Seahawks' secondary not looking the part of Legion of Boom

One left for Philadelphia two years ago. One is holding out for more money. One is fresh off a shoulder injury that cost him the entire preseason. And one is in the slot against three-receiver sets.

The Legion of Boom – nickname for the vaunted Seattle Seahawks secondary – is a far cry from what it once was. And while there have been a few changes since the moniker first stuck in 2011, one thing is certain: the group that got torched by Nick Foles and the St. Louis Rams in Week 1 has some work to do to live up to the unit’s reputation.

The three mainstays of the Seahawks secondary are cornerback Richard Sherman and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor. Opposite Sherman has been a rotating cast, starting with Brandon Browner five years ago, then Byron Maxwell, who helped the team win their Super Bowl before signing with the Eagles, and now Cary Williams, a free agent signing from Philly.

Williams, Sherman and Thomas were active Sunday, but couldn’t stop the Rams from racking up nearly 300 yards through the air on route to a 34-31 overtime win. The Seahawks’ secondary gave up eight completions of 20 yards or more Sunday after allowing just 32 all of last season according to ESPN, and the Rams averaged 6.4 yards per play, a top-five offensive performance in Week 1. The 34 points Seattle surrendered was tied for the most they’ve given up in the Legion of Boom era.

The biggest reason for Seattle’s poor play on Sunday was Chancellor’s absence, with the strong safety holding out in hope of renegotiating his five-year contract signed in 2013.

Give the Seahawks credit for holding firm on the issue, especially after seeing Chancellor’s replacement in action. Dion Bailey had a number of miscues against the Rams, including one that’ll get play all year on NFL blooper reels.

“There's a couple plays that got away from him, the one where he stumbles, and there's a couple things he could've done,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of Bailey’s Week 1 performance. “Everybody has plays like that. His just happened right at the end of the game on the big play."

For what it’s worth, the most vocal of the Legion of Boom didn’t think the secondary’s struggles had much to do with Chancellor’s absence.

“I think last week, it was more missed tackles, guys that usually make tackles missed a couple,” Pro Bowl cornerback Sherman told ESPN. “I think we were a bit rusty. There were some communication issues, some personnel issues that we didn't get addressed.”

“I don't think that if Kam Chancellor was here, we don't make those same mistakes. I think guys just have to tackle better, communicate better."

Chancellor’s fellow safety Thomas may disagree however. In Chancellor’s absence, Thomas was forced to help out against the run more. And while the free safety finished with a positive grade against the run according to Pro Football Focus, he saw his passing grade fall into the negatives, something that happened only three times last season.

Thomas was also playing in his first game since Seattle’s Super Bowl defeat last winter after missing all of preseason while recovering from shoulder surgery. Rust may be a consideration in his disappointing PFF grade.

And finally, questions about Sherman’s use against the Rams plagued the Seahawks this week as well.

I think the Seahawks must decide whether they really want Richard Sherman playing the slot in nickel like he did in Week 1. Sherman is stellar but less effective inside. – Andy Benoit, The MMQB

Sherman’s snaps in the slot hit double digits against the Rams, and the Seahawks have said they’ll use him there more often moving forward. While he can certainly handle slot duties, it takes the All-Pro away from opponents’ best receivers and forces a lesser cornerback to cover them.

The Legion of Boom has a prime opportunity to restore their name this weekend, taking on the Green Bay Packers Sunday. While the Seahawks have had the Packers number lately, Green Bay comes into the game hot – having beaten the Chicago Bears in Week 1 – and may have revenge in mind.