Open your favorite version of Madden and design a player. Drag the slider way over to the right for height, speed, leaping ability, strength, and work ethic, Keep dragging. When you hit the limit, send in a request to EA Sports asking them to set a higher limit for these skills. When they reply telling you that is not realistic, send them Nick Emmanwori’s testing numbers and game film. A rookie class that will rank among the best in Seahawks history, may just add the franchise’s first Defensive Rookie of the Year if Emmanwori continues to dazzle.
A slow-starting offensive game was made irrelevant by a collection of excellent performances on defense and special teams. Emmanwori was the headliner, making history as the first rookie in NFL history to have a blocked field goal, a sack, an interception, and two tackles for loss in one game. This was more of a festival, though, as Devon Witherspoon and Rashid Shaheed were putting on their own captivating shows.
Emmanwori was drafted, in part, to pair with Witherspoon and add almost endless flexibility to the Seahawks defense. Witherspoon had already established himself as one of the best nickel corners in football while making the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons. His ability to cover, defend the run, and rush the passer put him in exclusive company. Teams had started, however, to key on him as a blitzer, dulling his impact. Enter Emmanwori.
A player who would require a cheat code to unlock in a video game, fell out of the first round and into the Seahawks laps. He is capable of covering receivers, blowing up the run, and pressuring the passer. He is impossibly taller, heavier, stronger, and faster than Witherspoon while carrying out many of the same responsibilities.
That has allowed Witherspoon to play more boundary corner, while also making it far more difficult for an offense to slide protection one way or the other. The playful Witherspoon seems to relish torturing quarterbacks and offensive linemen before the snap, threatening to blitz before dropping into a coverage. When he does rush, he is more effective.
He entered this game with more pressures (9) in eight games this season than he had in 17 games last year (8). The terrorizing effect was on full display in this game as Witherspoon came on an early pressure to hit Kirk Cousins as he threw on a pass Julian Love expertly broke up. Later, he showed blitz, before reading a screen pass and tipping the ball up to himself for an interception, only his second in the NFL. He tipped another pass earlier that led to Emmanwori’s first career interception. Oh, and he recovered a fumble as final brush stroke on his masterpiece.
Witherspoon is a player who often makes winning plays that are hard to quantify. He is the guy who makes the tackle in space for a 2-yard gain that would go for 40 if he was not there. He slides into the throwing lane the quarterback wants to use, forcing the ball to be held for a second longer as the pass rush gets home. He helps put his teammates in position to succeed with pre-snap reads. He is your favorite player’s, favorite player.
Both Emmanwori and Witherspoon missed considerable time earlier this year. Their net effect has increased as their time on the field as swelled and Mike Macdonald has learned how best to deploy them. That this was the first game all season that the Seahawks had every starter on defense available is remarkable. There are starters stacked on top of starters and playmakers at every level.
Consider that Tyrice Knight had two strip sacks a few weeks ago, and is a backup right now. Or that the guy who took back the starting job, Ernest Jones IV, had two interceptions and a touchdown on his way to a Defensive Player of the Week award last week. DeMarcus Lawrence scored two touchdowns on those Knight strip sacks, forced a fumble last week, and was given credit for another forced fumble this week that might have actually come from Jarran Reed’s club cast on his recovering hand and wrist. Ty Okada has been “phenomenal,” in the words of Macdonald, and will most likely go back to special teams duty as Love takes back his starting role. Tariq Woolen and Josh Jobe are playing so well that the coaching staff cannot bring themselves to sit either of them.
Love was the original big nickel player for this defense, per Macdonald this week. That this team has at least four guys in Love, Emmanwori, Witherspoon, and Coby Bryant, who can play nickel and other positions, speaks to the confusion Macdonald wants to cause.
In a game where Atlanta largely refused risking straight dropbacks due to fear of the Seahawks pass rush, Seattle had to rely more on their secondary and linebackers to make plays on the perimeter and on screens. They mostly did a good job.
Bijan Robinson is a rare athlete in his own right, and he was doing his best to keep the Falcons close early. Seattle’s streak of games without allowing a 100-yard rusher looked in jeopardy after he put up over 60 yards in the first half.
The Seahawks offense dragged out of the gates, and had only three points until they got the ball with a little over a minute to go in the first half. Sam Darnold finally used his legs to scramble for yards and then made his best two throws of the day (to that point). One, to Shaheed, moved the team into field goal range. The other, was in rhythm to Barner for another five yards to make the job easier for Jason Myers, who has been locked in of late.
The kick tied the game at 6, with the Seahawks getting the ball back to start the second half. They didn’t have it for long. Shaheed took the opening kickoff 100 yards to the house for a 13-6 lead. After a fumble recovery, Darnold marched the offense down the field for their first offensive touchdown of the day. At 20-6, the game felt over. Seattle was not done.
They would pile on 17 more points through a mixture of play-action pass and running plays that overwhelmed the Atlanta defense. Gone were the pressures that Seattle struggled with in the first half. Darnold played free and easy.
Klint Kubiak deserves a lot of praise for his adjustments and play calling in the second half. Many of the Darnold targets were to wide open receivers with room to run after the catch.
There was a glimpse of how this receiving corps can compliment one another as Shaheed had his biggest day with 67 yards, Cooper Kupp had a nice run-after-catch and a touchdown, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba did his thing with nearly 100 yards and 2 TDs.
This season is one of the most unique in all the years I have watched the Seahawks play. Every number tells you this is either the best team in the NFL, or in the top two. They are unquestionably Super Bowl contenders. Yet, the hesitation to buy into this group is palpable.
Darnold is the primary throttle on fan enthusiasm. The performance against the Rams cannot be wiped away by any number of blowout wins against bad teams, especially when he continues to turn the ball over due to bad decisions. Holdout fans want to see Seattle beat a truly terrifying team.
The truth is, there are not many of them in the NFL this year. Los Angeles might be the only true powerhouse outside of Seattle. Even if the Seahawks beat them next week, many will still hold their breath until Darnold proves he will not be an impediment in the playoffs.
The flaw in that mindset, besides missing the joy of a fantastic season, is that you can pick any team other than the Rams and choose a variety of weaknesses that their fans know could end their season. The reason Seattle and LA stand out the way they do is how good they are across the board.
It may ultimately be more about coaching than Darnold. Kubiak again decided to eschew the run on 3rd and short for a play-action pass that resulted in Darnold’s interception. The coach’s job is to put the players in the best position to succeed. Limiting dropbacks limits interceptions. That is not theory. It is math.
The Seahawks run game continues to show signs of life. Feed it. Let it flourish. Darnold will almost certainly continue to make questionable decisions and have turnovers. Jimmy Garoppolo made a Super Bowl in this offense. Jared Goff made a Super Bowl in this offense. Kubiak and Macdonald need to continue tinkering to find the best way to maximize the greatness Darnold brings, while minimizing the moments of mayhem.
Football games can be won in a variety of ways by a variety of players. Seattle not only is equipped to win in myriad of ways, but a roster full of Transformers who are capable of morphing from tank to jet to race car. This is truly great team full of fascinating people. Unleash this fanbase behind them, and there may be a #1 seed with a slate of home games in the playoffs ahead. Seattle will face quality opponents who will be fighting for playoffs and positioning. Their opponents will be facing the something far tougher. A storm is brewing in the PNW. Hit your local REI. Put on your favorite raincoat. Make your favorite throat-sooting drink. Your team needs you. Get off the sideline and strap up.