Seahawks Do-It-All DB Coby Bryant Answers Call in Blowout Win vs. Falcons

Thrust into a starting role to replace Rayshawn Jenkins, Coby Bryant flashed the ball skills and instincts that have coaches and teammates raving about him in Atlanta.

Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant (8) intercepts a pass intended for Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

ATLANTA, Ga. - Hitting the turf quickly with the football in his hands after picking off Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant looked all over the field from sideline to sideline, hoping and praying not to see any yellow flags on the turf.

Much to his relief, after having multiple interceptions nullified by penalties earlier in his career, Bryant finally was able to relish the first one that actually counted. In the right place at the right time in the fourth quarter, he snagged a deflection off the hands of receiver Drake London out of a two-high look, capping off a dominant defensive effort with the third and final turnover created by an opportunistic Seahawks defense in a commanding 34-14 road win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

In great spirits in the aftermath of a much-needed victory that snapped Seattle's three-game losing streak, Bryant acknowledged being on alert for flags, even taking a playful shot at a former teammate in the process.

"First of all, I'm going to text Quandre [Diggs] today and tell him thankfully he's not here because my other two got called back because of him," Bryant smiled. "But I'm blessed. That's the biggest thing and just make a play as it happens."

#SEAHAWKS COBY BRYANT MAKES A EASY INTERCEPTION!

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— HawkMania (@hawkmania4) October 20, 2024

In defense of Diggs, who now plays for the Titans, Bryant's account of his past interceptions wiped out by penalty wasn't quite correct. While he was penalized to wipe out a pick by Bryant last season in Arizona, after intercepting Justin Herbert in a win over the Chargers back in 2022, it was defensive end Uchenna Nwosu whose offside penalty negated the turnover, not the veteran safety.

Jokes and clarity aside, however, Bryant's first career pick was a long time coming for a player whose career has endured significant hurdles since a promising rookie season two years ago. After forcing four fumbles and primarily playing slot cornerback while logging over 700 snaps in 2022, a toe injury limited him to just nine games last season, and he only produced 18 tackles while playing under 150 defensive snaps in a much-diminished role.

After investing two draft picks in cornerbacks in April, Bryant's status on Seattle's roster appeared to be on tenuous ground. But new coach Mike Macdonald shifted him to safety full time, and after not seeing the field much in the first two games, he had started to carve out a situational nickel and dime package role as a reward from the staff for his strong practice habits.

"When my number is called, just gotta be ready," Bryant said. "Just go out there, have some fun and execute."

Once veteran starter Rayshawn Jenkins landed on injured reserve earlier this week, Bryant learned on Tuesday that he would be the replacement in the starting lineup in Atlanta, in part due to the urging of fellow safety Julian Love. As he told reporters after Sunday's game, Love has been pushing for the instinctive third-year defensive back to get opportunities on the field behind the scenes even with Jenkins healthy, and the two have become close due to their similar back stories as cornerbacks who converted to safety.

Taking full advantage of the opportunity after waiting for another chance to start and illustrating why Love holds him in such high regard, Bryant stood out as a catalyst for a stingy defensive effort by the Seahawks against the Falcons, who entered Sunday's contest with a top-six passing attack and a capable ground game. Flying all over the field from his safety post, he led the team with 11 combined tackles, often times coming through as a last line of defense to bring down running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.

“I'm not surprised," Macdonald remarked. "Again, this guy just keeps playing at a high level. It's a slow form. He just sees how plays progress. He just seems like he's in the right spot all the time on these overthrows and patrolling the deep area of the field. In the run game and support and stuff like that, we'll see what we want to clean up, but this guy can affect the ball like we've been talking about. It's a unique trait for sure.”

Love, who intercepted Cousins on Sunday for his second pick of the season, has seen Bryant's tremendous growth at a new position first hand, and after taking him under his wing, he's not surprised to see the young defender find his groove when granted more playing time and come through for Seattle's banged up secondary.

"Since last year, every time he takes the field, he takes another step," Love said of Bryant's development at a new position. "It's tough sometimes. I know, I did it. But as you can see, he's just catching his stride. With Ray going down, I was an advocate for getting Coby on the field because he's a playmaker. The guy is always around the ball. It was evident his rookie year when he was playing nickel. He just gets the ball and we need that right now."

Then, once Atlanta had been forced to mostly abandon running the ball with Seattle out in front by three scores in the fourth quarter and the game slipping away, Bryant seized his latest chance at an interception and called game, match, point, this time hauling in the gift-wrapped pass from Cousins that slipped through London's hand and returning it a few yards before deciding on his own accord to hit the deck.

And, thankfully for Bryant, there wasn't any of that dreaded yellow to speak of.

With Jenkins out for at least three more games, if not longer, following hand surgery, Bryant should be a fixture in the Seahawks' secondary for the foreseeable future. Emerging as a player who Macdonald has great trust in, as long as he continues to come through with key plays as a run defender and in coverage, there's going to be a role for him with the new coaching staff continuing to figure out how to best utilize personnel moving forward.

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