DeMarcus Lawrence had an epic game in early November that single-handedly took down the Arizona Cardinals. A few weeks later, Ernest Jones IV delivered his own electrifying version of an epic performance. Earlier in the season, Drake Thomas had a showing that really blew his name up.
This has been the story of the Seattle Seahawks' defense since Week 1, and it has not faltered through Week 14, when the Seahawks blew out the Atlanta Falcons on the road, 37-9. While each game has seemingly produced another defensive show-stopper after another, this weekend belonged to Devon Witherspoon.
The two-time Pro Bowler had perhaps his best game of the season, and his head coach, Mike Macdonald, let him know that from the podium after the game.
Seahawks' Devon Witherspoon shows out against the Falcons with crucial play after crucial play
Read this stat line and try not to be impressed: seven tackles, one quarterback hit, one fumble recovery, and one interception. These numbers are reminiscent of a few other games played by Lawrence and Jones, just to name a couple, in which each player has multiple defensive plays across different categories. In Witherspoon's case this weekend, it wasn't just an INT, but other massive plays in different forms as well.
According to Pro Football Focus, Witherspoon earned a 90.7 in pass rushing, 94.3 in coverage, and a 95.0 overall grade — pretty outstanding numbers for someone playing at an All-Pro level this year. The recognition didn't just come from PFF, though, but also from Macdonald, who highlighted the key plays in which Witherspoon shone.
"Yeah, you had to have felt (Witherspoon) throughout the game," the coach said. "What a phenomenal player. The play on Emmanwori's interception is a difficult play to make. He played with anticipation, and it was just an awesome play. Then, on his interception, just a super high-level football play. I mean, just an incredible football play...the relentlessness to keep attacking the football, I mean, that ball was alive there for a second, and that's great."
Now, you can label Witherspoon's fourth quarter INT as sheer luck — right place, right time — or a perfect example of swift natural reflexes. That "ball" that Macdonald referenced barely had any life before Witherspoon snatched it up. It was an incredible reactionary play.
The game was already in Seattle's pocket, so Witherspoon's pick wasn't a game-altering play. That said, aside from it being an incredible play, it further showcased how Seattle's defense has suffocated offenses all season long. Second only to the Chicago Bears, who lead the NFL with 18 interceptions, the Seahawks are tied with the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars with 15.
The Seahawks are also a top-five team in sacks (41) and second in the NFL in sack yards (299). Witherspoon was phenomenal against the Falcons, as Macdonald put it, but Seattle's defense as a whole is rivaling Denver and Houston for the very best in the league.
Plays like Witherspoon's in Week 14 and Lawrence's two interceptions against the Arizona Cardinals in November raise the roof and stir the crowds. But more importantly, these types of plays further ignite the defense and boost the offense's confidence. This is Seahawks football — something Seattle fans haven't seen for almost a decade.