Seahawk Reed steps into the void to pressure pivots
RENTON, WASH. When he came out of Alabama, Jarran Reed was regarded as a run-stopping defensive tackle.
That was it.
Anything else he provided for the Seattle Seahawks was going to be extra.
“He was a real dedicated run defender coming out. We did not see him specialize in rushing the passer. He has just emerged through his focus and dedication and hard work he has become a complete player,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
On a defensive line where pass rush was a major question entering the season, Seattle has gotten an unexpected boost from the starting defensive tackle it picked in the second round (49th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft. Reed is second on the team with 61/2 sacks entering Monday night’s game against the visiting Minnesota Vikings.
But it’s more than just sacks where Reed has provided help to Seattle’s pass rush. He leads Seattle in quarterback hits with 17 and had six last week against San Francisco to go along with one sack.
Even when he’s not taking the quarterback down, Reed is helping
provide the kind of quarterback pressure that Seattle’s defence needs.
“I think he expects to get to the quarterback more than he used to and he wanted to develop his pass rush game,” Carroll said. “He worked hard at it and I think his mentality to rush the passer is just the best it’s been.”
Reed agreed with Carroll’s assessment. Reed said he decided this off-season he would focus on his pass rushing, perhaps realizing the impact he could provide to Seattle’s defence if he could get pressure from the interior.
With Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril gone, Seattle lost its two top pass rushers. Frank Clark was the only returning defensive lineman with a track record of having success getting to the quarterback. It’s why the defensive line — and the pass rush specifically — was such a major question for the Seahawks entering the season.
Reed’s success has alleviated some of those concerns. He had three total sacks in his career entering the season.
“The major emphasis last offseason was to get better at my all-around game, to be more reliable, to be on the field more for the team,” Reed said.
Reed said most of his off-season work was done in basic places. He would go to parks or football fields around Atlanta to practise his skills and would work out at a gym.
If there was a sand volleyball court available, he would go there to train. He chose not to go to any of the high-end training facilities for his off-season work, with the exception of spending some time back on campus at Alabama.
“I don’t go to all the fancy little other things everybody goes and spends all that money on. I don’t do that,” Reed said.
“I just use what the Earth has. If it has some grass I can run on that. If it has sand, I can run on that. I lift at a regular gym, for real.”
Reed’s challenge on Monday night will be disrupting Minnesota’s passing game.
The Vikings have the seventhbest pass offence in the league in yards per game, but use a lot of short passes to make their offence work. That may not allow the same opportunities for Reed to get to the quarterback as a week ago.
“He was a great run defender and he came in here and was able to do that, but I think he’s just expanded the scope of his game and it’s obvious,” Carroll said. “He’s been a nice factor.”