After the defense played its worst game of the season in the Seahawks’ 38-35 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all week, head coach Mike Macdonald and several defensive players talked about accountability and improvement. Macdonald was first to take ownership of the team’s performance.
“Obviously very disappointed. Our guys played extremely hard. Fought all the way to the end, but I told the team, Look, this game is my responsibility,’ Said Macdonald after the loss to the Buccaneers. “But I have to do better with our defensive game plan and execution and how we call it. When you put up a performance like that it means that I didn’t prepare them well enough. It hurts. It stings.”
Macdonald and the defense got it right
If Macdonald and his coaching staff were negligent with their game plan in the loss to the Buccaneers, they were spot on in the dominant win over the Jaguars. Despite the absence of Julian Love, Devon Witherspoon, Derek Hall and Riq Woolen, the Seahawks defense hunted Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence all afternoon. In the loss to the Buccaneers, the Seahawks’ defense had one sack and two quarterback hits. On Sunday, the Seahawks front seven harassed, accosted, and pummelled Lawrence; the group recorded seven sacks and 17 hits.
“ You go back to process all the time, and I think we nailed our process this week, and I think the challenge is going to keep rolling,” said Macdonald .” Focus on our style of ball, staying composed, staying together, picking each other up, play by play, all that type of stuff.”
Byron Murphy has a career day.
When the defense records seven sacks and 17 QB hits, it can be difficult to single out just one performance. In the Seahawks’ dominant defensive performance, Byron Murphy was that guy. Murphy recorded seven of the team’s 17 quarterback hits and two of the seven tackles. While his numbers did not jump off the page, cornerback Shaquill Griffin started at cornerback and recorded seven tackles for the injured Woolen.
The long arm of the Law
Another defensive standout was DeMarcus Lawrence, who battled all week to get on the field for game day after missing Wednesday’s practice with a quadricep injury.
We had some guys down. Missing [LB] Derick Hall, he’s a great player. Hopefully, he’s back as soon as possible, but D-Law played a tremendous game. He had two sacks. To be able to play the run the way we played the run, he’s one of the guys leading the charge there. Just the mentality, too. The guy is just an absolute beast,’ said Macdonald.
The pressure from the front seven turned the Jaguars’ offense into a one-dimensional attack
The Seahawks’ defense‘s ability to dominate the Jaguars’ offense on early downs took away the run game and put all the pressure on Lawrence. Entering the Sunday game, the Jaguars were ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards (137.0) and sixth in rushing yards per carry (4.9). On Sunday, the Jaguars rushed for 59yards and averaged 3.1 yards per play.
Another efficient effort by Sam Darnold and Jaxson Smith-Njigba
The Seahawks offense managed just 60 rushing yards against the Jaguars 5th 5th-ranked rush defense. The 60 yards were enough to keep the Jaguars defense on its heels and open up the Darnold-led passing attack. Darnold completed 16 of 25 for 295 with two touchdowns and one sack. The two touchdown passes were to Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp. Sunday marked the second straight game in which Smith-Njigba has caught a touchdown and surpassed 100 receiving yards. In the Buccaneers game, Smith-Njigba had eight receptions for 132 yards and one touchdown.
On Sunday, Smith-Njigba had eight receptions for 162 yards and one touchdown.
“ His consistency has been amazing, just the way he’s come to work every single day, the way that he practices every single day,’ said Sam Darnold after the game.
“That’s a testament to the way he works and the standard that him and really Coop [WR Cooper Kupp] and a lot of the guys kind of set the standard in that room. They never waiver from it.”
Darnold showed his deep ball accuracy by completing two 61-yard passes to Smith-Njigba and tight end AJ Barner.
“It’s pretty,” Smith-Njigba said of Darnold’s deep ball. “It’s up in the air in the perfect spot, and he allows me to adjust and make a play on the ball. We just keep connecting, so hopefully we keep it going.”
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