Seahawks' defense prepared for a new face, a familiar face, and a blur
SEATTLE – Jacoby Brissett knows this much about what’s awaiting him when the Indianapolis Colts come to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Sunday night: “We’re playing at nighttime, so everybody’s drunk then - I’m guessing it’ll be very loud.”
Fortunately, the Seahawks know a little more than that about what’s awaiting them in Brissett.
Brissett will be making the fifth start of his career Sunday as Andrew Luck, the Colts’ franchsise quarterback, continues to rehab following labrum-repair surgery in January. Brissett spent last season – his first in the NFL – with the New England Patriots.
“We’ve watched him a lot,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said last week. “We watched him through the process and all that. We watched him at New England. So, we’re a little more familiar with him than just the fourth week they’re on.
“He’s a really well-equipped athlete, he’s a good football player, he’s a big strong guy that can stay in the pocket. Also has made yards and made things happen with his legs. They know that, it’s part of the offense too – he’s running the ball some in their scheme.”
The Colts traded for Brissett the day before the season began and by Week 2, he found himself as the starter. Indy lost that game 16-13 to the Arizona Cardinals in overtime as Brissett went 20 of 37 passing, going for 216 yards.
Last week, he led the Colts to a 31-28 victory over the Cleveland Browns, completing 17 of 24 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
“He’s made a really nice transition quickly, and looks to be a real factor,” Carroll said. “So, they can throw the ball anywhere they want to with him. He’s got a great arm and all that. With the receivers they have, T.Y. (Hilton) has been an amazing player and (tight end) Jack Doyle’s playing really good ball, so can wing this thing all around.
“As well as, we’re dealing with the running back we’ve been dealing with for years (Frank Gore), and he’s a hammer.”
With Luck, the Colts were the No. 10 offense last season in terms of yards, and No. 8 in terms of scoring. Hilton was, of course, a big part of that. The speedy sixth-year receiver had a career-high 1,448 yards and six touchdowns.
“He’s small, he’s fast, he’s shifty,” Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said last week. “Explodes in and out of his breaks. Obviously has great top-end speed, so you’ve gotta be aware of where he is on the field at all times.”
The Seahawks will see one very familiar face in Gore. This season is his 13th in the NFL, and he spent 10 of those torturing Seattle as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.
Gore might be 34 years old, but he’s coming off a season in which he carried the ball 263 yards for 1,025 yards, and caught the ball 38 times for another 277 yards.
“He looks great,” Carroll said. “No hesitation saying that. He’s a good football player.”`