Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today — Thursday, January 6 — about your Seattle Seahawks.
Matt Hasselbeck Breaks Down Seahawks' Offensive Game Plan From Week 17 Win Over Lions
The Seahawks enjoyed their biggest offensive outburst of the season in Week 17, totaling 497 yards in the 51-29 rout of the Detroit Lions.
It was a balanced effort as well: Russell Wilson was efficient through the air, completing 20 of 29 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns, while Rashaad Penny once again dominated the ground game, rushing for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. The Seahawks, who went into Week 17 ranked last in the NFL in third down efficiency, converted 7 of 12 third down opportunities and won the time of possession battle for just the second time all season.
The team also ran 71 plays and rushed for 265 yards, which were both season highs. On Wednesday, Seahawks Ring of Honor member Matt Hasselbeck spoke about what he thought the Seahawks did differently on offense to yield such positive results that hadn't been seen for much of the season on The Matt Hasselbeck Show on 710 ESPN Seattle.
"To me, the game plan was different, a little bit," Hasselbeck said. "I was charting the naked bootlegs early when I was watching the game and there were just so many I lost count. Absolutely lost count … And what it does is it keeps everybody honest. It keeps those pass rushers honest. Up front for offensive linemen, it is literally almost impossible to get a negative on your grade sheet on a naked bootleg. It's elephants on a parade — we all go left, or we all go right."
Hasselbeck noted how the Seahawks used the naked bootleg action to fool defenders in the run game and open up lanes for running back Rashaad Penny.
"You saw Rashaad Penny just go off with explosive run after explosive run," Hasselbeck said. "That first touchdown, the backside corner, the backside end and the free safety, they're hanging out thinking, 'Oh, it's another naked bootleg." And all of a sudden Penny's right up the gut for a huge touchdown. And it was all set up because of those nakeds — 20-yard run, 15-yard run. So I thought it was awesome, I think it's what they want to be."
Hasselbeck says that the Seahawks' method of using play action to set up the run was the opposite of the league norm of using the run to set up big play action passes. It's a method the Seahawks have employed in the past, but on Sunday, the run game was humming and the system worked in harmony in a manner that hadn't been seen for much of the year.
"That offensive line got in a rhythm," Hasselbeck said. "And you've seen them do it for stretches, like in a drive or in a quarter this year, but it was just all clicking. And it was good to see."
Click here to listen to the full episode of The Matt Hasselbeck Show.
Listen To The Seahawks Insiders Podcast
Hosted by sideline reporter Jen Mueller and Seahawks Senior Digital Media Reporter John Boyle, the Seahawks Insiders podcast takes an in-depth look at each week's Seahawks game and analyzes the previous week's matchup. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever else you get your podcasts.
Social Post Of The Day
Watch as Cherry Starr, wife of the late, great Bart Starr, lets Russell Wilson know that he will be receiving the 2022 Bart Starr Award at Super Bowl LVI.
The Seahawks face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium for Week 9 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at photos from previous games between the two teams.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Arizona Cardinals' Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks' Fred Thomas (22), Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasn't enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Seattle Seahawks' Shawn Springs (24) intercepts a pass from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer in the second quarter Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. Seahawks' Reggie Williams, lower left, and Jeff George, far right, watch as Cardinals' Frank Sanders (81), Jason McAddley, top left, and Steve Bush, right rear, defend. It was the second interception of the half for Plummer. (AP Photo/Rob Schumacher)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as it went on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks' Shaun Alexander dives into the end zone from the one-yard line for a touchdown with Arizona Cardinals' Adrian Wilson defending during the third quarter, in Seattle, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005. Alexander scored four touchdowns in the 37-12 win over the Cardinals. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner loses control of the ball but regains control as he is sacked by Seattle Seahawks' Darryl Tapp during the fourth quarter of a football game in Seattle, in this Sept. 17, 2006 file photo. One week after Warner was named NFC offensive player of the week in Arizona's season-opening victory over San Francisco, he was blamed, in part, by his coach for the offense's struggles in Sunday's 21-10 loss at Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals' Matt Leinart, center, gets a pass off as he is hit by Seattle Seahawks' Patrick Kerney, left, and Darryl Tapp in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 23-20. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Arizona Cardinals' Ralph Brown (20) knocks the ball away from intended receiver Seattle Seahawks' Koren Robinson in the end zone in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals in action against the Seattle Seahawks, November 15, 2009.
Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch (24) leaves Arizona Cardinals' Greg Toler in the dust on a first-half run in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 22-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Sidney Rice, left, runs on a 23-yard pass reception as Arizona Cardinals' Kerry Rhodes (25) is kept back by Seahawks' Anthony McCoy, right, and Zach Miller in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 13-10. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb (4) gets off a pass as Seattle Seahawks' Jason Jones (90) closes in after getting past Cardinals' Adam Snyder (68) during an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-16. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Seattle Seahawks' Zach Miller, right, makes a catch for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Curtis Taylor (37) is near in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2013, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' wide receiver Michael Floyd, right, as Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) looks on in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Brittan Golden (10) is hit by Seattle Seahawks cornerback DeAndre Elliott (21) and defensive back Neiko Thorpe (27) during the second half of a football game, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Referee Walt Coleman tosses the coin before an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Mike Davis (27) dives in for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker (36) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) catches the football in the end zone during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019, in Seattle. The touchdown was later ruled incomplete. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks, 27-13. (Ryan Kang via AP)
Seattle Seahawks running back Carlos Hyde (30) rushes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny heads for the end zone with a 62-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
