Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today — Thursday, January 27 — about your Seattle Seahawks.
Seahawks' Best Special Teams Plays Of The 2021 Season
In back to back seasons, the Seahawks’ special teams unit has finished in the top three in football writer Rick Gosselin's annual special teams rankings, which use a criteria of more than 20 categories to rank all 32 special teams units in the league. The Seahawks were one of four teams in the league to not suffer any "negative plays" on special teams according to Gosselin, meaning no blocked kicks, turnovers, or return touchdowns.
Quality, disciplined special teams play has always been a priority for the Seahawks under Pete Carroll, and the team made some eye-popping special teams plays while fielding one of the league's best units for the second season in a row.
After ranking the Seahawks’ best defensive plays earlier in the week, the Sports Illustrated Seahawk Maven crew continued their Seahawks 2021 Awards series by looking at the Seahawks' best special teams plays of the year on Wednesday.
The first play to receive consideration — a big hit by Nick Bellore on Titans WR Chester Rogers in kick coverage in Week 2. Rogers received the squib kick just shy of the 15-yard line and got just past the 25 when Bellore just exploded into him.
"Bellore's hit stick in kick coverage in the home opener deserves strong consideration for tackle of the year in the NFL - it was that good," Corbin Smith wrote about the play. "Even with fans back in the stadium, when Bellore blew up the ball carrier on this particular play, the thud from his shoulder pads thumping Rogers into oblivion could easily be heard in the press box and if you watched closely, you could see the returner's soul slowly vacate his body. Okay, it wasn't that extreme, but it was as memorable of a special teams tackle as you'll find and drew plenty of oos and awes from the crowd."
Two of the other most impressive special teams plays this season were both made by Travis Homer — the rare onside kick return for a touchdown on Halloween against the Jaguars, and the 73-yard fake punt touchdown run against the 49ers in Week 13.
Of course, one of the league's most talked about plays during the first half of the season was also mentioned: Michael Dickson’s “double punt” against the Rams in Week 5. "The double punt was so random and weird that it's easy to forget many of the other big plays the team's unit came up with," SI's Colby Patnode writes. "It's a shame they couldn't take advantage of it, but in this instance, I can't overlook the awareness and execution by Dickson punting a second time after having his first one blocked and pinning the Rams deep in their own territory."
Click here to read what else the Seahawk Maven writers had to say about the Seahawks' special teams unit, and check out more of the Seahawks 2021 Awards series.
Social Post Of The Day
Jamal Adams appears to be making progress in his rehab from shoulder surgery last month:
More From Around The Web
Ty Dane Gonzalez of Sports Illustrated on the Seahawks' chances to receive compensatory picks ahead of this spring’s draft.
Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic on the big decision the Seahawks have to make with cornerback D.J. Reed this offseason.
