After a slow start and a 6-6 score at halftime, the Seattle Seahawks ended up throttling the Atlanta Falcons, winning by a lopsided 37-9 result. Sam Darnold looked like himself again, Jaxon Smith-Njigba brought his typical best stuff, and the rushing attack was just as balanced as it was dominant.
But arguably the biggest contribution that the Seahawks got in Week 14's victory was from rookie second-rounder Nick Emmanwori. The team's defensive chess piece was all over the field on Sunday and impacted the game on both defense and special teams.
It's hard to put Emmanwori in a box because he can truly play everywhere on defense. But Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde have clearly figured out the secret recipe, as the young stud is blossoming before the fan base's very eyes.
Seahawks' Nick Emmanwori did something no other NFL player has done this season
Against the Falcons, Emmanwori's stat line alone speaks to his diversity of impact. He recorded six tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack, a quarterback hit, an interception, a pass defended, and an interception. Oh, and he blocked a field goal.
According to NFL Researcher, there is only one player in the NFL this season who has recorded an interception, a tackle for a loss, a sack, and a blocked field goal. That player is Nick Emmanwori. And he just did it all in one game.
If that isn't enough to convince fans that the Seahawks found something incredibly special in Emmanwori, then it's hard to imagine what will. The rookie is in a league of his own in the scope of the season, but he achieved this elite status in just one contest.
Had Emmanwori not missed a handful of games at the beginning of the 2025 NFL season, there might be a major conversation about him being the Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Cleveland Browns' Carson Schwesinger is the clear favorite, but Emmanwori is making a strong late push.
Seahawks fans knew that Emmanwori was an athletic freak when he made his way to Seattle, and that's why the franchise traded up to land him early in the second round. After an ankle injury and a handful of rookie mistakes, maybe a small portion of the fan base had some apprehension about him.
But Week 14 proved in an obvious way that the Seahawks hit a home run with the Emmanwori selection, and NFL Researcher's wild stat proves that the young player is already one-of-a-kind and that Seattle found something special.