Seattle Seahawks Bye Week Report Card: D-Line Exceeding Expectations
Normally, NFL players prefer having their bye week later in the season. But for the Seattle Seahawks, with several players nursing injuries on the defensive side of the ball, a week off could not have come at a better time following a 24-3 win over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
During the first four weeks of the season, Seattle has been without safety Jamal Adams, edge rusher Boye Mafe, cornerback Riq Woolen, and other defenders for at least one game sidelined by injuries. Meanwhile, veterans such as defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Dre'Mont Jones as well as safety Quandre Diggs have played through their own ailments early in the schedule.
With numerous players on the shelf or playing at below 100 percent, the Seahawks have battled inconsistency defensively. While they rank sixth in rushing defense, even after locking down the Giants on Monday with a team-record 11 sacks on Daniel Jones, they still rank 30th in passing yards allowed through four weeks. But they will enter the bye with momentum after giving up only three points in East Rutherford and should be much healthier after the break.
With the bye week coming at an ideal time for a surging, yet wounded Seahawks squad, how have each of the team's defensive position groups performed thus far? Looking at film and statistical data, here's my annual first quarter report card:
Defensive Tackle
First Quarter Grade: A-
Following a full scale overhaul along the defensive line this spring, no position group had more question marks going into a new season than defensive tackle. But out of nowhere, what was viewed by most as a potential Achilles heel for Seattle's defense has emerged as a surprising strength. Playing a vital role in the team's revamped pass rush, a rejuvenated Reed, Jones, and Mario Edwards have combined for 11 quarterback hits, four sacks, and 37 quarterback pressures, making life rough on opposing signal callers with constant interior disruption. Arguably the most pleasant surprise, Edwards currently ranks eighth among qualified defensive tackles with a 16.3 percent pass rush win rate. In addition, Myles Adams and rookie Cameron Young have pitched in with six combined pressures and a sack in reserve roles.
Even without a prototypical nose tackle to replace Al Woods in the middle, Reed has been a more than suitable replacement anchoring a much-improved run defense. Per Pro Football Focus, he already has eight run stops through four games, while Jones and Edwards have posted three tackles for loss using immediate penetration to corral runners in the backfield. If there's more good news, Seattle should get reinforcements in the near future with nose tackle Bryan Mone working his way back from a torn ACL, further solidifying depth in the middle.
EDGE/Outside Linebacker
First Quarter Grade: B-
Tied for fourth as a team in pressures according to Pro Football Reference, Seattle's young edge rushing group has also been a factor in an improved pass rush, albeit it with less consistency to this point. Currently, the team doesn't have an individual edge rusher in the top 25 in the league in pressures or sacks, but Uchenna Nwosu and Mafe each have produced 12 pressures and a pair of sacks apiece, with the latter currently ranking second in the NFL in ESPN's Pass Rush Win Rate metric (35 percent) behind only Dallas superstar Micah Parsons. Nwosu and Darrell Taylor also rank in the top 20 in Pass Rush Win Rate, making the Seahawks the only team with three EDGE defenders on the list. Rookie Derick Hall has also flashed in spells, including leading the team with five pressures on Monday night.
On the downside, Taylor's pass rush "wins" have not turned into tangible production. Pro Football Focus has credited him with only four pressures and he has yet to register a quarterback hit or sack in four games. He also has remained a liability defending the run, missing two tackles and producing only three run stops with an average depth of tackle of 5.2 yards downfield. Looking at the group as a whole, the next step will be turning a higher percentage of pressures into sacks and quarterback hits, but Monday's win served as a positive step forward with Mafe and Nwosu combining for three sacks in the second half.
Inside Linebacker
First Quarter Grade: B+
By bringing back Bobby Wagner and signing former first-round pick Devin Bush in free agency to team up with Jordyn Brooks, the Seahawks hoped to dramatically improve their linebacking corps from a year ago with proven veterans, but the group wasn't without concerns rolling into the new season. With Wagner turning 33 years old and set to begin his 12th season, Brooks in the midst of rehabbing from a torn ACL, and Bush coming off a rough end to his time in Pittsburgh, it remained to be seen what the trio would provide, at least early in the season.
But any reservations about this unit have been silenced in the early going, as Wagner has exhibited no signs of decline with 50 tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss in the first four games and continues to play at a high level, registering 22 tackles on run plays netting two or fewer yards so far. In addition, Brooks capped off a miraculous recovery to start in Seattle's season opener and has gotten off to a fast start of his own with 41 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery, playing some of his best football less than nine months after knee surgery. Making one start, Bush has pitched in three tackles in limited action, while Jon Rhattigan has remained a core special teams contributor and added extra depth at the position.
Cornerback
First Quarter Grade: B-
On the opposite end of the spectrum from the defensive line, expectations were through the roof for a cornerback group headlined by Pro Bowler Riq Woolen and incoming top-five pick Devon Witherspoon going into the season. After missing the season opener, Witherspoon has certainly lived up to the hype and looks like the real deal, winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 4 after a historic performance with two sacks and a 97-yard interception returned for a touchdown. Before suffering a concussion, Tre Brown got off to a fast start as well, returning his own pick six to help beat the Lions on the road in Week 2.
As for the rest of the cornerback stable, however, results have been inconsistent at best. After undergoing offseason knee surgery and battling a chest injury, Woolen has to fully hit his groove, registering one pass breakup and allowing eight completions on 10 targets against him so far. In the slot, Coby Bryant got picked on in coverage in the first two games before a toe injury sidelined him, giving up 10 catches for 97 yards on 13 targets while missing multiple tackles. The team did receive quality contributions from Mike Jackson and Artie Burns stepping in when Brown and Bryant went down, but this unit still looks like one with plenty of room to improve given the talent and depth at the position.
Safety
First Quarter Grade: C+
Another group with high expectations given the returning star power of Diggs and Adams coupled with the arrival of established starter Julian Love in free agency, inconsistency has also been an issue at safety. Reeling in his first interception of the season against the Giants, Diggs continues to be a ball hawk in center field, though he has left more plays on the field in the first four games than he would like with five missed tackles and a couple big plays uncharacteristically getting behind him. The same could be said for Love, who has started his career in the Pacific Northwest with mixed results. On one hand, he has missed six tackles and allowed several big pass plays in coverage. But the ex-Notre Dame standout has played better the past two weeks and along with making a pair of tackles for loss, he currently is tied with Witherspoon for the team lead in pass breakups.
The big x-factor for this position moving forward obviously will be Adams, whose 2023 debut lasted only nine plays before exiting with a concussion on Monday night. In his brief return, he narrowly missed out on a sack and registered two tackles, delivering a couple encouraging big hits. If he can get back onto the field off the bye and avoid further injury, he has a chance to be a real game changer for the Seahawks defense with his blitzing prowess, run stopping talents, and ability to cover tight ends and big bodied slot receivers.
