There was a sequence midway through the second quarter of the Seattle Seahawks' impressive win over Atlanta in Week 14 that perfectly captures why this Seahawks club has the chance to hoist the Lombardi Trophy this year.
With the score tied 3-3, Sam Darnold made a poor decision on third and one from deep in his own territory and tried to force a throw to tight end Elijah Arroyo. The pass was deflected and intercepted, giving the Falcons the ball on Seattle’s 30.
Atlanta gave the ball to Bijan Robinson on first down, and their virtually unstoppable running back hit the edge for 11 yards. But the play was overturned by holding on to Falcons’ receiver Deven Thompkins. The player he held was Devon Witherspoon.
The best secondary in football has arrived (and it belongs to the Seattle Seahawks)
Robinson got the ball on the next two plays. On the first, Seahawks’ rookie safety Nick Emmanwori stuck him after a two-yard gain. Then Spoon shut Robinson down immediately on a pass in the flat. After Boye Mafe batted down a third-and-long screen attempt, the Falcons had to settle for a field goal….
Which, as you may recall, was blocked by Emmanwori, exploding off the right edge and laying out in picture-perfect form. The game remained a tie.
The play by Emmanwori was technically a special teams play, and Seattle’s special teams were just as spectacular as the defense. While Darnold and the offense struggled against the underrated Falcons defense in the first half, it was Rashid Shaheed who really lit a fuse, returning the second half kickoff 100 yards for the game’s first touchdown.
Along with the Emmanwori block, typically perfect kicking from Jason Myers and standout punting from Michael Dickson, Seattle’s special teams are indeed special.
Once the offense kicked in after the halftime break, the Falcons were helpless. But it all starts with the defense.
In less than two seasons, Mike Macdonald has recreated a newer, better version of the defense he coached in Baltimore in 2023 – a unit that was good enough to get him the Seattle gig in the first place. There is no weakness. If things keep going in the direction they are headed, schoolkids will be reciting these names to their own grandchildren fifty years from now.
Williams, Murphy, and Reed on the line. Lawrence, Mafe, Nwosu, and Hall on the edge. Jones and Thomas are in the middle. Love, Bryant, and Okada deep.
And oh those corners.
Let’s just say for the record that Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen played outstanding games. Most teams in the league would kill to have a pair of cornerbacks like that. They can cover, and suddenly, Riq can even tackle.
And on this defense, they are the supporting cast. In Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori, Seattle has two of the league’s most elite playmaking defensive backs.
Emmanwori had the show horse plays in Week 14 – like the blocked field goal – but Spoon was the most dominant player on the field. On successive plays on Atlanta’s first drive, he stuck Robinson in the hole for a short gain, then blitzed Kirk Cousins and forced a throwaway.
He stayed involved like that throughout, totaling seven tackles and two pass defenses on the day. Oh yeah, he also ended Atlanta’s best drive when he recovered a Robinson fumble on the Seattle 12-yard line.
Emmanwori was right behind him with six tackles, two of which were behind the line. Defensive linemen sometimes have trouble corralling Atlanta's bruising runner, Tyler Allgeier, but Emmanwori upended him behind the line on one of those TFLs. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a defensive back run as fast as the rookie did on his fourth quarter sack of Cousins. His closing speed is extraordinary.
Oh, I forgot about Spoon’s interception.
Here’s the thing. At one point in the game, Fox color commentator Daryl Johnston referred to Emmanwori as Seattle’s version of Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton is the sensational do-everything safety in Baltimore who was crucial to Macdonald’s Ravens’ defenses. It has been apparent since draft day that Macdonald envisioned that type of role for the rookie phenom.
But the Seahawks already had that player in Devon Witherspoon. He may not be quite as physically gifted – he may not have that other-worldly combination of size and speed that Emmanwori and Hamilton possess. But he is just as good a football player. Maybe better.
Both Seahawks' defenders can line up virtually anywhere and do virtually anything. With the rest of the defense functioning at such a high level, it gives MacDonald and Aden Durde the freedom to use them in a never-ending set of combinations.
Here’s what you end up with. Kyle Hamilton may be the best safety in the NFL. He finished ninth last year in defensive player of the year voting.
And Seattle now has two Kyle Hamiltons.
Spoon is already elite. Emmanwori is getting better every week. This is a scary proposition for the rest of the NFL.