Playing behind offensive lines that struggled in pass protection, the Seattle Seahawks’ 2024 QB1 and their presumptive 2025 QB1 both had one major thing in common last season.
They both took a lot of sacks.
Geno Smith took 50 sacks with the Seahawks last year, which were the third-most in the NFL. Sam Darnold was close behind, tying for fourth in the league with 48 sacks during his breakout campaign with the Minnesota Vikings.
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That prompted the question for a “Buy or Sell” segment last week on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk: Will Darnold have fewer than 50 sacks this season with the Seahawks?
“I’m gonna buy,” said former NFL wide receiver Bryan Walters, who was filling in as a co-host. “It’s gonna go down. The offensive line is gonna be a lot better.”
The Seahawks spent their first-round draft pick on offensive lineman Grey Zabel, who is expected to be their new starting left guard. They also have a brand-new offensive system under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who runs a Shanahan-style scheme that centers on wide-zone blocking and play-action passing.
Walters thinks that scheme will make a big difference in the sack total.
For one, the Seahawks will almost certainly throw fewer passes, as Kubiak’s scheme places a greater emphasis on the run game. Last year, while playing in then-offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s dropback-heavy passing attack, Seattle had the fifth-highest passing rate in the league at 62.8%.
In addition, when the Seahawks do pass the ball, Walters thinks fewer empty formations and a greater emphasis on play-action passing will help cut down on sacks.
“We’re not gonna see a lot of empty formation,” Walters said. “The offensive scheme is gonna be so different. Sam Darnold’s not gonna be just sitting there (in the pocket as much). … And we’re gonna run the ball more. Less passing. They’re not gonna throw 40, 50 times a game.”
Walters also thinks Darnold’s tendencies in the pocket could help eliminate some sacks.
“Sam Darnold tends to move forward,” Walters said. “When he steps up in the pocket, his shoulders are going forward. He’s always moving toward the line of scrimmage, which will limit some of these sacks. I think Geno Smith tended to move backward. He tended to get on his back foot and move back. Sometimes you saw those 15-yard, 20-yard sacks, because that’s how he avoided pressure.
“And I’m not saying either one’s right or wrong, but I think that when you move forward, you’re more likely to get tackled for a 1-yard gain as opposed to a 10-yard loss. It’s not a great play, but you’re gonna avoid the big loss, and I think it’ll limit the sack number. But more importantly, the offensive line is gonna be a lot better.”
Listen to the full “Buy or Sell” segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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