An area of dramatic improvement for Seahawks’ offense
Jan 7, 2026, 8:04 AM
For more than a decade, the Seattle Seahawks had been crippled by poor pass protection. That was especially the case in 2024, when Seattle’s offense gave up a whopping 54 sacks – the second-most in franchise history.
What a difference a year makes.
The Seahawks sliced their sack total in half this season, giving up just 27 sacks in 17 games. It’s their third-lowest sack total in franchise history and their lowest since their 2005 NFC-title winning team, which surrendered just 27 sacks in 16 games. Prior to this year, Seattle had given up 40-plus sacks in 11 of the previous 12 seasons.
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Furthermore, the Seahawks posted a 5.31% sack rate this season – meaning they were sacked on just 5.31% of plays in which they dropped back to pass. That’s the third-lowest sack rate in franchise history and the franchise’s best mark since 1979. For context, Seattle’s 2024 sack rate was 8.35%.
Several major factors contributed to the Seahawks’ dramatic decline in sacks this fall.
For one, the Seahawks upgraded their left guard spot with rookie first-round draft pick Grey Zabel and they got a full season from right tackle Abraham Lucas, who started all 17 games after playing just 13 games combined the previous two seasons. They also were much healthier in the trenches, using just three different starting O-line combinations this fall after cycling through six in 2024 and 10 in 2023.
In addition, they overhauled their offensive coaching staff with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and new offensive line coach John Benton. Kubiak brought a much more balanced and O-line-friendly scheme to Seattle, while Benton brought more than two decades of NFL O-line coaching experience.
Also, quarterback Sam Darnold made a concerted effort to get the ball out quickly. Darnold’s average time to throw this season was 2.74 seconds, which ranked 13th out of 45 qualified QBs, according to Pro Football Focus. It was a dramatic contrast from last year, when Darnold ranked 41st out of 44 QBs at 3.08 seconds.
It all added up to an offense that did a much better job of staying on schedule and sustaining drives this season. Last year, while dealing with a barrage of drive-killing sacks, the Seahawks ranked 22nd in the NFL with scores on just 35.2% of their possessions. This year, they ranked sixth with scores on 45.9% of their drives.
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