Huard: Seahawks showed ‘pure and utter violence’ for first time in years

The Seahawks’ defense surrendered 25 points and over 500 yards in their 38-25 win over the Falcons on Sunday – though some of those yards and points came with the game’s result seemingly out of question – but in some ways, the Seahawks’ defense of old was back.

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All-Pro safety Jamal Adams was the star on that side of the ball, leading all defenders with 12 tackles while also tacking on a sack, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and a pass breakup in his first game as a member of the Seahawks.

Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard told 710 ESPN Seattle’s Danny and Gallant that Adams’ play and presence has brought a much-needed element to Seattle’s defense.

“I don’t think this is hyperbole, I do think the ability to hear the hitting yesterday and the sounds and the screaming helped,” Huard said. “But I would think as far as pure violent hits, there were as many in that game yesterday as there were for the entire last season combined.”

Back when the Seahawks were at the top of their game from 2012 to 2015, the defense was not only historically dominant, but those defenders regularly delivered big hits, especially the secondary, which was given the “Legion of Boom” nickname.

With Adams and a few other key defenders on the field Sunday, that level of big hits was on full display.

“(In 2019,) Quandre Diggs had a couple where he cut the 49ers in half … Bobby (Wagner) obviously still has immense stopping power and made some severe contact last year, but I mean you heard (FOX Sports broadcaster) Adam Amin (make noises reacting to how big the hits were) on the broadcast like three straight snaps where it’s Quandre, where it’s Jamal, where it’s Marqusise (Blair), where it’s Bobby,” Huard said. “I mean, you have four hammers to put a nail in your opponent and that is something they did not have a year ago.”

And even on a day where the Seahawks had a new-look offensive approach, appearing to “Let Russ Cook” as quarterback Russell Wilson threw the ball 35 times and was extremely efficient and dominant while doing so, the hitting on defense was Huard’s biggest takeaway from Sunday’s win.

“I think when you’ve got four intimidators who, on any given play, can absolutely knock the snot out of your opponent and physically embarrass and wipe you out, that’s back to the Seahawk defense we all remember, and to me, nothing stood out more,” he said. ” … The single biggest takeaway from that game was the pure and utter violence that defense showed, something we haven’t seen in a few years.”

With Adams, Huard is finally sold on what the Seahawks invested to get him from the New York Jets in a trade.

“Jamal Adams – let’s be clear – was worth the two first-round picks, I’ll say that now,” he said. “At the time, emotionally, I thought it was an awful lot to give up, but watching and listening to him over the last few months, watching the role that he’s grown into in that building, you talk just about that swag that he can bring back and you saw that on display in 60-some snaps yesterday.”

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