Seahawks' secondary has taken out opposing WRs in consecutive weeks. They're not trying to hurt anyone, they say, but inadvertently, their physical style of play has helped this young secondary build confidence heading in to the bye.
LONDON — Another week, another two opposing receivers sent to the sidelines with possible concussions.
All courtesy of the Seahawks’ defense.
Last week it was the Rams’ Cooper Kupp and Brandin Cooks. Sunday at Wembley Stadium, it was Amari Cooper and Seth Roberts of the Oakland Raiders.
“We aren’t trying to hurt anybody,’’ said Seattle safety Bradley McDougald. “But that’s just part of the game.’’
A part of the game that, insensitive as it can seem, perhaps exemplifies the emerging confidence and swagger of Seattle’s rebuilt  secondary — one that no longer includes any founding members of the Legion of Boom.
“I mean that’s part of our game. That’s our DNA,’’ said McDougald, whose hit on Cooper early in the second quarter knocked the receiver out of the game.
“It’s taken us a while to get there, but we are taking our chances,” McDougald said. “I’d rather get a sure tackle than a big hit. But if you ever have a big chance for a big hit you have to lay it out there. Make sure you lay the guy out and just send a message.
“Because not only does that do something to their offense, it does something to our defense. Everybody’s testosterone just increases and everybody is ready to make a play.’’
The Seahawks weren’t penalized for their hits against the Rams’ receivers last week — after a review, the NFL also declined to fine Tedric Thompson for his hit on Cooks. And they didn’t get a penalty Sunday either, even if the Raiders seemed upset about McDougald’s hit on Cooper. Oakland wondered if it could have been ruled a helmet-to-helmet blow, something the league has paid extra attention to over the last few years.
“I thought so, too,’’ said Oakland coach Jon Gruden. “I’ll have to take a good look at the play. I don’t want to say anything, really, other than what I said already. I think we’re doing everything we can to make this game as safe as possible, but it is still very physical at times and I have nothing else to say about it right now.’’
Oakland QB Derek Carr rushed over to Cooper and exchanged a few words with Seattle players in the process.
“I didn’t really see how the guy hit him,’’ Carr said. “I can’t stand here and say I saw (him) exactly hit in the head or anything like that. I just saw the outcome and I tried to defend my teammate. I ran over there and was yelling and all that, but I can’t say for sure I saw it. But I just wanted to protect my guy.’’
McDougald said he thought it was a legal hit.
“I was in a zone coverage, I was reading my zone,’’ McDougald said. “I felt Cooper actually coming into my vision and then I see Derek Carr staring him down so I kind of just broke on the ball and made a play. All I was thinking was hitting the target zone.
“As I was getting closer I felt him crouching down so I tried to do a good job of crouching down to make sure that my shoulder was really into the play. I mean it sucks that he had to get hurt and miss the rest of the game because that’s not our intent at all.’’