Seahawks defense is not great but better than it seems

Is the Seattle Seahawks defense really as bad as it seems so far in 2020?

So is the Seahawks terrible or is it simply mediocre? Seattle gives up too many yards to opposing offenses. But isn’t there an odd feeling in games for 12s that when another team gets the ball inside the Seahawks 20 yard line they won’t score? Seattle’s bend-but-don’t-break defense may be at its best when another team has to score. It is a weird year.

In 2019, Seattle was 22nd in red zone defense. They gave up touchdowns 60.34% of the time last year. This season, when Seattle’s offense has been dominant and the defense simply needs to stop another team from scoring touchdowns Seattle’s defense has done just enough. In the last three games (throwing out the first-week blowout against the Falcons), Seattle is 11th in red zone defense allowing touchdowns just 55.56% of the time.

Turnover battle for Seahawks

Seattle is second in the league in takeaways with 8. The Seahawks are a plus-5 in turnover ratio through four games. Seattle is second in interceptions with 6. Head coach Pete Carroll has always been about if a team can win the turnover battle, they will most-times win the game. Maybe the Seahawks are 4-0 for a very good reason.

Seattle hasn’t lost the turnover battle in a game all season. Only in week two versus the Patriots did an opposing team (1) have as many turnovers as Seattle.

The Seahawks game plan in 2020 is clear. Get a lead (for once) at halftime and hold on to it. Seattle doesn’t have the same kind of defense as in 2013 and 2014 but whatever NFL team ever has. Expecting this defense to be as good as those all-time defenses is simply false hope.

The good thing for 12s and the Seattle football team is that the defense can play better. Seattle’s defense will be healthier and they will learn to play better together. Jamal Adams has only played three games and Quinton Dunbar two and Seattle needs to develop the communication on the backend of the defense and these players haven’t played enough for that to evolve.

Seattle has won four straight games to start the season mostly because of Russell Wilson and the offense. But the defense hasn’t been as awful as it seems and should be better as the season goes on. If that happens, Seattle could win a Super Bowl in 2020.