You're listening to the Seahawks Insiders, getting you ready for Seahawks football every Sunday, presented by Delta, the official airline of the Seahawks.

Now here's your host, Jen Mueller.

The Seahawks are back on the road this week, and John Boyle for as much as I am somewhat dreading the flight across country, Yeah, it's been really good on the road.

I know, it's a weird thing to be like, Oh, this is a tough one and they am on the road.

That's good.

That's good.

That was a good thing.

Yeah, that's really good.

Yes, it is Jacksonville this week.

We do not go to Jacksonville often, so you know, it's it does take a little bit more game prep on a week like this week because we're not generally watching AFC teams.

I will say Jacksonville is a really interesting team and we're going to get into that.

But do you know what Jacksonville is known for?

John, I do not.

I bet you're ready to tell.

Me that A quick search twenty two miles of beaches and the nation's largest urban park system.

Not know that.

I'm a little smarter today thanks to you in this podcast.

Yeah, I appreciate it.

Jen, Well, you know, I would like for you to be smarter every day as a result of talking to me, but we know that that's so and I that that's not happening on that one.

I hope to bring a few more tidbits to the peeps today, and I think it fits in really well with some of the conversations that we have been having.

Let's start with some of the positives from last week's game against Tampa Bay and just what we have seen offense in general.

Sam Donald and A.

J.

Barner go, Yeah, well I can throw Jay send in there too, but yeah, I mean Sam Donald has been you know, the offense was didn't do a ton in the first game, but he was still pretty good.

Just the numbers weren't there.

But really the last four games he has been outstanding.

And I mean it's a shame they couldn't finish out last drive because he was having just the game of his life with you know, putting up big numbers for touchdowns, moving around the pocket.

He was doing everything well and then unfortunately that that one pass bounces off a helmet.

He's just trying to throw it away and it happens to catch a helmet camera in the air.

And then you mentioned aj Barneer too.

I mean, here's a guy that I just looked this up.

His bio, his pre draft bio on NFL dot Com said won't offer much in the passing game.

It describes him as a as a improving round blocker who probably won't offer much as in the passing game.

And here he is eight touchdowns in his first twenty two NFL games for this season, coming off a two touchdown game last week.

Really cool to see that Guy've lost him into a very good and really a complete tight end.

He's not just the guy running routes, split out wide and catching passes like a receiver.

He is blocking, he's putting in the dirty work.

But he's also become this really good red zone target.

Well there's probably a reason for that, Like he plays that position with a lot of aggression.

And we were talking to him earlier this week about you know, was this a tough sell trying to be a tight end, because for as much praise as he has gotten over the last few weeks, that is not the position that is typically highlighted, right, Yeah, and so it can be a little bit of an adjustment for a guy to become a tight end.

Yeah, I mean for sure.

Well he talked about he wanted to be a linebacker, correct.

Is that what he?

Well?

I yess, don't jump the.

Guy stepping on some sound.

There was supposed to be a nice segue there, John.

Instead, I'm just gonna say sorry.

So I played linebacker for like almost all my life, and I really wanted to play linebacker in college, and like I tell people who like, I think I could play linebacker in the league too.

But uh, when I got when I was getting recruited for college, it was like my size was just like like I'm not going to be covering anyone, Manda man.

So they switched me to tight end and it was just a great fit for me.

But I still have like those characteristics of a linebacker.

I think the defensive coaches know that here, so it serves me well.

But it was definitely wasn't a tough sell.

But like, I definitely did want to play linebacker for a long time.

I for one would love to see a six' six off ball linebacker trying to cover.

Guys it be.

FUN i think that he would make a pretty good run at.

It, now let's flip the script a little.

Bit Leonard, williams we know him middle of that defensive, line one of the toughest guys to defend on the, Interior and it turns out he might actually like to flip spaces and flip roles With Aj barner based on how he would see himself if he played both defense and.

Offense i've tried to imagine a few.

Times, ACTUALLY i wouldn't mind playing tight, end getting the rock a little bit at.

Times but, UH i think he's a great.

PLAYER i, mean he's a dynamic.

Player he's very, athletic AND i think on, offense he you, know gives us some.

Challenges he makes guys missing, space and he's a pretty good athlete.

Kind of tight.

End would you be moyl red?

Zone give me the ball, though high point.

It i'd love to see.

That let's maybe maybe we need to talk To Clint, kubiaks he, thinks and just see if it can be spial, zone you, know maybe report eligible a big tackle or an extra tackle break tight.

End kind of.

Thing here's my only challenge with.

That really tough to disguise that.

Look, well you, know if you See Leonard williams on the, field on, offense it would be.

Fun and do you need to Disguis look how pick he.

IS i think you're not going to be able to disguise, it that's for.

SURE i think sometimes just size can win even if they know what's.

Coming if you place the, ball.

You know, What i'm not going to try to do Test Leonard williams just not going To but the reason we were talking about being able to play on both sides of the ball was Obviously Travis.

Hunter as we get into the conversation about what The seahawks can expect In, jacksonville and because we don't see these guys very, Often i'd like to go just a little bit more in depth this week about what we can expect to see For Travis, hunter that two way star in college who won eight major college, awards including The heisman And JOHN i gotta be, honest WHEN i take a look at the snap counts and how he's being used on both sides of the, Ball i'm actually a little bit surprised that it is playing out the way that it.

Is in THE.

Nfl, YEAH i mean it's there's a lot of questions coming, in like can he really play both?

Ways are they just going to focus on one sprinkling.

Others and he's he's doing a lot right.

Now and how his best game as a receiver last week really you, know had a spectacular downfield catch how to touch.

Down so he's he's playing really.

Well and you know that's why you go make that trade to go get a guy as you see him as an impact go on two sides of the.

Ball.

Yep he played sixty four snaps against The, chiefs thirty nine on, offense twenty five on.

Defense now they have used him on defense a little bit more at different times with injuries at.

Corner now they just made a trade this week to kind of shore up that position just a little.

Bit but in, general he's seen more playing time on.

Offense he is still getting plenty of reps on the other side of the.

Ball AND i do just think it's interesting the way that you look at how This jacksonville team is built because to, me and again maybe this is BECAUSE i don't watch as MUCH, afc they've just flown under the radar as to how they put all this.

TOGETHER i, mean AM i?

Crazy?

NO i, mean, well you see a team make a coaching change after four win, season and you're maybe not.

Expecting you, know you would hope if you're going to change, coaches you're going to turn things.

Around it's Not i't proving.

That the quick turnaround they've, done where they just beat two good teams in a, row beat the forty nine, ers and now beat the defending champs in, primetime THAT'S i, mean those aren't looky wins over bad teams or.

Something they're beating good teams and doing a lot of.

Things well we'll touch on more of that, later but, YEAH i mean this is what they got going.

There Und William cumps pretty impressive AND i did.

Misspeak Traves center did not have his first touchout last, week did have a good.

GAME i probably should have caught THAT i think you went.

For, anyway it doesn't.

Matter i'm not going to throw any numbers THAT i came.

For sixty four long and forty.

Four, yeah for some, REASON i had touchdown in my, head BUT i was trying to give him too.

Much trying to give him too much.

CREDIT i got.

That, well you, know The jags did beat up on The Panthers week.

One their only loss was to The bengals that was by four.

Points they are playing tough games And Trevor lawrence has come up big in those.

MOMENTS i was a little bit surprised to see that he has six game winning touchdown drives including the, postseason that would be game winners in the final two minutes or in.

Overtime two of those have come this.

SEASON i would say this last week against The chiefs that was probably the most unlikely, one but he making pleasure it.

Up getting stepped on by your, lineman falling, down getting up.

Late probably not the way that they drew it, up but they are still finding ways to do.

It and what's, interesting So liam colemb the first year head, coach he is calling the.

Offense he comes from The.

Rams, yeah a couple of stops.

Ago so everything That jacksonville is doing, well it looks similar to what The seahawks are familiar in.

Seeing and quite, Honestly, JOHN i think we've heard some of the defensive guys saying it is similar to what you saw On.

Tampa, oh by the, way that's where the head coach was the offensive coordinator last.

Year, yeah THERE'S i mean that different variations of.

That shanahan slash McVeigh West coast offense are so prevalent around THE nfl now, that, yes every coach is gonna put their own spin on it when they get the head coach or the play calling.

Duties but there IS i think AS.

Landa williams told us is, like there's some advantage you saw a very similar system last week because you're going to see this, week so it can help just in terms of preparation that, no we don't See jacksonville every.

Year this isn't a division, opponent but we've seen a very similar scheme quite a, bit both in our division and in the opponent last.

Week and when we're talking about that, offense we know that they are going to run the Ball travis etn.

Is one of the reasons is that they have the fifth most rushing.

Yards they rank seventh highest in THE nfl on average yards per.

Rush that is one of the things that separates him when you just look at straight numbers is how many yards per rush he is.

Getting and here's How mike McDonald is kind of looking at all that plays out versus the.

Defense, well he kind of he kind of does everything.

Well in my, Opinion he's an explosive.

Runner he's got great.

BALANCE i think you're seeing it well right.

NOW i think he finishes runs.

Well there's an explosive element to their run game, too where they've they've popped off a few long runs that you know normally you see like a long.

Run there's seventeen thousand guys online of scrimmage and maybe a guy misses a tackle and you, know now it's it's to the.

Gate these runs are, like you, know running through, angles breaking, tackles different waves of.

Defense so it's it's impressive what he's.

Doing but you, know he's a great.

Back we see great backs every.

Week we got to bring our a game every.

Week you, know we have to.

Play it's like we have to play our style of football to be able to play our best game to put ourselves in a chance to.

Win and we respect, him he's a great, player but we got to.

Play we got to play seahawk.

Defense seventeen thousand guys online scrimmage sounds like a real good way to.

RUN i, mean, man it'd be hard to block that or to defend.

That but, YEAH i mean he's having a great.

Season he's averaging five point two a.

Carry to your, point it's not just like, oh just volume were running the ball a.

Toime he's been.

Explosive he is fourth in THE nfl now in rushing yards be a good test for a sex run defense that has been outstanding this.

Year the cx are allowing three point three a, carry which, IS i can best in THE.

NFL i believe they're what third in rushing yards allowed per.

Game so it's a good kind of strength on strength battle between these.

Two, yeah and for kind of the turnaround that they are seeing In, jacksonville it is exactly What cohen did With.

Tampa The bucks went from last in the league to fourth.

Best that is exactly Where jacksonville sits this.

Season it is not because of wholesale.

Changes it is exactly what we saw with some of those gap schemes and then wide runs where it just felt, like, man you were trying to like plug the gaps right and plug the holes on some of those.

Runts before we flip over and take a look at the other side of the, ball let's pause for a word from our presenting.

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Trip you, know the one THING i didn't mention about that run, game what's that Former seahawks running backs Coach Chad morton is.

There there's a few familiar faces that we are going to see on that coaching, staff nice including former special teams stand Out Heath, farwell who is now the special teams.

Coordinator, WELL i always love Seeing.

Heath those are some shout.

Outs we will look to catch up with those guys on game.

Day, now here's what we don't want to be talking about on game day Is jacksonville and the.

Takeaways, yeah it is about that unbelievable what they're doing on.

Defense it really is the league with fourteen takeaways and it's not just you, know sometimes you see a team like they're getting turnovers because they have this awesome pass rush and they're either second quarterbacks or foreseeing a million, interceptions and it's they're doing it all sorts of different.

Ways they're getting you, know guys in, coverage in passing, lanes they're punching the ball, Out they're doing so many things, well but what really stands out is the turnaround, here just like we're talking about the whole team of or win team last year to what they've done this.

Year starting four and, one they WERE i think they had nine takeaways all of last.

Year i'm looking this up right.

Now, yeah they had nine takeaways or in dead last in THE.

Nfl they've surpassed that number by a good margin through five, games and they lead THE.

Nfl that's a pretty wild.

Turnaround.

Now it is crazy to think that you could maintain that level of.

Production, YEAH i mean that in those particular stats and categories for the entire.

Year, YEAH i mean that's like eighties turnover pace when teams just threw the ball.

Haphazardly, yes you got it is.

True but how about this name that you probably haven't heard much, About Devin, lloyd the, linebacker REIGNING Afc Defensive player of The, month and of course you know him because of that big ninety nine yard return for touchdown to your, point.

That came after he Was he's player of the month and then he gets a ninety nine Yard he leads.

The league in takeaways with, five and he leads the league in interceptions with.

Four, yeah watch out for that, guy is ALL i can.

Say no where he is very.

Classic you need to know where he is.

Exactly and When mike McDonald looks at those, takeaways he's not really looking at the.

Numbers he's focused more on the style of.

Play, well it's, uh they forced fumbles and they've intercepted the ball a.

Lot and you know that the interception today was that was in a zero blitz with a pop, out similar to Like leo's last year Against New.

York it's kind of coming in all different.

Things and like what we say is if you play with the player with, energy balls tends to come to.

Life but you also have to have you'll have to have an awareness of when those ops.

Come you, know the fumbles have, come you, know both in ball and transition extended plays the.

Quarterback so they're doing a good job of finding those ops and taking advantage of.

Them, NOW i would say one of the reasons they are in position to do that is because of how they play the run.

Game now that run defense is pretty, good BUT i was looking at some next gen stats and realize that they play with a six man box like forty eight percent of the.

Time it is one of the it's the highest percentage for having a light box in the run, game and so of course you're going to be dedicating more resources to the back end of that.

Defense but it's pretty impressive what they're being able to do and playing AS i think coach would call, it complementary.

Football, yeah and that's you know, again they're doing so many things, well but their run numbers do suggest there's potentially some opportunity for The seahawks to move the.

Ball they've not been bad on run, defense but they haven't been a dominant unit, Either and The seahawks have been shown some proper on that side of the ball or that part of their game where you, know that was a big topic through the first few weeks Of seaks are playing, well but the run game's not.

There they're coming off two hundred and seventy seven rushing yards their last two.

Games that's And Ken walker's what do you average eight something a eight point eight point six of carry last.

Week there's some really good signs in the seas rung.

Games i'm excited to see what they can.

Do maybe run the ball up bit this.

Week, yep and that was against A bucks defense that wasn't supposed to allow any rushing.

Exactly.

Yeah, John i've now been sitting with you for several.

Minutes your hat is quite.

Catchy it's, yeah it's.

Bright, YEAH i love.

It it is also part Of Crucial Catch yes, month so everybody who's going to be wearing those on the.

Sidelines it is one of the ways that you can support the fight against.

Cancer it is the twenty twenty Five Seahawks Crucial Catch.

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CATCH i know it's a good hat WHEN i take it, home AND i know my kids are gonna know that's, like, okay.

Maybe that can be the special, hat and when they do all their chores and their, polite they can earn it and they can wear it for a short amount of.

Time there you, Go we'll see what we.

Do Maybe i'll just keep, it maybe just maybe he'll Make maybe for, Once i'll just keep something for myself instead of my kids taking it.

All good luck with.

That you've got three, Girls, JOHN i.

DON'T i don't know that that's.

Honest, YEAH i.

DON'T i don't think that that's gonna.

Work here's a fun note that crosses over between offense and.

Defense did you Realize Darien, kendrick first of, ALL i think always should have been a seahawk?

Boy does he fit well with that?

Secondary did you realize that he was one Of Trevor lawrence's targets in?

COLLEGE i did.

Not, yeah does make.

Sense kendrick started his career as a wide.

Receiver he did catch touchdown passes From Trevor lawrence in twenty eighteen At.

Clemson then he switched to the corner and twenty one he played on the same defense At georgia As Trayvon walker from The.

JACKS i will be tracking Down darien this week to find out all of the little, tells AND i think that's probably only going to remind him that he could have had a couple more interceptions.

This, yeah, hey you, know sometimes sometimes a move from receiver to corner.

Works, well we've seen it a few times.

Here we have seen.

It we have we have seen that, well so sometimes skill sets.

Demanded one of the things That mike McDonald talked about and you touched on it, earlier was just the ability to close out.

Games and it feels different on the.

Sidelines it feels different in the stadium because you're keeping track of the clock you realize what's going.

On but is coach pointed, out it really shouldn't feel different in the way that they operate or the way that they execute with the game on the.

Line, yeah it's a it's a it's a play by play.

Mindset it's just it's the same thing that we talk.

About LIKE i told the team today that we haven't played a playoff game here yet with, us and so are we going to change our mindset when all of a sudden we're in a different environment or now we're In, jacksonville or now we're In ota, five or now it's quarter four versus quarter.

ONE i don't think that you need to be changing your mindset because of the.

CIRCUMSTANCE i think the mindset stays the, same whereas it's all about our process and what goes into a play and how to play the, play how we're going to finish, plays all those.

Things and so when we've done, that we've played great football at the end of games and we've closed games, out and we.

Haven't we haven't given ourselves as good of a chance to win.

Games As mike put at the end.

There you, know they've done a great.

Job in some, games they.

Haven't pittsburgh was a tight game going to the fourth quarter and they blew that one.

Open they you, know put together a nice finish In, arizona they did give up some points, there but they were able to finish.

Out wrong with, Them there's been two games they had a chance and couldn't quite close out really on both sides of all the forty nine ers drove down pick the lead late and then the same thing happened in this last.

Game so it's, tough ESPECIALLY i think playing defense in those, situations because if a team's, losing they're going to be more aggressive they're gonna go, faster they're gonna take more, shots all things that put straighter on.

Defense SO i, mean, LOOK i think in the long, run we're going to be really happy about what this defense is and they're gonna do a lot of great.

Things but there's gonna be.

GAMES i, Mean mike made this point not about late, games but just in.

Generally he doesn't like it when teams are just like or when coaches talk, about, oh just we did this wrong with this.

Wrong sometimes you also have, Look Tampa bay played a really good game on, offense their quarterback was, outstanding and, yes The seahawks could have been should have been, Better but sometimes you also have to, say, look that team did some good.

Things and, defensively you lost some key pieces in the, game not to mention you didn't have key pieces going into the.

Game so what we can say is the guys on the field who had that, experience and that entire unit having the experience makes them better suit to find success the next.

Good experience for.

Everyone BUT i mean it's as much as you, want every team's going to preach next man, out but like when you're down five starters on one side of the, ball that's really.

Tough and when two and down in the, game so it's a depth issue as.

Well that's those are just really hard things to, overcome especially when the other quarterback is playing out of his.

Mind, yes there is a reason that starters are, starters exactly, right and sometimes you see that play.

Up we need to give you two things that The seahawks need to do to get a win On.

Sunday but first let's pause for a word from our presenting, Sponsor Seahawks.

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Com, Okay, john do you want to go first or do you want to.

Take i'm going to go first and take the really Easy, okay you know Where i'm going.

Turnovers the Jacksonvill jaguars have yet to have a game this year without a takeaway on.

Defense let's make this first.

ONE i think if The seahawks can just take care of the.

Ball we saw it really in this last, game like when The seahawks offense is not getting in their own, way whether it was the turnovers or the, penalty there's either a crucial penalty or turnover on four possessions for The.

Seahawks they didn't score on those.

Four they scored five touchdowns on the other five.

Possessions so take care of the ball AND i think the offense is going to be really.

Good and THEN i want to SEE i know we can talk a lot About travis etn in their run, game BUT i want to see Ken walker And zach, sharpening get going again and really get that run game.

AGAIN i think we've seen some progress last two.

Weeks i'd love to see him build on.

That, Okay i'm going to pick two on the defensive side of.

THINGS i never do, this But Trevor lawrence has only been sacked six times this, season tied With Sam.

DARNOLD i believe that is fourth fewest in THE.

Nfl he's got six, touchdowns five, Interceptions so dial up that, pressure force him into some of those mistakes down get off the.

Field jacksonville has not been good at converting on third down in, fact just about thirty eight percent conversion rate and they are top ten in the league in third down, attempts so they are getting their.

Chances get off the, field no penalties in those situations and just force them into very short drives and give give the ball back.

To the offense the coming off a tough third down, Game so that'd be nice to bounce back.

For that is how we have dialed it.

Up we'll see how coach dials it up and how it all plays out On sunday and be back with you for another edition Of Seahawks insiders.

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