Tariq Woolen is more than a rookie, was dominant against 49ers

Tidbits and highlights before the Seahawks playoff game

Not everyone wants to hear comparisons. Oh well. Tariq Woolen’s rookie season was more impressive and is more encouraging than Richard Sherman’s rookie season.

Neither of them played like rookies during their first year in the league. Sherman was probably snubbed for several honors after his rookie season, but signs are pointing towards Woolen, an NFC Pro Bowler, getting All-Pro recognition. Said Sherman of Woolen all the way back in the spring:

“I mean, he may find himself on an All-Pro team.”

Even Sherman knows he might not go down as the best fifth round cornerback in Seattle Seahawks history.

Though Woolen’s status as a draft steal has been known among Seahawks fans for many months, the rest of the NFL was only barely catching on after he posted an interception in four straight games. Perhaps it was his interception in front of Tom Brady in a standalone game in Germany that finally caught the attention of fans and writers of other teams.

But Woolen’s six interceptions, tied for the league lead, is only a fraction of the story. What I want to do today is dive into the numbers behind the interceptions, including Woolen’s two games against the San Francisco 49ers, this Saturday’s wild card opponent, as well as some advanced stats on other Seahawks at the conclusion of the regular season.

Field Gulls @FieldGulls

Tariq Woolen didn't get an interception yesterday but neither did anyone else on 6 picks. So Woolen ends the year tied for the league lead in INTs. He's first among all CBs (Simmons, Gardner-Johnson, and Minkah are all safeties). But most importantly...

Like did you know that Geno Smith threw more interceptions when targeting Tyler Lockett—not DK Metcalf, as most assume—this season? Do you know how many times Woolen held a team to two or fewer receptions and where he ranks overall? Do you know who had the worst missed tackle rate, how many passes DK dropped, the differences between Josh Jones, Johnathan Abram, and Ryan Neal, and what Geno Smith needs to do differently against the 49ers this time after 116 minutes without a touchdown against San Francisco? And let’s just watch Tariq Woolen highlights together for a bit, he’s worth re-visiting over and over again.

Even Pete Carroll knows the value of DVOA.

Bob Condotta @bcondotta

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll today mentioned DVOA when asked what the team has to do to get where it wants to be at the end of the season:

There’s a lot to cover and only four days until the wild card game. Let’s get started.