Good morning, 12s. Here's a look at what's out there today — Thursday, September 17 — about your Seattle Seahawks.
Jamal Adams And Quinton Dunbar Already Paying Dividends On Defense
Much has been made of the Seahawks' offseason trade for safety Jamal Adams — and for good reason. Through his first three seasons in the league, Adams has twice made the Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro with the New York Jets in 2019.
Adding a talent like Adams to a defensive unit that already boasted the likes of Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Shaquill Griffin made some wonder if the Seahawks could be gearing up for a Super Bowl run. The move also seemed to overshadow the Seahawks' trade for cornerback Quinton Dunbar earlier this year, an effort to further bolster a squad that ranked 26th in total defense a season ago.
Adams' impact in the Hawks' week one win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday was immediately apparent — he led all players with 12 tackles, including two tackles for loss, and was able to record a sack of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Dunbar finished fifth on the team in tackles with six. In particular, though, Adams and Dunbar were key in defending against one certain play that has given the Seahawks trouble in the past — the fly sweep.
In his first "Football 101" video of the season, former Seahawks linebacker and 710 ESPN's Dave Wyman broke down the X's and O's of the fly sweep, detailing the Falcons' 13-personnel package and how the Seahawks were able to defend against it.
"Quinton Dunbar just diagnoses this right away, it was just a beautiful thing to see," Wyman explained. He goes on to show in detail how Dunbar's instincts and technique allowed Adams to get behind the line of scrimmage to make one of his game-high 12 tackles.
"You just want to shut this play down, but the fact that they're able to get a tackle for loss is really extraordinary," Wyman said. "And really it had to do with both of these guys' instincts, especially Quinton Dunbar." Check out Wyman's detailed breakdown of the play below.
Seahawks Brace For Familiar Foe In Patriots QB Cam Newton
He may be wearing a new uniform this year, but the Seahawks and their fans are very well-acquainted with the man taking snaps under center in New England. In fact, Sunday night's week two matchup with the Patriots will mark the ninth time quarterback Cam Newton has faced the Seahawks since 2012, the previous eight times coming with him as a Carolina Panther.
The Seahawks are 6-2 in those games against Newton, with the most recent being a 30-24 victory for the Seahawks over the Panthers in Week 15 of last year.
Pro Football Talk's Curtis Crabtree wrote about the Seahawks’ mini-rivalry with Newton, and noted that the familiarity the Hawks have with the QB doesn't exactly translate to having the Patriots' attack figured out.
"We do have a real good background with Cam," head coach Pete Carroll said via Crabtree. "We don't know what they're going to do with him. It's only one game. We don't even have the benefit of the preseason games to kind of try to figure it out.
"They have been notorious for changing from one week to the next in how they approach their opponents. We have to go into this game with a wide open look. Almost like a first game."
Newton and the Patriots are coming off of a 21-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins in which Newton completed 15 of 19 passes for 155 yards, while also rushing for 75 yards and two scores.
Seahawks Donate $10,000 To Red Cross Wildfire Relief Efforts
Devastating wildfires have been raging in Washington state and on the entire West Coast for weeks. More than half a million acres in the state have burned, and while fires have started to slow in Washington, smokey skies and poor air quality continue to be an issue for all communities.
The rash of fires has burdened thousands with sudden needs ranging from food and shelter to mental health support. To help, the Seahawks are donating $10,000 to relief efforts organized by the Red Cross.
And you can help, as well: text WILDFIRES to 90999, or visit https://rdcrss.org/seahawks to make a donation.
Social Post Of The Day
Pete Carroll continues the push by the Seahawks and the NFL to get the vote out, challenging college coaches David Shaw, Ed Orgeron and Nick Saban to get their athletes registered to vote.
More From Around The Web
Seahawks.com reporter John Boyle has takeaways from Pete Carroll’s Wednesday press conference.
Also at Seahawks.com, Boyle writes about the longstanding relationship between Carroll and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
