Earl Thomas III was a menace for the Seattle Seahawks' secondary for several for years. He was a top free safety in the NFL during his prime, and tough as nails, as you could get.
While Thomas isn't around anymore, another one has popped up: Drake Thomas, and he's earning his spot on a Seahawks defense that out-dueled the league's No. 4 defense of the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football this week.
Thomas (the new one) is a new name within the Seahawks defensive ranks. He, alongside others like fellow linebacker Ernest Jones IV, has done an outstanding job of strengthening a Hawks defense that continues to be shorthanded, as it was against the Texans.
Seattle Seahawks' defense showed they will have Sam Darnold's back
Seattle's defense was on the iffy side before the season began — to be more accurate, the entire team had question marks, including their quarterback position. Seven games into the season, the defense has held its ground, especially when defending the running game, and it's a major factor in the team's 5-2 record, with a top-ten defense in the league.
Seattle's 27-19 victory over Houston on Monday night was easily Sam Darnold's first, truly suspect game of the season. If we're being honest, before the season kicked off, who didn't think something was suspect about Darnold? Who didn't think that maybe last season's brilliant outing in Minnesota was a one-off, and he would return to the old Darnold in Seattle?
Well, he hasn't let that old version of himself breathe any oxygen so far, and it's come as a lovely surprise — and massive relief — for fans and the Seahawks organization. Monday night, however, a little bit of the old Darnold awoke, and still, the Seahawks went home with a win. Who can they thank for it? The defense.
The Texans, who average 116.2 yards on the ground this season, fell flat in Seattle. Despite that overall solid stat, Nick Chubb seems to have lost too many steps after an impressive Cleveland Browns tenure. He has yet to go over 100 yards this season and hit just 56 yards against the Seahawks.
It's their run defense that has this Seahawks team looking as good as they have been looking. Before kick off in Week 7, the Seahawks ranked third in the league in rushing yards against with 79.0. They allowed less than their average against the Texans. Seattle ranks tenth in the league for defense, and that's without some key starters in their secondary.
Where the Hawks allow 305.9 offensive yards per game, the Texans allow 274.2, good for fourth in the league. Houston did hold Darnold to below their average, but they weren't able to stop Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who lit them up for 123 yards and a touchdown.
What really showcased Seattle's impressive defense was the two forced negative run plays on Houston's third and fourth down in the late third quarter. The Seahawks were up 20-12 at this point, and the Texans were on the verge of passing midfield into Seahawks territory.
That's where the drive was stalled, thanks to the turnover on downs. Seattle's offense would go on to ice the game on the following drive.
Monday night's prime-time win in front of the loudest crowd in the NFL was a perfect example of just how well Seattle's defense is answering the questions lobbed in their direction before the season began.
Thomas, for example, has come in looking especially good and is quickly making solid impressions with his teammates. Seattle's twelve-year veteran defensive lineman, Leonard Williams, gave the undersized linebacker a shoutout after his play against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, referencing his toughness against much larger opponents as commendable and exciting to watch.
Players like Jones IV, Ty Okada, and Thomas, among others, are proving to be impactful pieces of what is one of the NFL's top rushing defenses and top-ten defense overall. Furthermore, the Seahawks defense is showing they can overcome a shaky Darnold performance, and that has to be a massive sigh of relief across the board.