The Seahawks secondary locked it down quickly
While I might not be willing to give the Hawks defense an A+, they were tremendous after those first two drives. Seattle had so many players come through on defense, it would be easier to list those that didn't have a big game. Well, I might do that too, but for the moment, let's talk about the good stuff.
The defense got a major spark from two players who were back in action after missing either all or most of the Week 4 win over the Giants. Speaking of that game, I'm comfortable saying that the Hawks defense played better this week, despite allowing 14 more points. I mean, you've seen the New York offense, right? So, yeah, keeping the Bengals in check after the first drives was definitely good news.
As for those returning players, both Jamal Adams and Tre Brown were key factors for Seattle. Brown had another interception and broke up the pass on his only other target - at least, as Pro Football Focus (paywall alert) saw it. Adams was good in coverage, and absolutely ruthless in run support. As Lee Vowell wrote, the impact Adams had on this game went far beyond his stats. It still amazes me that some "fans" will dog a player because he was hurt and completely overlook what he brings to the defense. With Brown and Adams back, the Seahawks finally have their starting defensive secondary complete for the first time all year. If that's not good news, I have no idea what would be.
Speaking of that secondary, Riq Woolen had an uncharacteristically quiet game. I wouldn't say he had a bad game, but he had primary coverage on both of the Cincinnati touchdowns. Quandre Diggs had a solid game, though, and Devon Witherspoon showed that his Week 4 performance was no fluke. No, we didn't get to see another ridiculous 97-yard pick-six, but we did see the league's best slot corner do his work. He did allow three completions on five targets, but they were for a grand total of 14 yards. Plus he was simply nasty in run support again. Yeah, this secondary is beginning to set off a certain vibe.