Regeln » This is a list of the things that are true about the 2017-2018

Seattle Seahawks Justin Britt Color Rush Jersey , a team that just clinched another playoff berth:All-Pro strong safety Kam Chancellor was injured last season and has been unable to play since. The team signed him to a lucrative contract extension prior to that, which is taking up a significant amount of their cap space in 2018.The team fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and replaced him with Brian Schottenheimer. The first move was applauded by many, the second move was ridiculed by most.The team fired defensive coordinator Kris Richard and replaced him with Ken Norton, Jr. The first move was probably questioned by many and surprising to say the least, while the second move involved a coach who had been fired by the Oakland Raiders, of all teams.The team replaced Tom Cable with Mike Solari. Few didn’t like this.They traded Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett for almost no return and no savings against the 2018 cap. They released All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman. All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas broke his leg in Week 4.Between Kam, Bennett, Sherman, and Thomas, the Seahawks are spending almost $28 million on those four players with virtually no production other than four games from Thomas.They also lost defensive end Cliff Avril in Week 4 of last season and never really found a replacement for him.They waived their first pick in 2017, Malik McDowell, and they’ve still never seen him play for them.They didn’t have a second round pick in 2018. Instead, they drafted running back Rashaad Penny, who has been helpful but contributed very little as a rookie. Third round pick Rasheem Green has done even less. En total, their contributions from the first round of the draft since 2017 is a little bit of Penny, their return on the second round is some poor play by Ethan Pocic, and the third round is a little bit of production from Green, a lot of starts (but mostly inconsistent-to-uninspiring play) by Shaquill Griffin, inconsistencies from Nazair Jones, not much from Delano Hill, and virtually nothing from Amara Darboh.Basically, if you took away the first, second, and third round by Seattle over the last two years, you wouldn’t change the team by much. In fact, fourth round tight end Will Dissly looked like a steal who could offset that issue but he tore his Achilles.The team also let Paul Richardson (second on the team in yards for 2017) and Jimmy Graham (third in yards, first in touchdowns) leave via free agency. Some fans lamented the lack of compensatory picks and their production could not or at least was not replaced.The team lost Sheldon Richardson in free agency with Richardson saying that their offer was a joke. Instead, they used some cap space to sign Tom Johnson and Shemar Stephen in his place, then released Johnson after Week 1. Some fans ridiculed their handling of the Richardson and/or Johnson situations, and the team has been transparent in their admission of mistakes made. Less loud are the voices of praise that the front office found Jarran Reed in the second round in 2016.As the season approached, it became apparent that number one receiver Doug Baldwin was seriously hurt and that he might not be at 100-percent at any point in the year. Baldwin had one target and zero catches in Week 1, then missed Weeks 2 and 3, before returning in Week 4. In Week 5, he had one yard on one target. He also missed Week 14.K.J. Wright was seriously hurt just before the season and has missed all but four games. His cap hit this year was $8 million. The team found a gem replacement in Mychal Kendricks. After three games he was suspended for eight games. When he returned, he broke his leg.Starting running back Chris Carson missed two games with injury.Backup running back Rashaad Penny broke his finger in the preseason and has also missed the last two games.Free agent signee, planned starting tight end Ed Dickson opened the year in NFI, missing six games.Starting cornerback Tre Flowers missed Week 2, further weakening a secondary that had lost Sherman, Jeremy Lane, and offseason signees like Dontae Johnson and Byron Maxwell.Offseason signee D.J. Fluker has missed five games.Germain Ifedi missed Week 16.Dion Jordan was expected to pick up some pass rush production and has done almost nothing.J.D. McKissic opened the year on injured reserve Nazair Jones Color Rush Jersey , unexpectedly. C.J. Prosise still couldn’t stay healthy or do anything productive.Jordan Simmons steps in as a solid replacement for Fluker, then goes right onto IR after his second start.Bobby Wagner missed Week 2.The Seahawks schedule has ended up including games against the 9-6 Cowboys, 11-4 Bears, 12-3 Rams (twice), 11-4 Chargers, 11-4 Chiefs, and 8-6-1 Vikings. All playoff teams, if Minnesota wins next week or the Eagles lose. It’s a significant amount of difficult games. The team was 0-2 after two games, 2-3 after five, and 4-5 after nine.They are also ... going to the playoffs. Again. The Seattle Seahawks will make their return to the NFL playoffs on Saturday night following a year-long absence, taking on the NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys—who are also returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. There are a handful of similarities between these two playoff teams, but the most central one is their commitment to the rushing attack. The Seahawks led the NFL in rushing, while Ezekiel Elliott was the NFL’s leading rusher. Seattle ran 534 running plays during the regular season, second most in the league, while Dallas ran the 10th most. Both the Seahawks and Cowboys will try to be the last one standing in an intense game that promises to be a four-quarter slugfest. You can find a primer on Dallas’s scheme on both sides of the ball here, and we’ll jump into the numbers that matter. Numbers that Matter27.8: The 2018 season brought about several truly feel-good storylines. James Connor, having beat cancer, starred for his hometown team. J.J. Watt and Andrew Luck both made their returns from long-term injuries and played terrifically. And, Jaylon Smith broke out into an All-Pro caliber star for the Cowboys, just a couple of years removed from a career-threatening knee injury. Smith started all 16 games for Dallas, collecting 122 tackles, six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and four sacks while forming what will be an outstanding duo for many years with Leighton Vander Esch. While playing at Notre Dame, Smith was lauded for his elite range, athleticism and IQ. However, in a strictly off-ball role, Smith rarely got after the quarterback. As a full-time starter in 2018 in an aggressive defense, that changed. Smith led all off-ball linebackers in pass rushing win percentage, at 27.8%. In his snaps as a pass rusher, Smith created pressure 22% of the time, which ranked eighth among linebackers. The budding star on the Cowboys’ defense got to the quarterback by rushing with great anticipation, or on delayed blitzes. (Or, on occasion, cleaning up as a QB spy.) The majority of the time, Smith’s pressure came through the A-gap, between the left tackle and guard. This is bad news for a Seattle offense that’s been without J.R. Sweezy for several weeks, receiving dreadful play from Ethan Pocic in his absence. Sweezy is officially questionable for Saturday night, and it remains to be seen how the Seahawks would manage the line without him. With D.J. Fluker, Germain Ifedi and George Fant all available, the line could switch to Duane Brown-Fluker-Justin Britt-Ifedi-Fant. Or 12th Fan Color Rush Jersey , Pocic could keep his place at left guard. Regardless of how Seattle lines up against Dallas, Smith’s presence as a pass rusher must be accounted for. His burst, a great thing to see returned after his injury, makes him a highly dangerous blitzer, even if he doesn’t come immediately. 15: In what should’ve been Dak Prescott’s defining season as it related to his second contract—Jerry Jones has pledged to give him an extension regardless—he wasn’t entirely inspiring. No doubt, Amari Cooper’s arrival was a huge boost to Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense, but Prescott’s play didn’t improve as much as you would like in year three. At his best, Prescott is a physical and dangerous runner, a passer who can shrug off contact inside and outside of the pocket, and push the ball downfield or into tight windows with outstanding velocity. However, since his rookie season, there’s been a steady downturn in that final trait. His percent of aggressive throws, per Next Gen Stats, has dropped every season since 2016. His average air yards dropped from 2017 to 2018, as well. Prescott simply hasn’t progressed as a passer as one would’ve hoped. One of Prescott’s biggest issues, dating back to his time as a star at Mississippi State, is his lack of awareness as a passer in the backfield. While the Cowboys’ offensive line is a shell of its former self, Prescott did them no favors this season. Of the 56 sacks given up by Dallas in 2018, 15 were attributed to Prescott rather than the line—the most among all quarterbacks. Pete Carroll has long preached the importance of affecting the quarterback. Against Prescott and the Cowboys, the Seahawks ability to affect Prescott and move him off his spot should lead to pass rush productivity. 48: In comparing Dallas and Seattle’s rosters, you get the sense it should be a very even game. Both quarterbacks have similar strengths (though Wilson is of course light years ahead of Prescott as a passer). Both offenses are run heavy, while leaning on production after the catch from their wide receivers. Both have budding stars at defensive end, with dominant linebacker duos behind them. And both secondaries feature young, athletic and long defenders, who though promising, are raw. The Cowboys may have peaked too soon, but Saturday night should be hotly contested. However, for all the similarities between the two ball clubs, there is an area where the Seahawks can really separate themselves from Dallas, and escape Jerry World with a win. Despite Elliott’s excellence as a runner (and Prescott’s, for that matter), the Cowboys were one of the league’s worst red zone offenses in 2018. Dallas converted 48% of their trips inside the 20 into touchdowns, which placed them at 28th in the NFL. Seattle, on the other hand, was one of the league’s best at preventing touchdowns inside the red zone, with their opponent’s scoring 49% of the time—good for fourth.Much has been made about the Seahawks’ red zone offense all season long. If they continue to execute in their opportunities, while continuing to make their opponent settle for field goals, they should be able to create a gap between themselves and Dallas. Matchups to WatchShaquill Griffin versus Amari Cooper: Griffin’s precautionary exit from Week 17 evolved into a legitimate concern over the week, as the sophomore cornerback missed practice with an ankle injury. Thankfully, by the time the final injury report was delivered on Thursday Tyler Lockett Color Rush Jersey , Griffin was listed as good to go for Saturday. Now, he’ll turn his attention to slowing down the receiver who reinvigorated a fluttering offense. In nine games with the Cowboys, Cooper caught 53 passes for 725 yards and six touchdowns, while playing at a level we hadn’t seen from him in several seasons. Since arriving in Dallas, Cooper has reminded the entire league why he was selected with the fourth overall pick. Cooper is a technician, running his patterns as clean as any receiver not named Antonio Brown. Of Cooper’s 107 targets, 41 came when he was open, per Pro Football Focus’ charting—a testament to the precise route runner he is. The second key reason for Cooper’s explosive production as a Cowboy has been his play after the catch. He separates with elite route running, then punishes the already beat defensive back by creating with the ball in his hands. Cooper averaged 5.6 yards after the catch this season, 11th among all WRs/TEs with 40+ receptions. Cooper’s ability both before and after the catch make him a particularly worrying matchup for Griffin, especially if Griffin is hobbled at all by injury. A receiver like Cooper can take advantage of Griffin’s weaknesses as a corner, mainly, his inability to locate the football at the catch point. If his ankle injury slows him down, he won’t be able to depend on superior athleticism to negate Cooper’s ability after the catch, either. Tyler Lockett versus Byron Jones: Among the many surprises on Dallas’s defense this year was Jones, who took to his new position at cornerback with ease. In his first full season playing the position, Jones played at an All-Pro level. The defining performance in his best season to date was the Cowboys’ shock win over the Saints, where he locked down the impossible Michael Thomas outside and in the slot, limiting him to five catches for 40 yards. Though Dallas seems comfortable with Anthony Brown as their nickel defender, it’s fair to wonder if Lockett will get the same treatment that Thomas got.Lockett, a wonderfully explosive playmaker in 2018, wouldn’t be much of a challenge for Jones, a 99th percentile athlete, to stick with in coverage. Jones forced a tight window throw on 39.5% of his targets in 2018, the best among all cornerbacks who faced 30+ targets this season. His 14 pass breakups was tied for the 11th most in the NFL, while allowing a catch rate of just 53.6. A matchup between Jones and Lockett would be a fantastic battle between two breakout players who move with ease in the open field. Whoever Jones is tasked with covering on Saturday night will find it difficult to produce, whether they have a perfect passer rating when targeted or not. Opponent to KnowConnor Williams, LG: It appears as though both Seattle and the Cowboys will be missing their starters at left guard when they play on Saturday. Xavier Su’a-Filo is doubtful for Dallas, meaning the rookie Williams will likely return to the starting lineup for the first time since November. Williams’ presence on the line could be key to the Seahawks getting pressure on Prescott. Frank Clark, one half of Seattle’s two-headed monster on the defensive line, won’t find much joy when lined up on the right. Tyron Smith is healthy and as dominant as ever—he didn’t allow a pressure in nearly half his games this season—and will lock Clark down when matched up against him. The other half of the Seahawks’ duo, Jarran Reed, could end up being their most important player up front on Saturday. Williams is much more of a technician than a mauler, and is still adjusting to life on the interior. Reed is playing the best football of his career and has developed into a complete player in 2018. He should be able to win against Williams with power and superior hand usage, affecting the quarterback and helping Seattle to make critical stops. Though the Seahawks and Dallas are evenly matched across each team’s depth chart, Seattle should find themselves in good position to win if they can prevent the Cowboys from finishing drives and affect Prescott as a passer. Not only are the Seahawks back in the NFL playoffs, they have a great opportunity to advance.