Seahawks search for way to replace injured Brandon Mebane

RENTON, Wash. – Defensive tackle Brandon Mebane plays in the land of football giants, and because of that he casts a long shadow.

If Marshawn Lynch is the heart of Seattle’s offense, Mebane is the anchor of its defense. He takes on two defenders so linebackers can run free. He dismantles running games, brick by brick, by sealing off the interior.

Now the Seahawks must fill the shadow of the 6-foot-1, 311-pound Mebane.

Mebane, who was having the best season of his eight-year NFL career, will miss the rest of the season with a torn hamstring suffered Sunday. The Seahawks placed the 29-year-old on injured reserve Tuesday.

He keyed the best run defense in the NFL and appeared to be having a Pro Bowl season before leaving Sunday’s victory over the New York Giants.

“He’s the most important person to this defense,” defensive lineman Michael Bennett said earlier this year. “Everybody think it’s the Legion of Boom or me or Cliff (Avril), but it’s really Mebane.”

His loss leaves the Seahawks reliant on veteran Kevin Williams, a potential Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career, and second-year tackle Jordan Hill, who has struggled to stay healthy. But even if Williams and Hill fill in admirably, no one can replace Mebane.

“There is nobody like Mebane,” coach Pete Carroll said Monday. “He’s a unique player. He’s had, I think, the best season he’s had since we’ve been here – so that’s a big hit to take.”

There was no bigger factor than Mebane in the middle of the Seahawks’ stingy run defense. The best way to picture Mebane is as a roundabout: He might not always stop you, but he sure will slow you down. He is so strong, his body control and balance so good, that he rarely went to the ground. His ability to dig in and clog the middle forced running backs to change direction at the line of scrimmage, and he was quick enough to sometimes shoot the gap.

The Seahawks demand their interior players also be able to run laterally, and few big guys tracked running backs outside better than Mebane.

“He disrupts the whole entire run game,” linebacker Malcolm Smith said. “He can make plays bounce (outside) right from the get-go, and that does help us because we’re not the biggest guys back there. But we can run and we can get to the sideline. Even he can make those plays himself. There are times when he can take my responsibility in one play, and I’ll just be extra help.”

His loss is especially significant considering the timing. The Seahawks are about to enter the toughest part of their schedule, with five black-and-blue games against division opponents. Earlier this season, Avril singled out games against San Francisco, Arizona and St. Louis as ones in which Mebane makes his biggest impact.

“Any game where there was a lot of running,” Avril said, “you’ll see his presence being made.”

Mebane had one of his typically disruptive performances in a 38-17 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday before his injury.

He pushed New York’s center backward so quickly on one play that quarterback Eli Manning nearly tripped over him as he dropped back to pass. He blew up running back Andre Williams for a 1-yard loss on another. Even on New York’s 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, Mebane forced Williams to change directions in the backfield before bouncing off tackles into the end zone.

It could be argued that Mebane was the Seahawks’ MVP in the first half of the season. Now they must learn to live without him.

Allen re-signed

To take Mebane’s spot on the 53-man roster, the Seahawks signed tight end RaShaun Allen, who was with Seattle for most of the season before being released and signed by the Minnesota Vikings for their practice squad.

Allen gives Seattle five tight ends, but only two of whom are healthy – Allen and Tony Moeaki, who was signed as a free agent last week and has yet to play.

Regular starter Zach Miller has been out since having ankle surgery after the Sept. 21 Denver game, and it’s unclear when he will return. Luke Willson, who has been the starter since, suffered a sprained ankle against the Giants. It is unclear how long he will be out. Third-team tight end Cooper Helfet is battling a sore knee.