Two truths and a lie from Seattle Seahawks wretchedly close loss in Week 13

Lie No. 1 - The defense is better this year

Some of Seattle's defensive statistics look better so far in 2023, but Seattle also faced a bunch of teams with backup quarterbacks near the beginning of the year. If the Seahawks were to face a Cleveland Browns team led by P.J. Walker every week, Seattle might have a good chance of going unbeaten. But when the Seahawks play teams with good quarterbacks - the Cowboys, the Baltimore Ravens, the San Francisco 49ers - Seattle's defense gets completely exposed for the fraud it is.

Seattle does give up 5.2 yards per play (12th in the league) versus 5.5 in 2022 (21st) and Seattle allows fewer yards per rush in 2023 than in 2022 (4.2 compared to 4.9). But where it really matters - points per game - Seattle allows more this year (24.2) than last (23.6). So how is a defense that should have more talent as Seattle added rookie Devon Witherspoon and brought back Bobby Wagner in free agency giving up even more points?

Some players have taken a step back this year. Rig Woolen is not creating turnovers, getting called for pass interference calls as if they were Skittles (two atrocious ones against Dallas though only one looked legit - the officials were once again far worse than Seattle could ever be), and teams are not afraid to throw his way. Quandre Diggs also is not creating turnovers and he is missing more tackles (9.5 percent compared to 7.8 percent in 2022) this year.

Seattle still sits back in zone too often on 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations and allowing teams to pick up chunk plays. That is likely a defensive coaching issue, but that has also been a problem for years. There is also no reason to think that Seattle's defense will be any better in 2024, either.