On an individual level, according to the PFF chart, three Seattle players (Stone Forsythe, Anthony Bradford and Charles Cross) rank in the top 10 among NFL offensive linemen in pressures allowed, leaving Geno Smith under constant siege. While some of this has to do with the team’s high-volume passing game, Forsythe and Bradford both rank in the bottom 10 of 147 qualified players in pass-blocking efficiency, with the latter ranking fifth in sacks allowed. Other than Cross and center Connor Williams, there are no other players ranked in the top 50 in run blocking.

But help could be on the way on Sunday in Santa Clara, with Abraham Lucas having a really good chance of finally returning from a long recovery from knee surgery. If fully healthy, he needs an immediate arm shot for Seattle’s passing and running game, as he’s just two years removed from finishing a respectable 27th in pass-blocking efficiency and playing a key role in teammate Ken Walker III’s jump to 1,000-1 . plus yards on the ground. Rediscovering his 2022 form could be exactly what the doctor ordered for the attack to be untracked.

The aforementioned offensive line prevented the Seahawks from maximizing their running back, receiver and tight end talent through the first nine games. But despite his below-average pass protection and run blocking, Smith leads the NFL in passing yards and the trio of DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett are on pace for more than 850 receiving yards each, while Walker somehow He scored six goals. He’s been on the field for the majority of the season to this point, despite limited practice space.

Compared to the rest of the NFC West, the Rams may be the only exception, as at least on paper, the Seahawks have the best player talent in the league. While easier said than done, a little better blocking will allow Metcalf, Walker and co to do more damage in the second half; Adjustments from offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will also be key to unlocking the full talent of this unit. potential. If those two things happen, this team still has the advantage of putting points on the board in bunches, which could be an excellent catalyst for a rebound in the second half.

Linebackers weren’t the only ones to blame for the Seahawks’ poor performance through the first seven games, but Macdonald didn’t shy away from voicing concerns about subpar play at the secondary before acquiring Jones from the Titans in late October. . During that span, they allowed at least 150 yards in four different games, including being mauled for 228 yards by the 49ers in a Week 6 loss at Lumen Field.

The sample size was small, but after practicing for a week to get more comfortable with the new setup, Jones’ arrival was a huge benefit in a Week 9 loss to the Rams. He tallied nine tackles on his own, including a key goal-line interception that led to a field goal in the third quarter, helping shut down Kyren Williams and limiting his former team to 68 rushing yards and 2.8 yards per carry. It’s the lowest mark the Seahawks have allowed all season.

With the now-healthy Christian McCaffrey returning to the San Francisco lineup, Seattle will face a much tougher test defending the run coming out of the bye. But Jones has historically performed well against Kyle Shanahan’s offense from his time in Los Angeles, and introducing him already looks like a game changer.

While Seattle has been mostly poor defending the run this season, the pass rush has generally been pretty solid after stellar seasons from Boye Mafe and Derick Hall. The front line, which is near the bottom of the league in blitz rate according to Pro Football Reference, has contributed to Macdonald’s defense ranking sixth in pressures, 11th in pressure rate and 14th in sacks.

But there is room for improvement in those numbers, and recent sack production has diminished after a strong start, with the Seahawks producing one sack or less in three of the last four games. Part of this had to do with other teams running the ball too well against them in early passes, and Mafe, Hall and Dre’Mont Jones not having ideal opportunities to pass the ball in third downs. On average, opponents only had to gain 6.1 yards on third downs, good for 31st in the NFL, ahead of the Bengals.

There are other factors to consider that have contributed to these early woes, including Seattle being one of the most penalized teams in the NFL. But if the Seahawks can put together an average defensive performance on first and second downs, the front line should have a better chance to keep its ears up and hunt down quarterbacks, especially with Uchenna Nwosu potentially returning from injured reserve soon to increase the pass rush arsenal.

If there’s a silver lining to the Seahawks’ ongoing campaign over the past month, it’s that Macdonald’s defense has finally turned a new leaf when it comes to turnovers. Since Week 7, they have produced four interceptions and returned a forced turnover for a touchdown; This is a significant improvement from Week 2 to Week 6, when the team did not throw a single interception and forced a total of one turnover in five games. to lengthen.

Turning opponents down was a key element of Macdonald’s defense in Baltimore; The Ravens finished in the top 10 in that category in each of his two seasons as defensive coordinator, including first place in 2023. Predicting the Seahawks’ previous three games out of 17– They would be on pace to commit 28 turnovers on the season, which would have been fifth-most in the league last year, so there’s clearly positive progress there. front.

Quality defenses in the NFL tend to operate in a domino effect by stopping the run, which leads to a better pass rush, which tends to increase pressure on quarterbacks and create more key opportunities to create turnovers. After having a week to get their bodies together, the Seahawks will be hoping to maintain momentum on that front after finishing strong in the turnover department ahead of the bye, which could be the difference in closing the gap on opponents in the second half.

Seahawks LB Uchenna Nwosu Eligible to Return After Bye Week

Seahawks Midseason Report Card: How Did Devon Witherspoon and the CBs Perform?

Seahawks Midseason Report Card: How Did Geno Smith Perform?