3 unsung Seahawks that could change the outcome of the season

Seahawks defensive lineman Poona Ford

12s know Poona. We know him as a brute on the inside of the defensive line who is nearly impossible to move and can help shut down opposing run games. Ford made a name for himself in college doing this and his ability has transitioned to the NFL as well. But now Ford needs to make the next step of pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

The hope in 2021 was that Ford could do more of that. But he wasn’t overly productive in the pass rush as he ended up with just 6 quarterback hits (3 fewer than 2020) and the same amount of sacks – 2. Maybe some of this could be blamed on too high of expectations on Ford as he had never shown he could really be a pass rusher.

Or maybe former defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. just created havoc all through the defense by dropping edge rushers Carlos Dunlap and Benson Mayowa more into pass coverage than they should have been. This allowed opposing offensive lines to key on the rest of the pass rushers like Ford. This was a mistake.

But now that the Seahawks have switched to more of a 3-4 base, Seattle should have freer edge rushers and this should allow interior guys, like Ford, to see more one-on-one blocking. Ford, while still being great against the run, should also have his best season ever as a pass rusher. This is going to make the entire defense better.