Seahawks' Pass Rush Neutralized in Week 8 vs. Bills

The Seattle Seahawks' effective pass rush was held to a season-worst performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8.

Oct 27, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills was a forgettable performance by the Seattle Seahawks. They scored a season-low 10 points on offense and posted their worst pass-rush performance through eight games.

Though the Seahawks remain third in the league in total team pressures with 156, they tied their season-worst of 11 pressures against Buffalo’s elite offensive line, per Pro Football Focus, and only got after Bills quarterback Josh Allen on 28.9 percent of his 38 dropbacks.

Seattle’s previous season-low pressure rate was 37.5 percent versus Daniel Jones (40 dropbacks) and the New York Giants in Week 5.

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams led Seattle with three pressures and three hurries against Buffalo, while defensive tackle Jarran Reed and nose tackle Johnathan Hankins each recorded two pressures. Seattle’s edge rushers, who have been among the most productive in the league this year, collectively had two pressures.

“We weren’t able to get the ball down quickly enough to generate some of those third-and-longers where most of those pressures really come to life,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday of the game against the Bills. “It’s a tribute to Buffalo. I thought they called a good game. I thought Josh [Allen] played an excellent game. He’s an excellent player. You’ve got to give them their kudos, too.”

Boye Mafe and Derick Hall entered Week 8 tied for 18th in the league in pressures (24) among edge rushers. They were neutralized by Buffalo’s offensive line, and a frustrating day for the pass rush saw Hall commit a blatant roughing the passer penalty on Allen that gave the Bills a fresh set of downs — a play Reed took issue with, causing a stir on Seattle’s sideline.

“I know guys were frustrated towards the end, and you like us to be more poised in that situation. But, it goes both ways,” Macdonald said. “If the guys didn’t care and they weren’t upset about it, then you get a host of other issues … [Hall] and I talked this morning, and Derick was great. He’s more upset with himself about the penalty than the interaction with Jarran [Reed] and onward we go.”

Edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who had his best performance of the season versus the Atlanta Falcons in Week 7, suffered a shoulder injury and was held without any raw statistics or pressure on 30 snaps versus Buffalo.

Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) is sacked by Seattle Seahawks defensive end Dre'Mont Jones (55) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

All season long, the Seahawks have been able to generate pressure but have struggled to convert them into sacks. Currently, Seattle is 23rd in the NFL with a pressure-to-sack percentage of 13.46 percent. The Giants are first in the league (23.03 percent), while the Falcons are last (6.32 percent). This season, the league average pressure-to-sack percentage is 14.33 percent.

There were few positives to pull out of the loss to Buffalo, outside of it potentially re-invigorating Seattle for a strong push in the second half of the season. It’s now clear the Seahawks aren’t in that upper echelon of teams as a complete unit, despite the immense talent on the roster.

Nine games remain in the season. We’ve seen the team’s ceiling in the 34-14 clobbering of the Falcons, and now they must find a way to string those types of victories together. The pass rush was far from the only unit that struggled in Week 8.

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