Around the NFL

March 08, 2018

Fading Seattle Defense

Player exodus signifies days of dominance at end

It's been a nice run for the Seattle defense. Four years in a row (2012-2015), it led the league in fewest points allowed. It wasn't always a great fantasy defense in sack- and turnover-based scoring systems (13th or worse in three of those years), but in leagues where there's a premium for allowing fewer points, it's been great for a lot of years.

Seattle ranked 3rd in points allowed in 2016, but slipped to a modest 14th a year ago. Still not a pushover, but not a dominant group. And it looks like management is well into the process of starting over.

Yesterday Seattle traded defensive end Michael Bennett to Philadelphia. It's also parting ways with Richard Sherman, and can't count on Kam Chancellor (neck) returning.

Yet another report has the team open to trade offers for Earl Thomas. That one has been disputed, so maybe not. But even with Thomas, the Legion of Boom days are definitely over.

The decline has been most apparent in terms of interceptions. Back in 2013, Seattle led the league with 28, and that was their third straight top-10 finish. but they've now finished outside the top 12 in each of the last four seasons.

Looked at in those terms, Seattle's moves to break up its secondary don't look quite so rash. Maybe these are moves that could have been made a little sooner.

Over the last four years, this has been a bottom-12 defense in terms of interceptions; just 13 per season over that span. Quite a dropoff from a once-dominant group.

INTERCEPTIONS, 2014-2017
Team	14	15	16	17	Tot
Cincinnati	20	21	17	11	69
Buffalo	19	17	12	18	66
Arizona	18	19	14	15	66
Carolina	14	24	17	10	65
Philadelphia	12	15	16	19	62
Kansas City	6	22	18	16	62
Green Bay	18	16	17	11	62
NY Giants	17	15	17	13	62
Detroit	20	9	10	19	58
Baltimore	11	6	18	22	57
Pittsburgh	11	17	13	16	57
Denver	18	14	14	10	56
Houston	20	14	11	11	56
Tampa Bay	14	11	17	13	55
LA Rams	13	13	10	18	54
LA Chargers	7	11	18	18	54
Minnesota	13	13	14	14	54
New England	16	12	13	12	53
Miami	14	13	16	9	52
San Francisco	23	9	10	10	52
Seattle	13	14	11	14	52
Atlanta	16	15	12	8	51
New Orleans	12	9	9	20	50
Indianapolis	12	17	8	13	50
Cleveland	21	11	10	7	49
Washington	7	11	13	16	47
Tennessee	12	11	12	12	47
Dallas	18	8	9	10	45
Oakland	9	14	16	5	44
Jacksonville	6	9	7	21	43
NY Jets	6	18	8	11	43
Chicago	14	8	8	8	38

As for Seattle's pass rush, that will also take a hit with the trade of Bennett. He's averaged close to 8 sacks over the last five seasons with the team (39 total). That hasn't really been a dominant group either (just one top-10 finish in those same four seasons). But it seems likely to miss Bennett, who it sounds like was traded for other reasons (including financial) than any declining ability. A definite plus for the Eagles, and a loss for a slightly above-average pass rush.

SACKS, 2014-2017
Team	14	15	16	17	Tot
Carolina	40	44	47	50	181
Pittsburgh	33	48	38	56	175
Jacksonville	45	36	33	55	169
Denver	41	52	42	33	168
New England	40	49	34	42	165
Minnesota	41	43	41	37	162
Green Bay	41	43	40	37	161
Tennessee	39	39	40	43	161
LA Rams	40	41	31	48	160
Baltimore	49	37	31	41	158
Philadelphia	49	37	34	38	158
Arizona	35	36	48	37	156
Washington	37	38	38	42	155
Seattle	37	37	42	39	155
Chicago	39	35	37	42	153
Kansas City	46	47	28	31	152
Houston	38	45	31	32	146
Detroit	42	42	26	35	145
Buffalo	54	21	39	27	141
NY Jets	45	39	27	28	139
New Orleans	34	31	30	42	137
LA Chargers	26	32	35	43	136
Cincinnati	20	42	33	41	136
Tampa Bay	36	38	38	22	134
Indianapolis	41	35	33	25	134
Dallas	28	31	36	38	133
Miami	39	31	33	30	133
NY Giants	47	23	35	27	132
San Francisco	36	28	33	30	127
Cleveland	31	29	26	34	120
Oakland	22	38	25	31	116
Atlanta	22	19	34	39	114

--Andy Richardson

Seattle Defense Eagles Defense

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