Seahawks First Quarter Report Card: Defense
Somehow, the 2019 NFL season has already passed the quarter mark. While the Seahawks haven’t played their best football to this point, they’ve managed to open the season 4-1 for the first time since 2013 and sit in prime position to retake the NFC West.
Lack of consistency lies at the root of most of Seattle’s issues on defense, as the pass rush has been sporadic and open field tackling has been spotty at times. Still, Ken Norton Jr.’s unit ranks sixth in run defense and despite yielding 23.6 points per game, the statistic is deceiving given 14 points given up on special teams and offensive turnovers.
How has each of Seattle’s defensive groups performed through the first five games of the season? As a former teacher, it’s time to bust out the first progress report for 2019.
Defensive Ends
Grade: C+
Summary: During the first month, Seattle has been trying to figure out how to best utilize newcomers Jadeveon Clowney and Ziggy Ansah in its defensive scheme on the fly and first-round pick L.J. Collier has been a non-factor after missing the entire preseason. As a result, this group hasn’t come close to its ceiling just yet. However, Clowney has shown signs of life over the past two weeks, intercepting a pass for a touchdown in Arizona and narrowly missing out on a monster night against the Rams on Thursday night. In three different games, he’s had at least five quarterback pressures, so it feels like he’s on the verge of breaking out in the sacks department. As for Ansah, he’s still only played in three games coming back from an injury and has flashed brief glimpses of his pre-shoulder surgery talent. As those two players have worked to find their footing, the Seahawks have weathered the storm thanks to a breakout year from Quinton Jefferson and strong start from second-year defender Rasheem Green, who have combined to produce 4.0 sacks.
Defensive Tackles
Grade: B
Summary: Before training camp opened, the Seahawks learned they’d be without star Jarran Reed for the first six weeks of the season, creating a huge void in the interior defensive line. But veteran Al Woods has done an admirable job replacing him in the starting lineup, producing 14 tackles, a fumble recovery, and several fourth down run stops during the first month of action. His best game may have been on Thursday, as Pro Football focus gave him the highest grade amongst Seahawks defenders (85.9) and he stuffed Rams quarterback Jared Goff at the goal line on a key two-point conversion run. Poona Ford has also recovered from a mild calf strain to produce nine tackles and two tackles for loss as a key part of Seattle’s top 10 run defense. Jefferson has stepped up with additional reps reduced inside, emerging as the team’s best interior pass rusher without Reed. This group has managed to survive just fine without its best player and once he returns, the defensive line should be a major area of strength.
Linebackers
Grade: B+
Summary: The Seahawks have turned back the clock a bit by relying heavily on their base 4-3 defense with Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, and Mychal Kendricks playing significant snaps on the field together. And for the most part, the strategy has proven effective. With a new contract in hand, Wagner has averaged 10 tackles per game, while Wright has bounced back from an injury-ravaged season to record 42 tackles and two pass deflections. Starting at SAM linebacker and also seeing the field some in nickel packages, Kendricks has given Seattle a lift in the pass rushing department as a blitzer, producing 2.0 sacks and four tackles for loss. He’s had a few issues tackling in open field, especially when covering running backs, but he’s been a substantial upgrade over former starter Barkevious Mingo. The Seahawks believe their best defense includes all three linebackers on the field at once and even in today’s pass-happy NFL, don’t expect them to divert away from their base defense moving forward.
Cornerbacks
Grade: B-
Summary: Responding favorably to an overhauled offseason program, the rise of Shaquill Griffin has to be one of the most encouraging story lines for the Seahawks this season. Down to 194 pounds and looking ultra-twitchy on the field as a result, the third-year defender already has 20 tackles and four passes defensed, earning a respectable 75.7 grade from Pro Football Focus. Tre Flowers has gone through some sophomore struggles, giving up 21 receptions on 30 targets while only producing one pass defensed so far. On the bright side, he’s remained a stout tackler and has showed steady improvements since a rough season opener against the Bengals. Thanks to the presence of Kendricks, Seattle hasn’t played much nickel this year, but Jamar Taylor has been effective in the slot with limited opportunities since being re-signed in Week 2. While he gave up several receptions to Cooper Kupp on Thursday, he also had two important pass deflections and generated pressure on a couple slot corner blitzes.
Safeties
Grade: C+
Summary: Despite drafting two safeties in April, this position group remains in a bit of flux. Second-round pick Marquise Blair has battled injuries and been deactivated as a healthy scratch for two straight weeks. Compared to previous seasons, veteran Bradley McDougald hasn’t been quite as reliable of a tackler, including whiffing several times trying to bring down Saints running back Alvin Kamara after the catch. But he’s still the lynchpin of the secondary and his ability to play both safety spots remains invaluable to Norton’s defense. At the other safety spot, Tedric Thompson endured relentless criticism after botching coverage against Bengals receiver John Ross in the opener, allowing the speedy receiver to score a long touchdown before halftime. After returning from a hamstring injury that cost him two games, the coaching staff’s faith in Thompson was rewarded when he made a spectacular diving interception to help beat the Rams in primetime. There have been signs of improvement, but with the defensive line rounding into form, the safety group may be the weakest link for Seattle’s defense.
