valid question. No team in league history has allowed more yards passing in the first three games of the season than the 1,292 the Seahawks have surrendered thus far. Only two other teams in league history have allowed more points than Seattle’s 86 while winning their first three games.
The numbers are so unlike Seattle that they jump off the page. The defence that once allowed just 2,752 yards passing for the entire 2013 season has allowed nearly half that total through three weeks.
The frustration is growing, even with the Seahawks off to a 3-0 start.
They’re aware they’re undefeated because of Russell Wilson and Seattle’s offence. And while Wilson has been great — he was named NFC player of the month Thursday — they know it’s unfair to expect so many points every week.
“We just have to do better and I really can’t imagine we’re not going to do this a whole lot better here in the coming weeks,” Carroll said.
For as great as he’s been, Wilson and the Seahawks offence are perhaps scoring too quickly, also. Seattle is averaging 1 minute, 54 seconds per offensive drive, tied for third shortest in the league.
Building big leads has also been a factor. Seattle led Atlanta by 19 in the fourth.
They led New England by 11 late in the third quarter. Last week against Dallas, the
Seahawks had a 15-point third quarter lead.
Ken Norton, Seattle’s defensive co-ordinator, is trying to stay optimistic while noting there needs to be player accountability.
“You’ve got to take care of your personal role first before you start looking around,” Norton said. “I think once we continue to take that responsibility about doing your job, I think that things will change.”
Seattle (3-0) travels to Miami this Sunday to face the Dolphins (1-2). Game time is 10 a.m.