The Seahawks Pass Rush is Elite, and The Numbers Back That Up

After four games, the Seattle Seahawks are delivering consistent quarterback pressure, and that’s regardless of which metric or statistic you use.

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seattle Seahawks have 11 quarterback sacks so far this season, which is actually pretty good. Only six teams have more. It’s also notable that they’ve faced 124 pass attempts, which is tenth in the league. Nevertheless, the narrative so far this season has been that the pass rush isn’t good enough. Do advanced analytics bear that out?

ESPN Rules Emphatically

Not if you ask ESPN and their Pass Rush Win Rate. The metric is best known for being used for individual players, but they also have a version that extends to the entire team. According to that stat, the Seahawks are first in the NFL, and first by a good margin. They win at a 69% clip, with second place Minnesota having 64%. That’s pretty definitive.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) sacks Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But that’s not all. Sam Hoppen, a Football Scientist at theScore, recently posted a table compiling various pass rush analytics. The Seahawks were elite or borderline elite in various categories, like Quick Pressure Rate (24.8% - 2nd), Non-Blitz Pressure Rate (42.7% - 5th), and Average Time To Pressure (2.48 - 6th). Most teams would easily trade with us.

Picking Nits

That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to critique, of course. There were a few areas where the Seahawks scored closer to above-average, or even just average. Overall Pressure Rate (43.6% - 9th), Unblocked Pressure Rate (10.7% - 13th), Pressure to Sack Rate (16.9% - 14th), and Sack Rate (7.4% - 10th) could all be better. But none of them are bad.

Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) celebrates after a play against the Los Angeles Chargers. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Simply put, there is no reason to believe, at this point in time, anything about the Seahawks rushing the quarterback is bad. There may be issues with their approach, like playing Leonard Williams too many edge snaps and giving players like Derick Hall and DeMarcus Lawrence too big a piece of the pie, but the results have been good to great.

Things To Improve

This isn’t me suggesting that the Seahawks should just stand pat. I’m concerned about what this rush might look like at the end of the season, with Lawrence (and potentially Fowler) running on fumes, while Big Cat might not be too far behind. I’d love to acquire a Khalil Mack to lighten the burden, or a YaYa Diaby to be a long-term foundational piece.

Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) causing a fumble during the fourth quarter. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But don’t mistake that desire for a belief in the lack of current effectiveness. Seattle is getting to the quarterback, and they’re not having to do anything overly exotic to accomplish it. The proof is in the pudding, no matter which pudding cup you pick.

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