Seattle Seahawks: How the defense will return to dominance

Turning the ship

Game three against Dallas saw a dramatic shift in what it was going to take to win. The Seahawks have built upon it in each subsequent game moving forward. Seattle rediscovered its plan for success.

Several factors play into it. I will cover what I believe is occurring on the field that is allowing Seattle to excel on defense. Including what changed in the four-game stretch following those two opening losses, despite high personnel turnover and inexperience.

Despite being unconventional, what has allowed this defense to reel off wins in three of four games, with the only loss coming to arguably the best team in the NFL, by 2 points? Especially considering the Seahawks defense is manned by young, unknown players, and cast-offs.

A good base

Let’s start with what Seattle does very well, and work from there.

Seattle’s run defense is one of the best in the league (currently eighth) and has been since head coach Pete Carroll arrived in the Pacific Northwest. They have faced and contained some of the best running backs in the league (i.e. Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley).

It’s a foundational philosophy and has been there throughout Pete Carroll’s coaching career. The Seattle Seahawks are also typically, one of the best tackling teams in the league (Denver being an aberration), which allows them to play “off” and still limit potentially bigger gains. With these two pieces in place, we can focus on where the defense is lacking.