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Seahawks insider Corbin Smith joins the show to preview Sunday's matchup between the Seahawks and Commanders.
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00:00We're going to break down a Seahawks preview here with our guy Corbin Smith joining us.
00:07You can give Corbin a follow at Corbin Smith NFL.
00:11Covers the Seahawks for the Emerald Spectrum.
00:14Corbin, what's up, man? How you doing?
00:16Good. Thanks for having me.
00:17Yeah, dude. Thanks for joining us.
00:20Let's start with just this run Seattle has been on.
00:24They haven't lost since last November.
00:26November, obviously coming off the Super Bowl, 2-0 to start the year.
00:30I mean, just how loaded is this team?
00:33How focused is this team?
00:35How tunnel vision is this team?
00:39Yeah, I think you made a really good point there with the tunnel vision
00:42because I think, you know, a lot of times you see teams when they win championships,
00:46it's really hard to beat complacency.
00:50But Mike McDonald's got his crew ready to go.
00:53And I think that the veteran leadership is a big part of that, too,
00:57from Leonard Williams to Julian Love to Jackson Smith and Jig.
01:02But, like, these guys are not satisfied with just having one Lombardi trophy.
01:08They want to go win another one.
01:10And quite frankly, the way that everybody was chirping about the Rams this offseason,
01:15I think that it made it a little easier for them to be coming into the season
01:20with a chip on their shoulder, like, hey, we're the defending champions,
01:22and we have almost our entire roster back that won the Super Bowl last year.
01:27So I think they felt like they were a little bit slighted going into the season as well.
01:31And they've come out even with losing Sam Darnold in the season opener.
01:36They've just continued to keep humming.
01:39The defense somehow looks better than last year.
01:42And they've even had some injuries on that side of the ball.
01:45And so it's been really impressive to watch.
01:48What has it been that Drew Locke is playing just out of his mind, in a sense?
01:55Drew Locke's always had talent.
01:57I mean, there's no question that he's always had –
01:59I think he's got, like, fifth percentile throwing talent.
02:04Like, he's always had the ability.
02:06The live R, yeah.
02:07It's just – yeah, early in his career, he was – you know, Denver had a really hard time developing
02:14quarterbacks
02:14for a long time, and he struggled there.
02:17They kind of threw him into the fire.
02:19And when he was in New York, the Giants didn't have a lot of talent around him.
02:23But when he's been in Seattle, you know, coaching matters.
02:27And I really think in pro football especially, I think in the NFL, coaching matters more than any professional sport.
02:33Like, you just see it – like, you look in Las Vegas, what Clint Kubiak's been able to already do
02:38with that team.
02:38And then you see what's going on.
02:40Like, the Chargers are having all kinds of issues, even though they brought in some big names on their coaching
02:45staff.
02:46Like, coaching is massive.
02:48And I think Drew Locke, he's just really embraced his skills in Seattle, and he's built his confidence.
02:54And now you're seeing a guy that absolutely looks like he could start for seven or eight teams in the
03:00league right now.
03:00Well, speaking of Drew Locke, who's going to be the starter on Sunday?
03:05I expect it's going to be Sam Darnold, because he was a full participant in yesterday's practice,
03:09and everything is trending in that direction.
03:12So, Drew Locke's played great, but Sam's going to be ready to go on Sunday.
03:17I'd be surprised if it's Drew Locke at this point.
03:19What should we expect from Darnold coming off the bruised glute?
03:23Yeah.
03:24Yeah.
03:25I think that, you know, the biggest question that I have going into this game is just going to be
03:29the mobility aspect,
03:31because that's something that's underrated in Sam's game.
03:34Not a guy that's going to blow you away with a 40 time, but he's got decent mobility,
03:38the ability to get away from the pocket when he needs to.
03:41And he kind of talked about that yesterday.
03:43Like, he just wants to have confidence in his body and not have to worry about those things.
03:47And so, we'll see what happened in the practices this week leading up to Sunday
03:52and how comfortable that they are with that.
03:55But that would be the only thing that I would have questions about.
03:58But I would anticipate that the Seahawks are not going to be putting him out there
04:01if they're not comfortable that he's going to be able to wing the football
04:03and isn't having any repercussions from that injury.
04:06Carvin, pardon my question.
04:07I'm not used to asking about no man's glute.
04:10But is this his left or right?
04:13I believe it's the right.
04:15Because I'm thinking about, like, the actual pass.
04:18Like, left, you step into it, right, you got to push off.
04:21Can that affect him at all?
04:24Yeah, that was something that we kind of talked about when the injury first,
04:27when they first confirmed that that's what it was and it wasn't a fractured hip
04:32or what the worst-case scenarios were that were running through people's heads
04:35when he first got hurt.
04:36But that was something that I had some concerns about is how it's going to impact
04:41his ability to throw the football.
04:43And it sounds like, based on what Sam has told us,
04:46that that hasn't been an issue this week.
04:48He really improved a lot last week, but they didn't want to rush him back,
04:52so they didn't play him last week.
04:54And then this week, obviously, like I said, he was a full participant yesterday.
04:58We've only gotten to see him throw a handful of passes
05:00since we only can watch the warm-ups and then we have to go inside.
05:04But he's looked like he hasn't had any restrictions on those throws.
05:09All right, so let's run through the injuries because obviously Washington's dealing
05:13with their own stuff, but let's consider what Seattle's got here.
05:16If it looks like Darnold's going to be back, can you take me through the rest
05:20of the injury report?
05:21I saw on your Twitter at CorbinSmithNFL, Julian Love seems to be a real question mark.
05:28What about the running back, Jadarian Price?
05:30Like, what do you expect in here?
05:32Yeah, really the only question mark that I have at this point is now Julian Love,
05:37who popped up on the injury report yesterday.
05:40He practiced on Wednesday.
05:41He wasn't even on the injury report.
05:43So those kind of injuries, you guys know how this goes.
05:46If a player pops up with a new injury in the middle of a week,
05:49that's always going to make your eyes raise a little bit.
05:52Like, whoa, wait a second, when did this happen?
05:55And Julian Love has been playing at a first-team all-pro level,
05:59already has two interceptions this season, a couple pass breakups.
06:02He has been masterful.
06:04So that would be a big loss for them, especially with Ty Akata still not back
06:09from his hamstring injury.
06:10So they've got some safety concerns.
06:12On the flip side, though, I'm expecting Nicky Manwari is going to play a ton of snaps
06:17this weekend.
06:18He played nine snaps last week in his debut.
06:21He was on a very strict pitch count in Arizona.
06:23He's been a full participant this week, though.
06:26So they will get him back the ultimate Swiss army knife on defense.
06:31Yeah, I mean, he's obviously such a player.
06:33What about that running back situation?
06:35And I'm going to left hand up here.
06:37This is purely selfishly.
06:38I drafted Janarian Price in a number of fantasy leagues,
06:41and I don't know that he's, you know, he's a rookie running back.
06:45Maybe that's what he's shown through two weeks.
06:47Are they happy with what they've gotten there?
06:49Could Emmanuel Wilson really push for that job?
06:51What's up with the Seahawks run game?
06:53No, I think everything's played out exactly how the Seahawks wanted it.
06:56I mean, I know that a lot of people are wanting Janarian Price to get 20 carries,
07:0125 carries a game.
07:03Yeah, I'm one of them.
07:03That's not what they – the game plan has never been that to start off his career.
07:09I think at some point that he could be that guy.
07:12But Seattle understood going into this he was never a starter at Notre Dame.
07:17They wanted to bring him in and kind of ease him in as the starter,
07:21and they liked the other backs that they have, including Emmanuel Wilson.
07:25So, if you're a fantasy owner that's hoping for a bunch of 150-yard rushing performances,
07:32probably not going to be getting that at this point.
07:35But I do think he is due for finding the end zone for the first time
07:40because that was something he was very good at at Notre Dame.
07:42And I expect he's going to play this weekend.
07:45He's been limited this week with a shoulder injury.
07:47But the fact he's been out there, I expect he's going to play.
07:52Witherspoon has been terrific.
07:54Got a big deal this offseason, I think it was.
07:57What is it about him that makes him so good?
07:59Oh, man.
08:00You guys have 45 minutes?
08:03He has – you know, it's funny because Devin Witherspoon has two interceptions
08:08in his entire career.
08:09And when you talk about a corner and you say that, like most people are going to say,
08:14well, why are we talking about this guy?
08:15Like, he's not elite.
08:16It's like – but if you watch the way that he impacts games,
08:20there's not a corner in the league that impacts the entire football game
08:24the way that Devin Witherspoon does.
08:25His blitzing ability – I am just amazed that a 185-pound guy
08:31can consistently mix it up with 300-pound-plus guys in the trenches.
08:36He isn't just really good at shooting through untouched as a blitzer.
08:41Like, he can shed blocks.
08:42He'll take guys twice his size on, and he will beat them.
08:46He'll shed blocks.
08:47I mean, he is just – he's rare, man.
08:49He's a rare breed.
08:50The guy just is an incredible football player.
08:53He's tenacious.
08:55Teams don't throw the ball at him very much because he's really good in coverage,
08:59and that's part of the reason he doesn't have the interceptions.
09:01Teams just kind of avoid him like the plague.
09:03He can play inside and out.
09:05He's the best run-defending quarterback in the National Football League.
09:09I mean, he is just – he is so much fun to watch.
09:11If you're somebody that just looks at stats, you aren't going to enjoy
09:16what Devin Witherspoon really brings.
09:18If you watch the game and you watch the tape, 21 every game just pops off the screen
09:24with everything that he can do.
09:26I mean, you saw – was it the first snap in the Super Bowl?
09:29The first drive in the Super Bowl?
09:31I mean, you're absolutely right.
09:33That guy just makes a huge impact.
09:35I'm curious because, you know, that defense did lose a fair amount over this past offseason.
09:41Are they as good as they've been or have they – you know, you played the Patriots
09:47where Drake May was bad and then you get the Cardinals.
09:50Are they as good or has it been like kind of a strong schedule to start the year for them?
09:56You know, it'd be easy to look at the schedule and say, well, they've had a really easy setup.
10:01But I think this defense is playing better than it did last year, to be honest with you.
10:07Like, they have not given up a play of more than 19 yards in the first two games.
10:13And you have to remember that that Cardinals offense, albeit in week one, week one crazy
10:18things happened, but week one they put up 26 points in the Chargers and they were running
10:24the ball well.
10:25They threw the ball all over the place.
10:27Jacoby Brissett played great.
10:28And this past week they made Jacoby Brissett look like a peewee quarterback for most of
10:33the game.
10:33Like, they just – I just think Mike McDonald's scheme, the front line – Leonard Williams
10:40just continues to be an amazing player.
10:43He would have been a Hall of Fame player if he did not play for the Giants and Jets early
10:48in his career.
10:49Like, that's the kind of talent that he has.
10:51And their linebackers are really good.
10:54I mentioned Witherspoon.
10:56Julian Love has been playing out of his mind.
10:58I mean, they – but it just seems like even if they have a few guys get banged up, like,
11:02they put Rodney Thomas into the lineup.
11:04Rodney Thomas has played really, really well the first two games.
11:08It just seems like Mike McDonald's just got that magic touch where next man up, well,
11:13he'll play like he's an NFL starter.
11:16That's just the way that – you know, and it's a culture thing too.
11:19Mike's built that culture here where guys are confident when they come in the lineup and
11:23the veterans pick them up.
11:25Do they do anything that – do they have any cause for concern that may not be as good
11:30as they want it to be?
11:32You know, nitpicking-wise, they've had a few times teams have been able to run the
11:37football off the edge.
11:39Arizona was able to do that some in the first half last week.
11:42But then they came out in the second half, and Arizona's top two backs only had two carries
11:47the entire half, in part because the offense had like a five-hour drive in the fourth quarter.
11:53So, I mean, they made some adjustments, and Arizona couldn't run the ball.
11:57It's been really tough sledding for opposing offenses these first couple weeks, just trying
12:03to find anything that consistently works against this defense.
12:06All right, we haven't even asked you about the best player on the – in the organization,
12:11probably, for Seattle.
12:14We're talking with our friend Corbin Smith from the Emerald Spectrum.
12:17You can see him and listen to him all over Seattle covering the Seahawks.
12:21Jackson Smith and Jigba, how much of it is his individual talent?
12:26How much of it is how much he's grown since he got to Seattle?
12:29How much does the scheme take advantage of him?
12:32Like, this dude is, by a mile, the real deal.
12:36You know, the scheme, I think, magnifies his talent a little bit, but I think Jackson Smith
12:43and Jigba is one of those guys that transcends scheme because of his route-running ability.
12:48Sam Darnold calls him a figure skater, and I think that is the perfect way to sum it up,
12:52the way that he runs routes, the way that he's able to get subtle movements like a basketball
12:57player.
12:58We saw an 82-yard touchdown, second play of the game in Arizona, where he double-moved
13:04Buda Baker, who's one of the best safeties in football, and he had Buda Baker coming
13:10up four steps, and it's like, uh-oh, there he goes.
13:12That guy's gone.
13:14And he just – he's just so smooth.
13:17And, you know, some of these elite receivers, you watch them, if they have a backup quarterback
13:23come in, you know, they'll still be productive, but they're not going to be – they're not
13:28going to be carrying a football team.
13:29We saw what he did last week with a hat trick, catching three touchdowns from Drew Locke.
13:36And, again, I think Drew Locke is one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league.
13:40I think he could start for a number of teams, so I don't want to take anything away from
13:43him.
13:44But, God, talk about a guy being able to shoulder the load when your starting quarterback is
13:50out.
13:50What a luxury that is for a backup when you have that talented player.
13:55And I went into this year thinking, well, JSN's probably – he's probably one of the
14:00three best receivers.
14:01I, at this point, no offense to Jamar Chase and Justin Jefferson, who are incredible players.
14:07I just don't know that there's anybody that's above Jackson Smith and Jigba at this point.
14:12Like, he just – he continues to put up video game numbers.
14:15That's crazy.
14:16And nobody seems to have an answer for him.
14:18I did draft him on my daughter's fantasy team, and she was like, Daddy, I don't know who
14:22that is.
14:22I was like, you will.
14:23You will.
14:23You will.
14:24So, Corbin, just so I have this stat right, you're telling me through two games the Seahawks
14:30defense hasn't given up a play over 19 yards?
14:33Yeah.
14:34Yep.
14:35That is correct.
14:36This is top of my head math, Brian.
14:38Through two games, the Washington defense gave up a 42-yard run to Saquon, a 22-yard run
14:44to Jalen Hurts on third and 18, a 64-yard pass to Wicks, a 43-yard pass to Goddard, and
14:52then
14:52CD went over 30 on – I mean, the explosives are a problem there, Brian.
14:57Corbin, this is a simple question, but might not have a simple answer.
15:03How did the Seahawks lose this weekend?
15:07Turning the football over.
15:09If Sam Darnold comes back and he uncorks a couple of interceptions or they fumble the ball
15:16and they allow Washington to get some short field, that would be the way that the Commanders
15:22win this football game.
15:23You don't want to take anybody lightly in the National Football League, but Seattle should
15:28be able to come in and if they play their game, they should be able to control this from
15:32the outset.
15:33But you guys know this, turnovers are the great equalizer.
15:38Have they had any trouble in the McDonald era going west to east for a 1 o'clock start?
15:44No, I don't know that they've ever lost a 10 a.m. game.
15:47I'd have to go back and look, but they've only lost two road games in Mike McDonald's
15:52entire coaching tenure.
15:56He's built a juggernaut.
15:57I mean, it's been incredibly impressive what he's done here.
16:01Yeah, dude.
16:02I mean, I have liked Mike and known him a little bit for some years now, but watching
16:08that Hard Knocks this offseason, I just thought was so damn impressive.
16:12They were our coach.
16:13Did that just ring true to you with everything you have experienced covering the team, or
16:17did that seem kind of like HBO digitized to make it look that much more sensational?
16:24Yeah, you know, we don't get to see everything that happens behind closed doors, but the one-on-ones
16:29that I've had with Mike during his time here, that's who he is.
16:34That's who you see on the practice field.
16:36You know, I know there's a lot of people that were like, well, what was the biggest surprise
16:40with Hard Knocks?
16:41It's like, nothing really surprised me.
16:43That's just, that's who Mike is.
16:45He doesn't try to fake it.
16:47Like, Mike is Mike, and he does things his way, and he also is very adaptive with what
16:53his players and assistant coaches, you know, recommend.
16:56He is not, he's not stubborn where, hey, this is how I do things, and this is how we're going
17:01to do stuff, and I think the balancing act there of being confident in his ability to
17:06scheme and also trusting his players and his assistants, I think that has been a big part
17:11of taking a culture that was already pretty strong with Pete Carroll here all those years
17:15and leveling it up is basically what's happened.
17:20So, not to put you on the spot, the most interesting question, I think, is why hasn't this line
17:29moved?
17:29I don't know that you pay attention to Vegas.
17:31I pay attention to Vegas, and it's holding pretty firm at a touchdown.
17:35It looks like it's kind of up to seven and a half, depending where you're shopping, but
17:39like, would you lay the points with the Seahawks this weekend, Corbin?
17:43And again, I don't know if you're a gambling type or what, so forgive me if that's...
17:45Yeah, I'm really not, but I always do pay attention to the spread just because I think
17:51it's kind of fascinating, but I'm not really a betting guy, but if I was, I don't, again,
17:59I don't overlook anybody, and if Seattle makes a bunch of mistakes, they certainly can't keep
18:05things close.
18:05I just, I don't think this game's going to be close.
18:08I think Seattle, I think Seattle, you take the points there.
18:11I think, I think Seattle's, I think they've got a juggernaut.
18:17Yeah.
18:18Yeah.
18:18I think, and I think the way that we've seen them play on the East Coast over the last two
18:22years, I, I just, I, I'm confident Seattle's going to be able to come in and put up points
18:29and, and continue to be dominant on defense.
18:31We'll just put it that way.
18:32All right.
18:33Hey man, we appreciate it.
18:34Thank you for the time.
18:35We'll see you on Sunday.
18:37Sounds good.
18:38All right.
18:38Corbin Smith covers the Seahawks.
18:40Give him a follow at Corbin Smith NFL.
18:43Must be fun covering a wagon like that.
18:46Mm-hmm.
18:46Because, I mean, that team just looks so damn good.