Barnwell: Seahawks’ defense can still reach ‘another level’

After returning nearly every key player from last year’s second-half surge, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense has hit the ground running in Year 2 under head coach Mike Macdonald.

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The Seahawks rank near the top of the league in virtually every major defensive category, including seventh in points allowed per game (19.4) and third in yards allowed per play (4.7). They’re one of just four teams to hold six opponents to 20 points or fewer. They’re allowing a league-low 3.3 yards per carry and are tied for fifth with 23 sacks.

And they’ve done all that while being shorthanded.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon has been limited to just two games due to a knee injury. Veteran safety Julian Love has played just three games due to a hamstring injury. And talented rookie safety Nick Emmanwori has played just three full games due to an ankle injury.

Emmanwori has since returned to the lineup, while Witherspoon and Love could both be back this week. If so, it would be the first time since the opening minutes of Week 1 that Seattle’s secondary would be at full strength.

And as ESPN’s Bill Barnwell told Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, that could propel this already-elite Seahawks defense to another level.

“I just want to see the five (defensive backs) they were clearly counting on before the season actually play a snap together, because it’s going to be really exciting,” Barnwell said. “I think it’s gonna open up a lot of possibilities, not just in the secondary, but now it opens up so (much) for you in terms of whether you want to blitz, whether you want to rush.

“You can do a lot more stuff if you trust the five guys you have back there at defensive back.”

In particular, Barnwell thinks Witherspoon’s return could be a game-changer. The ultra-talented 2023 first-round pick has a unique level of athleticism and versatility, which has allowed him to make plays all over the field over his first two-plus NFL seasons.

“I mean, if you were going to think (before the season) about, OK, why is this defense going to be really good? Who’s going to be standing out? Devon Witherspoon would be one of the very first names you would mention, and deservedly so,” Barnwell said. “He is a phenomenal football player. But he’s now missed pretty much the entire season, outside of (two) games.

“I think that’s a spot where you’re going to be sitting here maybe a few weeks now and saying, man, the defense even got to another level because they got Devon back.”

Listen to the full conversation with ESPN’s Bill Barnwell at this link or in the audio player near the bottom of this story. Tune into Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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