The Seattle Seahawks' Pass Rush Keeps Getting Better

The Seattle Seahawks have the most team pressure in the NFL. Until Week 3, they were struggling to finish sacks. That changed versus the Miami Dolphins.

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) pressures Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson (19) during the first quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks’ pass rush continues to develop into one of, if not the most, relentless units in the league.

After posting a 10 percent pressure-to-sack ratio over the first two weeks of the season, the Seattle Seahawks converted nearly 29 percent of their pressures into sacks against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3.

A week ago, the theme was Seattle consistently pressuring opposing quarterbacks while failing to turn those disruptive rushes into losses for the offense. The Seahawks entered the game against Miami leading the NFL in team pressures (50), per Pro Football Focus, and they maintained their throne heading into a Monday night game against the Detroit Lions in Week 4.

Seattle now has 71 team pressures, two more than the second-place Minnesota Vikings and four more than the third-place New York Jets, per PFF. The Seahawks have pressured the quarterback about two-and-a-half more times than the Las Vegas Raiders, which are dead last in the league (27).

Quarterbacks have dropped back to pass against the Seahawks 119 times through three games. They are facing pressure on nearly 60 percent of those snaps.

But finishing sacks was an issue through two games. Pressures affect the play and are valuable, but a sack results in a direct loss for the other team and sets them behind the sticks. Seattle brought down Dolphins backups Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle six times on Sunday.

“Sack numbers are funky,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday. “It’s just, yeah, they’re cool and they get you paid. It’s great and you get behind the sticks, and they’re drive killers and all that. But it’s really about affecting the quarterback, it’s really the name of the game. The sacks kind of come as a population of affecting the QB.”

Five different players recorded a sack against Miami, with second-year rusher Derick Hall notching two — a career-high for the 2023 second-round pick. As a result, the Seahawks climbed the ranks to be one of five teams tied for fifth in the NFL with 11 team sacks.

Hall is tied for 20th in the NFL in pressures (12), possesses a 17.9 percent pressure rate and has three sacks, per PFF. Boye Mafe is the only Seahawks player who has been more productive, ranking fifth in the league in pressures (17) and posting a 21 percent pressure rate with three sacks.

Mafe has been impressive, as he’s also dropping into coverage on about 18 percent of pass snaps. He finished last season with a 13.1 percent pressure rate, and was only in coverage on about six percent of pass snaps.

Even in the absence of Uchenna Nwosu, Mafe and Hall in particular have stepped up to make the Seahawks’ pass rush tops in the league.

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Skylar Thompson (19) passes against the Seattle Seahawks during the second quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Dre’Mont Jones, who moved to primarily outside linebacker in Macdonald’s defense this season, was also much improved versus the Dolphins. He produced more in every pressure category in Week 3 than he had in both of the first two games combined (five total pressures, three hurries and two quarterback hits). Jones also had his first sack of the season.

Seattle fared decently well without defensive lineman Leonard Williams against Miami, who exited the game with a rib injury after the first defensive series. Williams has been the Seahawks’ top interior rusher with 11 pressures, two sacks and a team-high seven quarterback hits.

They may be without Williams against the Lions, putting more pressure on the edge rushers to have another big game. Detroit offensive tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker are among the best in the league — Sewell was a First Team All-Pro in 2023.

Like many of Seattle’s position groups, the Seahawks’ pass rushers will face their first true test against a top-tier offensive front on Monday. If the production persists, there will be no more questions about whether this unit can compete with the best.