Leonard Williams shares strong statement on Seattle Seahawks' defense

With Mike Macdonald as head coach, defensive excellence is the expectation for the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks' defense was a disaster in the final years of the Pete Carroll era, and they addressed that weakness by going out and hiring one of the league's brightest defensive minds in Macdonald. The start of the Macdonald era was a bit rough for the defense, but by the second half of the season, the unit looked like one of the best in football. With 10 of 11 starters returning, many believed the defense could take the next step in 2025.

So far, that prediction looks pretty solid. Seattle ranks sixth in points allowed (19.4 per game) and 10th in yards allowed (305.9 per game), and the defense has stepped up repeatedly when it needs to.

Monday night's win over the Houston Texans was no exception, as the Seahawks allowed just 254 total yards and two third-down conversions on 15 attempts. With the offense playing an uncharacteristically sloppy game, the defense stepped up and led Seattle to victory.

After the game, star defensive end Leonard Williams spoke about what makes the defense so special.

Sep 7, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) reacts with the crown during the game against San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

"I think it all comes down to a mentality that we play with on defense," Williams told reporters, per the team's website. "I was saying that on the sidelines to Murph [defensive tackle Byron Murphy II] and some of the guys next to me that this has been the best defense I have been a part of, not because of stats or anything on paper, but just like the type of mindset that we have.

"The togetherness, the brotherhood that we have on this defense is really special. I think that allows the next man up to really take in his position and what he has to do on the defense because he knows that everyone on the defense has his back.

The Seahawks have been especially dominant against the run, as they boast the league's best rushing defense with an average of just 75.7 yards per game allowed. When asked about that dominance, Williams gave a very similar answer.

"I think it's another mentality type of thing," Williams said. "We've got some big guys up front, a lot of guys we rotate. I think we pride ourselves on being able to stop the run, especially with two high safeties. We know that that allows our defense to open up. If we have to put a safety into the box that kind of limits certain types of things that we can do on defense, so we take pride up front on being able to run what we want to run on defense because we can stop the run."

Seattle's defense obviously still has room to grow, but the unit's start to the season has been incredibly encouraging to say the least.

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