Bump: Why Seahawks’ defense will be even better in playoffs
Michael Bumpus believes the expected return of a key player will take the Seattle Seahawks' defense to another level in the postseason.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 21: Coby Bryant #8 of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates a tackle of Rashid Shaheed #22 of the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Lumen Field on September 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
It’s hard to imagine the Seattle Seahawks’ defense getting much better than it already is.
How 2025 Seahawks compare to the best Legion of Boom defenses
The Seahawks allowed the fewest points in the league this season. They led the league in defensive DVOA, ranking 12th all-time in a single season in the popular metric. And anyone watching the group on a weekly basis (or just on Saturday when it shut down the high-octane 49ers offense) can vouch for just how dominate the unit is.
With that said, Seahawks Radio Network and former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus believes the defense will get even better before its first playoff game in the divisional round next weekend. The expected return of safety Coby Bryant is the reason.
Bryant has missed Seattle’s past two games with a knee injury, but general manager John Schneider expressed optimism he’d be back for the team’s first playoff game during a pregame interview on Saturday with Seahawks play-by-play voice Steve Raible on Seattle Sports 710 AM.
Bumpus credited backup Ty Okada for the job he did filling in for Bryant, as well when he filled in for Julian Love when the 2023 Pro Bowler missed nine games this year. But he believes having Bryant and Love on the field at the time, which happened just six times during the regular season, lets both play to their strengths.
“Ty Okada did a great job, but most of the time when Ty Okada is in the game, J-Love is the guy who is in the box,” Bumpus explained. “Ty Okada, they rotate him down too, but it’s mostly J-Love. I think J-Love is best on the back end. He’s the guy that keeps everything in front.
“When Coby Bryant walks down in that box, it just hits different,” he added. “… Once Coby Bryant gets back out there, this defense is going to get even better because you have another guy who plays with intensity who will go downhill and hit you.”
Hear all of Michael Bumpus’ Four Down Territory segment from Tuesday here. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Report: Seahawks OC Kubiak up for 4 NFL head coach jobs
• Who Seattle Seahawks are most at risk of losing OC Kubiak to
• Daniel Jeremiah: Three reasons Seattle Seahawks are NFC’s No. 1 seed
• Why Schlereth could see Seahawks pulling off repeat of Super Bowl 48
• Salk: How I’m learning to stop worrying about Sam Darnold
Related
Stacy: The 3 biggest Seahawks questions between now and Week 1
Stacy Rost: Making sense of the Sam Darnold discourse
Cougs Weekly with WSU Cougars coach Kirby Moore debuts
Should the Mariners re-sign Randy Arozarena?
Bump: ‘There’s some concern’ with Seahawks’ CB situation
Stacy: NFL critics keep finding ways to doubt the Seahawks
Comments
1 Comments
That'll help, but the competition is probably going to be the toughest you can get.
First up most likely will be the Rams, which is no gimme.
And it looks like Philly is starting to look like their old self toward the end of the season - so if you beat the Rams you are most likely looking at last year's Super Bowl Champion.
Tough road for Darnold against those two defenses. If the Hawks do make it to the Super Bowl we will be able to take the big game monkey off Darnold's back for good!