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Seattle Seahawks takeaways from throttling win vs. Falcons

Getting to 10-3 for the first time since 2019, the Seahawks dominated the second half in a 37-9 win over the Falcons.
Connor Benintendi|
Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) upends Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Dec 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) upends Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

Staring down a tie at halftime, the Seattle Seahawks flipped a switch with 31 second-half points, and they defeated the Atlanta Falcons 31-9 for their third-straight win on Sunday, Dec. 7, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Seattle moved to 10-3, reaching double-digit wins by the end of Week 14 for the first time since 2019 and keeping pace in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Atlanta (4-9) dropped its seventh game in the last eight. 

Here’s what we learned from another blowout Seahawks win on Sunday.

Defense, special teams are still the heart of the Seahawks

Seattle’s defense entered Week 14 with the sixth-most takeaways (18) and most defensive touchdowns of any team (three). The Seahawks added two more in the third quarter against the Falcons, helping flip the game in Seattle’s favor after heading to halftime in a 6-6 tie.

The special teams unit also deserves a ton of credit. They now have three special teams scores this season, two on kick returns and one on a kickoff. 

Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, the Seahawks’ trade deadline acquisition, finally broke out with a kick return score to open the second half. That immediately injected life into a slow start, and the defense continued to pummel Atlanta with back-to-back takeaways.

The offense used those timely spark plays to get into gear, helping Seattle outscore Atlanta 31-3 in the second half. A third interception in the final period put the nail in the Falcons’ coffin, already in a 21-point deficit.

Those plays on defense and special teams are the reason this Seahawks team is as good as it is. Nearing the end of the regular season, Seattle’s defense has only had one legitimately poor game (Week 5 vs. Buccaneers). That unit is proving it can do this every week.

The Seahawks played two bad teams in consecutive weeks. They outscored them 63-9. That’s what they should be doing, and it’s the sign of a Super Bowl-caliber defense.

Shaheed had a good day on offense also, totaling four catches for 67 yards — nearly doubling his output during his first four games with the Seahawks.

Devon Witherspoon’s patience pays off

Witherspoon is a unique cornerback and one of the best defenders in the NFL. He’s been a back-to-back Pro Bowl selection in his first two seasons despite not having the flashy numbers of a typical corner.

The only interception of Witherspoon’s career was on a 97-yard pick-six on Oct. 2, 2023 — just the third game of his NFL career. But he finally got another one on Sunday.

Witherspoon came down with a heavily juggled ball that Falcons cornerback Kirk Cousins threw directly into a scrum on a screen play in the fourth quarter. Many hands touched it, but the third-year star cornerback got his for once.

In addition to that pick, Witherspoon finished with seven tackles, two pass deflections and a fumble recovery.

How about the Nick Emmanwori show?

Witherspoon wasn’t the only Seahawks defender to light up the Falcons. Already emerging as a difference maker throughout the season, Emmanwori had by far the most impressive performance of his rookie season.

Emmanwori finished with six tackles, a blocked field goal attempt, one sack, two tackles for loss, one pass deflection and the first interception of his career. He was all over the place, impacting the game on both defense and special teams.

It’s exactly what Mike Macdonald wanted when they drafted Emmanwori in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He was supposed to be a versatile weapon, and he’s proving that’s exactly what he will be for the foreseeable future for this Seahawks team.

If he continues filling the box score, it’ll be hard to keep Emmanwori out of the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation.

About the Seahawks’ offense, Darnold

The second-half performance was great, but the long stretches of silence are still cause for concern with the Seahawks’ offense.

Darnold has had his excellent games and his horrible games. However, over the last five, we’re seeing what will likely be the Darnold Seattle will take the playoffs. Darnold will make great plays, then leave you scratching your head the next.

Defenses know how to take away the deep ball from Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Los Angeles Rams fed other NFL teams the tape on how to eliminate it. It came alive in the third quarter, but good defenses still pose a threat.

The Seahawks kicked field goals on three of four first-half drives against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11. They had only two field goals in the first half against the Minnesota Vikings and the Falcons. Darnold has six touchdowns and six interceptions in the last five games and leads the league in turnovers this season.

It’s not all doom and gloom. But Darnold’s biggest criticisms coming into the season were his inability to operate under pressure and the bad turnovers that result from it. That’s precisely what has caused his struggles against the Rams, Vikings, and in the first half, the Falcons.

This team will go as far as the defense and special teams will take them. Darnold just has to stop giving the ball to the other team and get the ball in Smith-Njigba’s hands.

Up Next

The Seahawks return to Lumen Field for two straight games at home, first facing the once-hot Indianapolis Colts (8-5) at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14. That game will precede Seattle’s pivotal rematch with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.

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Connor Benintendi
CONNOR BENINTENDI

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