Seattle, WA

Booger McFarland: Seahawks, 49ers ‘mirror images of each other’

Published

1 year ago

October 24, 2023

Booger McFarland: Seahawks, 49ers ‘mirror images of each other’

Much like when Pete Carroll first took over the Seattle Seahawks in 2010, the defense has mutated from allowing a pedestrian 23.6 points per game last year into a borderline top-10 unit shepherded by rookie phenom Devon Witherspoon, stalwart defender Bobby Wagner and a pass-rush rotation where seven different players have multiple sacks through six games.

Seattle Seahawks showing signs of a defense that can win games

The only NFC teams allowing fewer points per game than Seattle are Atlanta, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Dallas and San Francisco.

One of those teams shares a division with the Seahawks: the NFC West-leading 49ers (5-2), who are just a half-game ahead of 4-2 Seattle. When looking at the two rivals, something jumps out to ESPN’s Booger McFarland.

“I think San Francisco and Seattle are very mirror images of each other,” McFarland said Tuesday to Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “Two teams that, when both are healthy, got really good offensive lines and defensive lines that can put pressure on a quarterback.”

Even though the 49ers lead the division now and reached the NFC Championship game last season, McFarland thinks there’s one way Seattle has the upper hand on them.

“I might lean towards Seattle’s secondary being better overall as far as being able to cover,” said the former NFL defensive tackle and current television analyst. “I think that’s the one weakness San Francisco has. I don’t know if they have really good man-to-man cover guys and it kind of got exposed last night a little bit (in a Monday Night Football loss to Minnesota).”

What about the team’s two quarterbacks, Geno Smith of the Seahawks and Brock Purdy of the 49ers?

“Quarterback wise, when Brock and Geno are playing at a high level, neither one of them is going to wow you with their athleticism, but they both can play from the pocket,” McFarland said. “Both have proven to be able to make some big-time throws in situations. I don’t know if I give the edge to either one when they’re both playing at their best, so that game usually comes down to who can kind of create the most turnovers.”

Despite San Francisco’s upset loss to the Vikings on Monday, and an underwhelming Hawks win Sunday where they coughed up the ball three times to Arizona, McFarland still sees the two NFC West squads as amongst the top of the food chain after the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Philly looks to have a formula that, regardless of how the ball bounces or how the weather goes, there will be very few scenarios where they aren’t in every football game,” McFarland said while analyzing the NFC. “I think we saw Detroit step up in class against Baltimore, even though they’re in the AFC, and I think there’s a different level that Detroit wasn’t aware of. They’ve got to go back to the drawing board, and I don’t know if anybody looks at the NFC South as a real contender.”

There is still some time until the Seahawks and Niners see each other face to face for the first time this season. They’ll play in Seattle on just three days rest on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 23), then a few weeks later at Levi’s Stadium in the Bat Area on Dec. 10.

The defense’s turnaround

In 2011, the Seahawks allowed just 19.7 points per game (good for the seventh-best mark in the NFL) after allowing 25.4 in Carrol’s debut season, mirroring the transition the Seahawks have undertaken defensively from 2022 to 2023.

“When do you know that a defense is turning into something? Something good?” host Brock Huard asked McFarland.

“I think when there’s pride – not in just the statistics, but there’s pride in how they play and what it looks like,” McFarland answered. “I think there’s pride in taking the field each and every time, defending every blade of grass. I think there’s a certain aura and a certain mindset that everybody has. And that’s not just the 11 starters, that’s the five, six or seven guys that back up and come in and play. So the 17, 18 guys that are going to be on the field each and every Sunday, I think that’s what I look at first and foremost.”

Carroll has coached eight top-10 scoring defenses in his career, including six in a row from 2011-16, but none since the 2017 season. That might finally change in Clint Hurtt’s second year as defensive coordinator, alongside the acquisition of pass rush specialist BT Jordan from Michigan State, as the defense has allowed the fewest points in the league over a team’s last three games with 30.

“It’s easy to sit there and say, statistically, this team has given up the fewest points,” McFarland continued. “But sometimes that can be like bikinis, they can show some things, but not all things. So I think what you have to do is you really have to take a look at how they play, the product they play with, and the camaraderie because ultimately that’s going to translate into playing really, really good defense consistently. Every team can have a performance that’s like, ‘Oh, man, we shut this team out.’ But how can we do it consistently week in and week out?”

Offenses around the league are scoring the fewest points per game since 2010 at 20.5 points, while the league average explosive play rate of 10% this year is the lowest in more than 20 years, according to Yahoo Sports. Quarterbacks are currently throwing touchdowns on 3.9% of their pass attempts while averaging 6.9 yards per attempt, according to Pro Football Reference, both all-time lows since 2008.

Hurtt and company are taking advantage of the league-wide offensive drought, as the team’s defense will define the team’s chances for a second straight postseason run in the post-Russell Wilson era.

Listen to the Brock and Salk Show weekday mornings from 6-10 a.m. on 710 ESPN Seattle. Subscribe to the podcast here.

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks’ top OLB Uchenna Nwosu likely done for season
• Carroll: Seahawks’ Witherspoon ‘left his mark’ again in Week 7 win
• Rost: Is Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s play a cause for concern?
• Carroll: Bobby Wagner ‘having a blast’ as Seattle Seahawks’ D develops

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

21 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

Follow @https://twitter.com/jasonrantz

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