Daniel Jeremiah: What makes Seahawks’ defense different

The Seattle Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense has picked up right where it left off last season.

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Through the first two weeks of 2026, Seattle ranks second in the NFL in points allowed per game (8.5), first in yards allowed per play (3.8) and first in yards allowed per pass attempt (4.5).

Furthermore, the Seahawks are the only team that hasn’t allowed a 20-plus-yard gain this season. For context, the other 31 teams have surrendered a combined 208 plays of 20-plus yards – an average of 6.7 such plays per team.

Seattle’s defense was particularly dominant in Sunday’s 31-7 rout of the Arizona Cardinals. The Seahawks allowed just 151 total yards, the 13th-lowest mark in franchise history. And they didn’t allow a gain of 10-plus yards until the game’s second-to-last play.

During his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah highlighted what makes the Seahawks’ defense so unique.

“There’s just no busts,” Jeremiah said. “They’re as connected as anybody. They’ll give up completions, but there’s always someone there. Every other game you watch, you see guys running scot-free. Now, sometimes a quarterback sees it, sometimes they don’t.

“But (with Seattle), I don’t see anybody running free. So that tells me two things: It’s an incredibly well-coached team, and they have a lot of really smart players.”

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