Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks’ rookies logged a combined 151 snaps in Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers. That total is down slightly from last week, but still in the same range, especially when factoring in the overtime game against the Rams the week prior. For the second consecutive week, Seattle opted to dress Connor O’Toole over nose tackle Brandon Pili, a decision that appears to be driven primarily by special teams usage. O’Toole saw just four snaps in garbage time.
As always, the focus here is on process and technique rather than box score results.
Zabel’s performance against Carolina was cleaner on the surface than the Rams game. He did not allow a pressure, and PFF credited him with his fourth-best pass-blocking grade and third-best run-blocking grade of the season.
That said, the tape tells a more nuanced story. While the end results were mostly positive, Zabel showed a number of technical regressions, particularly in his pad level and balance, that did not consistently show up earlier in the year.
One recurring issue was his tendency to over-lean at the snap, something that also showed up in the Rams game and directly contributed to sacks in that matchup. When Zabel tips forward, he becomes vulnerable to swim moves. On the clip above, he initially generates good leverage out of his stance, but loses control of the rep and gets beaten cleanly once the defender clears his hands.
On another snap, he loses even faster, forcing the running back to cut prematurely, disrupting the timing of the run. This is correctable, but it needs to be cleaned up, particularly against interior defenders who rely on quick counters rather than pure power.
Zabel’s transition from tackle at NDSU to guard in the NFL was always going to come with some limitations. His shorter arm length means he must consistently win with hand placement and inside leverage. On this rep, Derrick Brown denies him the inside hand, collapses the pocket, and finishes by putting Zabel on the ground.
He also struggled repeatedly against #94, who relied almost exclusively on a push-pull counter. In Zabel’s mic’d-up segment from the Cardinals game, he mentions preferring to control defenders with his inside hand. When that punch lacks timing or force, counters like this become a problem. On this rep, he narrowly avoids a holding call after being beaten.
This next snap is one of the more puzzling plays on tape. Zabel correctly identifies the linebacker, has the angle and athleticism to reach the second level, but fails to land his hands. The result is a tackle for loss, and arguably one of his poorest run-blocking snaps of the season.
Where Zabel was most effective came on double-teams in the run game. When his hand placement is correct and his base stays wide, he can displace defensive linemen and generate movement. Those snaps remain his best work and show why the coaching staff continues to trust him in a high-snap...
