Seahawks defense making strides as pass rush gets rolling
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 2: Jarran Reed #90 of the Seattle Seahawks tackles Matt Breida #31 of the New York Giants during an NFL football game at MetLife Stadium on October 2, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Im
RENTON, Wash. - It's still a work-in-progress, but the defense of the Seattle Seahawks has shown encouraging signs over the last few weeks of the season.
The numbers on the surface don't look like anything special. Seattle ranks 24th in total defense and 19th in points per game. Pass defense is even ranked third-worst in the NFL with 280.0 yards per game allowed through four weeks.
However, the run defense ranks sixth in the league with just 87.5 yards per game allowed and the pass rush has picked up its performance over the last two weeks as well. After getting two sacks and 10 quarterback hits on Andy Dalton in a Week 3 win over the Carolina Panthers, they matched a team-record with 11 sacks and 14 total quarterback hits against Daniel Jones and the New York Giants last week.
"We’re doing better. We’re fitting together," head coach Pete Carroll said. "You can see us, cleaner and sharper, communication is the best it’s been to this point. We have high expectations that we can keep going. As always it fits the coverages a little bit tighter and so the ball is held a little bit, our disguises are a little bit cleaner and sharper and more effective, that helps. Then the rush helps the ball coming out faster. Everything feeds off one another. We have a chance to keep getting better. We’re just getting there, it’s not a finished product, we’re still moving."
Of course, 11 sacks in a game is not something the Seahawks can expect to be anywhere close to a regular occurrence. They took advantage of a bad Giants offensive line and increased chemistry from their own pass rush unit to deliver a banner performance.
"We’ve really been active the last three weeks and it’s really changed; we’ve really shifted gears. We just try to stay after it, see if we can have another game where we can be a factor in the game," Carroll said.
Carroll gave a lot of praise to Jarran Reed for the presence he's been for the team along the defensive line. He's been critical with his play and for his ability to direct traffic pre-snap along the front.
Reed is one of just three players in franchise history to have double-digit sacks from the interior defensive line. Reed had 10.5 sacks in 2018 to join Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy and John Randle as the only other with at least 10 sacks. So far this season, Reed has 16 tackles and 2.0 sacks already.
"I can’t tell you how important (Jarran) J-Reed has been to us. He’s such a veteran that he really commands the calls and the system and the game plan and all of that. He’s a big factor," Carroll said.
"The part that I think is really obvious is he commands their respect. They’ll do what he tells them at the last second and they’ll take advantage of it as best as they can, of the games and the stunts we’re using."
With so many new pieces on the defensive line, the group is still developing its chemistry among each other. Reed is back with the team after two seasons away with Kansas City and Green Bay. Dre'Mont Jones signed with Seattle as a free agent this offseason. Rookies Derick Hall and Cameron Young are still getting up to speed as well.
The last two weeks have shown that connectivity between the players is starting to get settled.
"Chemistry is huge," Jones said. "Understanding who you're around and who you're playing with is a big part of pass rushing. Definitely we'll continue to build as the weeks go on too."
The run defense was a disaster a season ago and the Seahawks set out to make sure they wouldn't be that poor on the ground again. The return of Reed and Bobby Wagner to the unit have helped stabilize that aspect of the defense. Meanwhile, the pass rush showing signs of life is a big boost along with the breakout performances of rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon as well.
"It can be a scary defense," Jones said. "We just got to make sure we're doing the right things throughout the week to make sure we can get to that moment again. … I felt like, you know, this is going to be a tip of the iceberg moment for us.".
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