Aggressive Mode: Quinton Jefferson Details How Seahawks Fixed Struggling Defense
RENTON, Wash. - Only two short weeks ago, the Seahawks were coming off the heels of two embarrassing defensive performances allowing 84 combined points in back-to-back contests against the Lions and Saints. Both of those opponents were without several key players on offense, including running back D'Andre Swift and receiver Michael Thomas, making these struggles all the more mystifying.
Ranked 31st in the NFL in points allowed and dead last in rushing defense at that point, coach Pete Carroll and his staff desperately needed to find a solution to help support an offense that had surprised with Geno Smith at the reigns. While they weren't ready to scrap their new 3-4 defense, considering their personnel in the trenches, they realized Seattle needed to shift back towards a more aggressive, attacking style with their defensive linemen instead of the read-and-react approach they had deployed in the first five games.
Proving to their coaches that the change was a wise one, players such as veteran defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson capitalized on the opportunity to be more aggressive and results instantly improved for the Seahawks. In wins over the Cardinals and Chargers, they have allowed just 24 points defensively while producing nine sacks and stiffening up against the run, yielding less than 2.5 yards per carry to running backs in those contests.
From Jefferson's perspective, the stark improvements for Seattle's defense have been spearheaded by the defensive line penetrating gaps to stuff the run and generate ample interior pressure. In turn, this has had a positive ripple effect on the secondary, which has benefited from quarterbacks having less time to throw and being under frequent duress.
“I think it has a lot to do with the success, letting the cover guys cover and the rush guys rush," Jefferson told reporters prior to Thursday's practice. "If you can rush with four and drop everybody else in coverage, you are going to be successful. There’s a lot on us because we have to be humming and make sure that our communication is great."
During training camp, the preseason, and the early stages of the regular season, the Seahawks went through what Jefferson called an extended "feeling out" period. With defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt installing a new defense with new terminology, growing pains were to be expected, even for an experienced defensive line with several returning contributors such as Al Woods, Poona Ford, and Bryan Mone and proven newcomers such as Shelby Harris.
But as Jefferson indicated on Thursday, such transitions take time and progress didn't come as quickly as hoped. With many young players such as cornerback Tariq Woolen and linebacker Boye Mafe playing their first meaningful NFL snaps as rookies and a superstar in Jamal Adams lost for the season in Week 1, the unit as a whole needed time to gel and the coaching staff needed time to figure out how to best utilize their personnel in a new scheme.
"It takes time for everybody to mesh together," Jefferson remarked. "We all kind of knew that, but we were hoping that it would happen faster, sooner rather than later. In these past couple of games, we are really just jelling and having confidence in each other. It’s really what rushing the passer is, trust. Like I trust my brother is going to be where he is supposed to be. That comes with just playing. We are a little younger, we have younger guys on the edges, so it takes time. We are talking, seeing things, I’m seeing what they are seeing, and they are seeing what I am seeing, so it’s getting that feel for each other."
After weeks of getting gashed by opposing run games and battling inconsistency harassing quarterbacks, Hurtt decided to grant Jefferson and his teammates the opportunity to play to their strengths as athletic, disruptive penetrators up front rather than being read-and-react defenders. Even with more responsibility thrown onto their plates in regard to staying disciplined with gap integrity and run fits, success immediately has followed for the Seahawks with rapidly improving results across the board.
"That’s the biggest thing, they gave us the keys, so we have to take full advantage of that and so we don’t go back to where we were," Jefferson elaborated. "There’s nothing wrong with that, but I like playing aggressive and I know the guys that I’m playing with like playing aggressive and like making plays. If you can make it with the guys up front, why not? With that comes a lot of responsibility and we have to be where we are supposed to be and make the plays when they come to us. If I don’t make the play and it goes for 20 [yards], maybe you do need to read so the linebackers can make it. We have to take advantage of our opportunities.”
Pulling back the curtain a bit on what Seattle has altered schematically, Jefferson said Hurtt and his staff are using him similar to how they did during his first stint with the team from 2016 to 2019. While there are "little nuances in technique" that are different in the new scheme, he's still been lining up most snaps in either 3-tech or 4i-tech alignment, depending on the type of front called.
Specifically, Jefferson dropped some schematic nuggets on Thursday, referencing "Tite" and "Tuff" fronts that the Seahawks have often utilized in the past and continue to run within the confines of their current defense.
In "Tite" fronts, the Seahawks deploy both of their defensive ends in 4-tech head up over a tackle or in 4i-tech reduced slightly further inside shading the tackle's inside shoulder. Typically, players in 4i shade have one-gapping responsibilities and attack the B-gap. As for ends in 4-tech head up, depending on the call, they can be asked to two-gap read-and-react or stunt as a one-gapper to the B or C-gap.
Based on the alignment of the three interior defenders all being in 4-tech or tighter alignment, these fronts are designed first and foremost to take away interior running games. But earlier this season, as evidenced by the following clip against the Saints in Week 5, those fronts didn't necessarily yield pretty results with two-gapping assignments often leading to gap-related miscues and missed tackles.
In previous seasons, Seattle has deployed "Tuff" fronts with 6-1 alignment, often having four down linemen, a linebacker, and a safety on the line of scrimmage with the nose tackle in 1-tech shade and 5-tech "big end" to the weak side of the formation and a 3-tech defensive tackle and 6-tech defensive end to the strong side.
But with the Seahawks using more 3-4 concepts this season with Hurtt at the controls, the team has been playing reduced over odd fronts a bit differently away from the three down linemen, blending 4-2-5 nickel personnel into the scheme. For example, against the Chargers, Hurtt kept reduced over alignment with a 3-tech, 1-tech, and 4-tech while having outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and slot cornerback Coby Bryant in wide-9 tech and both linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton on the field together.
Out of these fronts, Seattle typically has one-gap assignments across the board, allowing the nose tackle to penetrate the weakside A-gap, the 3-tech defensive end attack the strongside B-gap, and the "big" end slant to the weak B-gap with the outside linebacker and cornerback containing the edge. Linebackers behind them fill accordingly.
Over the past few weeks, the Seahawks have unleashed more of their altered "Tuff" looks against the Cardinals and Chargers with far greater success, allowing their defensive linemen to be athletes up front and split gaps rather than read-and-react. A staple of their defense the past two years under former coordinator Ken Norton Jr., they also have returned to calling more "bear" fronts with both ends shading the B-gap in 3-tech alignment and the nose head up on the center with two overhanging 9-tech outside linebackers.
For Jefferson individually, little has changed compared to his first stint with the franchise. Seattle has always employed a hybrid 4-3 with 3-4 principles in the past and there's plenty of carry over under Hurtt even with some different terminology, techniques, and personnel choices sprinkled in.
These slight schematic changes have made all the difference for the Seahawks, but Jefferson knows a stiff test awaits against one of the best rushing attacks in the league when the New York Giants come to town on Sunday. After two outstanding performances, he's confident their return to aggressive mode up front can continue to yield success against Saquon Barkley and company as long as they maintain discipline and play smart football maintaining their gaps.
"The whole thing is that you can play aggressive and still be disciplined. It’s really just getting off of the ball and being physical, but you have to be where you are supposed to be and be accountable. That’s the biggest thing with this, especially going against a running back like him. Everybody be where you are supposed to be, but you can do that going 100 miles per hour. We have to be physical and knock off. There might be a play where I might get off and knock off a puller and it might not add up on the stat sheet, but that helps my linebackers, it doesn’t create an extra gap. It’s getting off, being physical, and being disruptive.”
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