How to Fix the Seahawks: Part 2–Defense
By Ben Renner
Overall, the Seahawks were a very stout defensive team yet again this season, but there were flaws in depth and scheme that reared their ugly heads in their Divisional loss to Atlanta. Let’s take a look at how they can improve for next year.
I wrote about how the Seahawks can be improved or ‘fixed’ on offense last week. This week, we’re looking at the defense and how it can be improved for next season. Obviously, the largest improvement this unit will get will be the return of safety Earl Thomas, the foundation of the defense and arguably its best player.
The Seahawks ended the season in the top third of the league in most defensive metrics. They allowed a mere 18.2 points per game (3rd in the NFL), 318.7 total offensive yards a game (5th), 225.8 pass yards (8th), and 92.9 rushing yards a game (7th). They played essentially the same style of defense they’ve used since 2012, because it’s been known to work.
We know what happened to the defense after Thomas broke his leg in the 40-7 blowout of Carolina. The Seahawks turned into a strictly average defense with Thomas on crutches and backup Steven Terrell trying to fill in. Terrell wasn’t awful, but without the safety net Thomas provides, the Seahawks’ defense was unable to adjust, leading to inconsistency, especially against top-tier offenses (i.e. Green Bay and Atlanta), and on the road.
Let’s start with the adjustments defensive coordinator Kris Richard failed to make: