Seahawks’ maligned line now paving way for offense
Young group jells in time for playoffs
The Seattle Seahawks offensive linemen have heard what everyone has been saying, how they’re viewed as the weak link on a championship- caliber team and are more of a liability than an asset.
They hear the detractors. They’re just trying not to take that criticism too seriously.
After performances like the one it had in a 26- 6 wild- card victory against the Detroit Lions, clearing the way for 177 rushing yards, Seattle’s much- maligned offensive line is building confidence heading into the team’s divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday.
“We’re never playing for redemption or to prove people wrong, we’re just trying to do right,” rookie right guard Germain Ifedi told USA TODAY Sports. “We’re trying to capture the best us, and as long as we do that, we’re happy either way.”
It was about time something went right for the Seahawks offensive line after a regular season marred by inconsistent play and lapses in protection. Struggles were to be expected as the Seahawks broke in two rookies, Ifedi and left tackle George Fant, a former college basketball player who spent one season playing tight end at Western Kentucky. The veteran anchor, Justin Britt, was moved to center after previous seasons at tackle and guard.
With so many changes and so much youth, communication has often been the biggest problem, Ifedi says.
“When we’re doing right and communicating and all on the same page, we can do special things,” he said.
“If we’re all doing our own thing, if we don’t know what the call is, guys aren’t echoing the call, then it can kind of look helter- skelter.”
It shouldn’t be a coincidence that the
line’s best performance in weeks came on a night when the Seahawks committed to the running game. At one point in the second quarter, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell called nine consecutive running plays.
“Bev was just feeling it, and we were just going with the guys,” head coach Pete Carroll said. “He was really playing off the way we were coming off the football. We’ve been doing it for years around here.”
Most offensive linemen will tell you they’d rather be moving downhill, and the Seahawks are no different, as they know where their strength is.
“We like to impose our will on people. Get after them, get after them, get after them, and then hit some play action, and only every once in a while drop back to pass,” right tackle Garry Gilliam said. “That’s what we like to do. We’d rather run. Make it a physical game, test their will, beat them up so they don’t want to play nomore.”
The challenge now is a Falcons defense that has a talented, athletic young nose tackle in Grady Jarrett and a speedy edge rusher in Vic Beasley Jr., who led the NFL with 151⁄ sacks. 2
The Seahawks are again expected to rely on their run game, both for offense and as a way to keep the Falcons’ potent offense on the sideline.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Gilliam said. “We’re going to play good defenses, so it’s a matter of keeping on track and not getting discouraged if there’s a negative play and just keep grinding.”