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When the Seattle Seahawks made a desperately needed move ahead of the trade deadline to acquire disgruntled Bengals passing runner Carlos Dunlap, the hope that he would not only bring sacks himself, but also help unlock the rest of the defensive line.
Across three games, Dunlap has done just that. Since Dunlap’s debut against the Bills, the Seahawks have totaled 13 sacks and 21 hits, with Dunlap coming in with three sacks and six hits himself. When he doesn’t hit the quarterback, he changes the math up front and helps put his line mates in advantageous positions. No player has exemplified this more than Jarran Reed, who has been superb since Dunlap arrived.
However, that doesn’t mean he can’t act as an individual demolition team, either. While the ever-elusive Kyler Murray turned out to be exactly that on Thursday night, Dunlap did everything he could to disrupt the sophomore phenomenon. By the end of the game, Dunlap had totaled five taps, three QB hits, two tackles for loss and two sacks – including one in the dying moments to secure a victory in Seattle.
Dunlap’s excellent play to start his time with the Seahawks helped bring out great performances from Reed and Poona Ford, among others, but his transformative impact goes beyond the defensive line. With Dunlap and the defensive line starting to build more even pressure, Seattle will be able to blitz less frequently and return to what they do best, playing cover 3 and rushing four.
Of the three Seattle bags:
1.) Standard Four-Man Rush (Necklace)
2.) Five men rush in with Dunlap returning briefly to spy before enveloping Murray.
3.) Three men rush in and Dunlap beats his man 1 to 1.
– Field Gulls (@FieldGulls) November 20, 2020
The Seahawks have now had six solid defensive quarterbacks, dating back to the second half of a tough loss to the Rams. With Dunlap becoming more comfortable and efficient in his new environment, and several players remaining in good health, there is no reason to believe that regular play will be short-lived.
Dunlap has been in Seattle for less than a month and his transformative impact has already been felt in his team’s defense; this is great news for a Seahawks team with a high power offense and bad news for the rest of the NFL.
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