Heaps: The 2 keys from the Seahawks’ best defensive game of the season

The Seahawks’ 23-17 win over the Eagles on Monday night was arguably the defense’s best and most complete effort of the 2020 season.

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A week after holding the Arizona Cardinals to 21 points, which was the fewest points the Seahawks had allowed in game this season, the defense stepped up again limiting the Eagles to just 17, with eight of those points coming due to a ridiculous Hail Mary touchdown catch by tight end Richard Rodgers and a two-point conversion that followed.

Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps of 710 ESPN Seattle’s Jake and Stacy was thrilled with what he saw from the Seahawks’ defense in Week 12 and said two things in particular stood out.

“I loved seeing this pass rush get active and that everybody was in on the party,” Heaps said.

Seven Seattle defenders combined for six sacks of Eagle quarterback Carson Wentz. The defense also totaled 12 quarterback hits. That group was seen as the weakest link on this team entering the season, but the pass rush was a huge part of the Seahawks’ win in Philadelphia and has been steadily improving for weeks.

“Everybody was in on that party in the pass rush in terms of making it work, converting pressure into sacks, and that was (takeaway) No. 1 from the defense,” Heaps said. “They did what they were supposed to do, which was beat up an inferior offensive line.”

While takeaway No. 1 was on the front of the Seahawks’ defense, No. 2 involved the back end.

“The second thing I loved was seeing the confidence of (cornerbacks) Shaquill Griffin and Ugo Amadi playing press coverage and pretty much dominating the entire night,” Heaps said.

Griffin was in his first game back since Week 7 due to a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined, and his play against the Eagles gives Heaps high hopes for Griffin and this pass defense going forward. Heaps especially liked how Griffin rebounded from a play that didn’t go his way.

“Shaquill Griffin had one bogus pass interference call on him and that didn’t effect him,” Heaps said. “I’ve seen in the past when he’s had a PI call or he’s gotten beat and all of a sudden he starts playing softer and he starts second guessing himself. (Monday) night, he played with the confidence he has to have.”

Griffin, a 2017 third-round pick, is in the last year of his contract and will certainly be looking for a big payday from the Seahawks in the offseason. Heaps said more performances like Griffin had in Week 12 will go a long way in making that a reality.

“The only way you’re going to do that and get paid – and paid big bucks, Shaquill – is by being a true lockdown corner, and that is playing physical, playing aggressive and that’s playing confident,” Heaps said. “And I want to see that Shaquill Griffin that we saw last night through the remainder of the season.”

You can hear Heaps’ full comments in the Four-Down Territory segment of Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.

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