On the HawksZone Rundown, we’re joined this week by Cody Alexander, creator of the Match Quarters website, a football coach, and a defensive strategy expert, to explore how Mike Macdonald’s scheme can elevate the Seattle Seahawks’ defense in 2025 to rival his 2023 Baltimore Ravens’ dominance.
Baltimore’s 2023 unit led the NFL, allowing 16.5 points per game (1st), 4.2 yards per play (1st), and 31 takeaways, with 60 sacks (1st) and a 27.8% middle-of-field disguise rate. Seattle’s 2024 defense ranked 9th in points allowed (~20.5 PPG), 4th in total yardage late season, and recorded 45 sacks (8th) with a 23.6% blitz rate, showing potential but needing refinement. Alexander emphasizes sharpening Seattle’s Cover 4 (22% usage in 2024) and Cover 6 (18% usage) to boost takeaways from ~20–25 to 28–30, matching Baltimore’s 18 interceptions, with Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon disrupting passers like Brock Purdy.
“One of the misnomers about [the Seahawks] was that they didn’t have a good pass rush,” Alexander said. “The sack numbers weren’t there, but their pass rush production was actually up there and they were a top 10 [team]. Sacks are one of those things where people kind of salivate. It’s like interceptions for corners. People think that a corner isn’t good if they don’t have a bunch of interceptions. No, it’s actually if they don’t if they have two or three, that’s probably a good year. It’s very rare that you get, you know, a Da’Ron Bland season, which if you go and watch most of those, it was bad quarterback play more than it was actual ability to cover.
“So, sacks are one of those things that’s more of a quarterback stat than a defensive stat. I want to see, are you getting pressures? Are you are you constantly affecting the quarterback? That’s where it is. And Seattle was good with it last year, but that blitz element can just amplify it and get you over 50 sacks.”
Alexander also highlighted deploying Nick Emmanwori as a dime linebacker to enhance multiplicity, countering motion-heavy offenses like San Francisco’s. He also noted the importance of DeMarcus Lawrence, a four-time Pro Bowler, whose 61.5 career sacks and run-stopping prowess (92.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2023) bolster Seattle’s front alongside Leonard Williams.
“DeMarcus Lawrence really is a run-stopping defensive end,” Alexander said. “He was kind of that brick wall opposite of Micah Parsons in the Cowboys. He’s not going to get you double digit sacks. In fact, if you get five sacks from him, that’s a really good year for him. He hasn’t had double digit sacks, I think, since like 2018. I mean, it’s been a long time.
“He’s not a pass [rusher]. But what does that mean? Well, last year if you if you really go back and study it, Leonard Williams had to play defensive end anytime [Devon] Witherspoon was on the field at nickel. Why? To protect him. Put the big guy to Witherspoon, allow him to play there, protect him. Now, you have a defensive end that can do some things.
“Don’t get me wrong, Leonard Williams probably one of the more underrated inside defensive linemen, but you don’t want him constantly at an edge dropping into coverage. That’s not something that you want to do. I know he got the pick against the [Jets], but that’s not really what he’s really good at. And so having a guy like Demarcus Lawrence who’s run stopping, it’s not even necessarily like position versatility as it is using players in different ways.
“Leonard Williams is a great example of how he can play from nose all the way to what I would call a big five. He’s not going to line up in a wide nine, be out there and pass rush, but he can line up on a tackle, and work into a guard.”
As far as sending extra rushers, Alexander suggests increasing blitzes to ~27% with simulated pressures, potentially yielding 50+ sacks. Sustaining the late-2024 run defense (96.2 yards/game, 7th) with Ernest Jones IV’s tackling (7.7% miss rate) could rival Baltimore’s 92.1 yards/game (3rd). With 13/16 defensive players returning, Seattle’s scheme familiarity sets the stage for a top-5 EPA/play leap, echoing Baltimore’s 2023 surge (3rd to 1st).
If you’re a fan of advanced statistics and deep schematic breakdowns, there’s a lot of content in here packed into 50 digestible minutes. Watch the full episode below as Alexander unpacks Macdonald’s path to elite status.
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Twitter: @The_Coach_A
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