Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams during the Super Bowl.
TheSeahawksdefensiveline wastherealreasonSeattleseparateditselfduringitschampionshiprun,accordingtoNFLanalystRossTucker.InaninterviewwithSeattlesportsradio,TuckersaidSamDarnoldandMikeMacdonaldweremajorstorylines,butthedefensivefrontwas “reallythething”thatmadetheSeahawksdifferent.
ThatmattersnowbecauseSeattle’snextchallengeisnolongerprovingithasachampionship-caliberroster.ItisfiguringouthowmuchofthatfrontitcanrealisticallykeeptogetherwhiletryingtostayinSuperBowlcontention.
Tucker’sbiggestpointwassimple:Seattle’sabilitytocomeatopponentsinwaveschangedeverything.
SeahawksdefensivelinebecameSeattle’schampionshipidentity
TuckersaidSeattle’sdefensestoodoutmostbecauseofthepressureitgeneratedwithdepth,notjuststarpower.HespecificallypointedtothewaytheSeahawkscouldrotatebodiesandstillmaintainthesamedisruptivestyle.
“IwassoimpressedwithwhatDerekHalldidintheSuperBowl,”Tuckersaid,addingthatSeattle’sabilitytoattackoffensesinwaveswas “theseparatorandthedifferentiator.”
ThatisastrongendorsementbecauseTuckertiedSeattle’sformulatowhathehasseenaroundtheleaguewithotherelitefronts.Histakeawaywasthatdominantdefensivelinesdomorethancreatesacks.Theyletadefensestayaggressiveforfourquarters,surviveinjuriesbetteranddictategamesinthebiggestmoments.
ThatalsofitswithTucker’sbroaderpraiseforheadcoachMikeMacdonald.HecalledMacdonald “liketheSeanMcVayofthedefensivesideoftheball,”sayingSeattleisdoing “trulycooluniquethings”schematically.
MikeMacdonald’ssystemmayraisethevalueofeverySeahawkspassrusher
Tuckerdidnotjustcomplimentindividualplayers.HeconnectedtheSeahawks’defensivesuccessdirectlytoMacdonald’ssystem.
ThatmattersforSeattle’slong-termrosterplanning.
IfMacdonaldcankeepgeneratingpressurethroughalignments,rotationsandmatchupmanipulation,theSeahawksmaynotneedeverysinglelinemanbackatpremiumcost.ButTuckeralsomadeclearthatlosingtoomuchdepthcanchipawayattheexactstrengththatmadeSeattlespecial.
HiscomparisontotheEagleswasrevealing.TuckernotedthatPhiladelphiahasrepeatedlyhadtomakeharddecisionsafterfieldingdominantdefensivelines,withgoodplayersleavingformassivecontractselsewhere.HiswarningforSeattlewasobvious:wavesareexpensive.
RossTucker’swarningforSeahawksrosterdecisionsisaboutdepth,notjuststars
Tucker’smostusefuloffseasoninsightwasthatSeattlemaynotbeabletokeepeveryimportantcontributor,evenifthedefensivelinepoweredthetitlerun.
Thatisoftenhowchampionshipwindowsgetstressed.Afrontcanlookoverwhelmingoneseason,thenthinnerthenextafterfreeagency,extensionsandmarketinflationforcedifficultchoices.
ForSeattle,thatmeansidentifyingwhichdefendersarefoundationalandwhichcanbereplacedwithinMacdonald’ssystem.
Tuckeralsosuggestedteamsareincreasinglytryingtostayinnickelwithoutbecomingsoftagainsttherun,whichraisesthevalueofversatiledefensivepersonnel.ThatmakesSeattle’sfrontevenmorecentraltothebigpicture.IftheSeahawkscanstillrush,holdupagainsttherunandletMacdonaldstayflexible,thedefensehasachancetoremainelite.
WhathappensnextfortheSeahawks?
TheSeahawksalreadyprovedtheycanwinwithadefense-firstidentity.Thenexttestiswhethertheycankeepenoughofthatidentityintact.
Tucker’smaintakeawaywasnotjustthatSeattlehadagreatdefensiveline.Itwasthatthefrontwastheengineoftheentireoperation.Ifthatunitslips,therippleeffectcouldhitthepassrush,rundefense,coveragestructureandoverallceilingofMacdonald’ssystem.
Fornow,Seattlehasaclearanswertothequestionofwhatmadeitspecial.Theharderquestioniswhetherthatanswerwillstilllookthesamebythetimenextseasonbegins.