Abysmal Defense Jeopardizing Seahawks Chances of Competing for Super Bowl

Having surrendered a league record for total yards and passing yardage through eight games, all options need to be on the table for the Seahawks to fix their defense in time to salvage a potential Super Bowl season, including changing coordinators.

The Seahawks lost a frustrating game in Buffalo to the Bills on Sunday, much thanks to the ineptitude of the defense. They allowed a Pete Carroll-era high 44 points to the Bills in a 10-point defeat that felt much worse than the scoreboard indicated.

Seattle's defense is the worst in the NFL and that's an indisputable fact. The numbers back up this unfortunate statement. They are dead last in yards allowed per game and also last in passing yards allowed. And they haven't just been bad this season - they have been historically inept.

The 2012 New Orleans Saints currently hold the record for most yards allowed in a season with 7,042. Seattle is at 3,646 yards halfway through the season, on pace for almost 7,300 yards allowed, which would comfortably break the record. 

The Seahawks are also on track to break the single-season mark of 4,796 passing yards allowed, as they are on pace for a head-spinning 5,800 passing yards allowed. These are certainly records Seattle would love to socially distance itself from in 2020, but instead, they seem to only be getting six feet away from receivers.

Legendary TV icon Alex Trebek hosted the game show Jeopardy! for 36 years before his passing earlier this week. He displayed true character and class through multiple eras of pop culture in the United States. If Seattle’s coaches and defensive players had to take the stand on the show and answer questions about their defense, they would be sweating. 

It seems the Seahawks need a big blue screen in front of them with the answer, "something that allows less than 24 points per game and covers wide receivers well." 

The question would be, of course, "what is a good defense?" It doesn’t look like the Seahawks have a clue what the answer would be.

The Bills were cashing in on Daily Doubles right and left, gaining big chunks of yardage, seemingly double what a good defense should allow. The Seahawks wagered more than they should have with blitzes against Josh Allen, who owns a 105.9 rating against the blitz and thus burnt the secondary to a crisp with extra rushers sent after him.

The Seahawks’ secondary looked like they were without answers all game along in Buffalo. Allen was a surgeon, with all the right answers, completing passes at an 81.6 percent clip. The Bills’ offense seemed to hit all the right buttons and got on a roll to where Seattle couldn’t stop them nor find a rhythm themselves. 

Is it time to change who is at the table pressing the buzzer for Seattle’s defense? Of course, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. is a favorite in the locker room with his players. However, this is a results-based business and the results speak for themselves this year - they aren’t good.  

This defense is at risk of losing all of Seattle’s “money” they have accrued during a strong 6-1 start. Russell Wilson’s MVP campaign may depend on Seattle playing a competent defense in order to keep winning games. 

Will the Seahawks right the ship in time to maintain their status as the best team in the NFC West? Will changes be made in order to fix clear, glaring issues on defense? 

Cue the Jeopardy! music.