3 players Seattle Seahawks should be grateful for this Thanksgiving
By Lee Vowell
Thanksgiving is almost here and that makes the week crazy for the Seattle Seahawks. That is because in 2023 Seattle will play on Thanksgiving Day just four days past playing on Sunday in Week 11. Then Seattle plays next Thursday as well so that makes three games in 13 days. That's too much.
Especially when those games are coupled with Seattle facing its toughest stretch of the season. In the next four games, Seattle will play the San Francisco 49ers twice, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Philadelphia Eagles. Let's hope Seattle can win two of those matchups.
But this article is about being thankful. So while you are sitting around the Thanksgiving table thinking of things to be thankful for (other than family and friends, of course), don't be afraid to blurt out some names of Seahawks. Here are three suggestions.
Seattle Seahawks should be thankful for edge rusher Boye Mafe
Back in the 2022 preseason, Boye Mafe looked like he was going to be an immediately impactful player. He didn't truly get there last season. He wasn't bad, of course, but he wasn't yet earning enough snaps where he could have sustained productivity. Last year, Mafe played only 37 percent of defensive snaps and he started just three games. He ended the year with 3 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, 10 total pressures, and 3 tackles for loss. Not terrible, but certainly not greatly impactful.
Much has changed in 2023. Mafe missed a game due to injury, but he has started the other nine. His snap counts have jumped to 64 percent, and he is thankfully taking a bunch of reps from fellow edge rusher Darrell Taylor as Taylor is horrific in run defense. Mafe is also being used less in pass coverage and more in his natural edge role. Seattle has benefited from all of this.
Mafe had a string of seven straight games with a sack until the streak came to an end in Week 11 against the Rams. He is still the team leader in sacks (7) by three, quarterback hits (10), and is tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (7). Mafe also won't turn 25 until November 30 so he is going to be good for a long time to come.