Seahawks Protection Tracker, Week 8: Seattle abandons all remnants of mojo

You’d be hard-pressed to search out any fan who regarded on the schedule in preseason and chalked up the Buffalo Payments’ go to to Seattle in Week 8 as a Seattle Seahawks win.

And but, when Josh Jobe, of all individuals, broke Josh Allen’s interceptionless streak with this heady play —

— the Seahawks have been immediately, improbably, in place to take the lead.

…It didn’t work out, for causes nicely chronicled. After which nothing labored on protection thereafter. Or on offense. One scarcely watchable 31-10 beatdown later, the Seahawks’ first-place standing was historical past, a date with the Rams started to loom ominously, and the vibes have been considerably much less good than following the massive win in Atlanta.

The defensive trackers took a success too. I’ve a lot to say beneath every desk so let’s get proper to it, particularly being a day late (apologies).

Tracker 1

First image these pre-selected stats paint is one among a beneath common crew. 4 weeks in the past, the Seahawks have been prime 12 in all 4 of the above classes. So whereas they continue to be nicely forward of their 2023 tempo, you’ll be able to’t name them good per se.

The third down protection has fallen seven proportion factors since Week 4. Purple zone protection is 9 factors worse. Yards per sport are up 45 and the firsts per sport preserve climbing week after week after relentless week.

The competitors has stiffened, however now that the Seahawks have performed three iffy groups, two mid ones and three powerful foes (the Nineteenth-ranked schedule per Professional Soccer Reference), they’re objectively beneath common. Historically talking.

Tracker 2

One other collection of metrics the place one of the best the Seahawks can muster is a 14th place rating, in DVOA. Which is bizarre — each superior stat on this tracker dislikes Seattle, however our outdated buddy DVOA clearly holds a comfortable spot for the three-time consecutive champs.

I don’t begrudge anybody clinging to DVOA as a part of an argument for the Seahawks’ defensive high quality. Followers ought to defend their crew with no matter weapons are at hand.

Nevertheless.

The rationale to evaluate a protection on 16 metrics somewhat than one is to color a complete, trustworthy image. These trackers have the Seahawks within the NFL’s backside half 9 instances and within the prime half twice. Extra damning, outdoors of defensive EPA, the 2024 crew is not any higher than 2023 in uncooked numbers.

NFL rank drops, final 4 weeks

Success Charge: 10, 16, 19, 23

Yards/Play: 7, 18, 20, 20

Defensive EPA: 7, 15, 14, 21

Oof.

In superior stats, this yr’s crew is total worse than Pete Carroll’s in 4 metrics, identical in two and higher in two. No two methods to grill these fajitas: It’s not a very good protection. But. It simply isn’t. How offended that make a fan has lots to do with what expectations have been carried into Mike Macdonald’s maiden voyage on the helm.

In the event you anticipated half a season of wrestle, adopted by some clicking, then we’re there. In the event you anticipated that the primary three video games presaged a brand new period of defensive dominance, you’re recalibrating.

In the event you have been ready to provide the brand new workers an entire season earlier than rendering judgment, then the final month hasn’t been simple to look at, however a minimum of it didn’t catch you off guard. Guard. That’s a soccer place, proper? I imply, for different groups.

Tracker 3

2024 trails 2023 in all 4 rows. There’s treasured little option to elaborate positively on that. The perfect factor I can say is probably the most direct: this protection has failed the attention check all of October, so no surprise they failed the numbers check too.

This isn’t within the tracker however Seattle comes into Week 9 ranked fifth-worst in yards per carry allowed (4.9) and fourth-worst in complete dashing yards allowed per sport (148.4).

Rams subsequent. No thanks. Too late to swap ‘em with the bye?