Why Seahawks’ defense is set up for sustained success

During a legendary run from 2012-15, the Seattle Seahawks and their famed Legion of Boom became the first defense in the Super Bowl era to allow the fewest points in the NFL for four consecutive seasons.

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However, in the decade since that four-year stretch, no NFL defense has even gone back-to-back seasons as the league’s top-ranked scoring unit. Furthermore, of the top-ranked scoring defenses from 2015-24, just three of those 10 units ranked among the top three scoring defenses the following season.

So, after the Seahawks allowed a league-low 17.2 points per game during their run to a Super Bowl title this past season, what are realistic expectations for the “Dark Side” moving forward?

The 33rd Team’s Sam Monson was asked that question earlier this week on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.

“It’s very difficult to sort of maintain a truly elite, difference-making defense year (over) year,” Monson said. “… But I think you can maintain a very good defense for a number of years.

“And if you maintain a really good defense for a few years, it’s usually because not just you have a bunch of talent, but you have a coach with a scheme that’s at the forefront of the way the game is at that moment,” he added. “And I think the Seahawks have got that right now with Mike Macdonald and what that defense is doing.”

With a cutting-edge scheme and a sterling track record both as the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator and Seattle’s head coach, the 38-year-old Macdonald is already regarded as the NFL’s premier defensive play caller.

And once again, Macdonald will have plenty of talent to deploy this fall.

The Seahawks retained 14 of their top 17 players in defensive snaps from last season, with safety Coby Bryant, edge rusher Boye Mafe and cornerback Riq Woolen as the only departures.

The Seahawks also added veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency and used a pair of Day 2 draft picks on safety Bud Clark and cornerback Julian Neal. And their already-dominant defensive front could get another boost from promising defensive lineman Rylie Mills, who missed most of his 2025 rookie season while recovering from a torn ACL.

“Maybe it doesn’t quite match a year ago, or maybe they haven’t even hit their peak yet,” Monson said of Seattle’s defense. “Maybe next year will be more special.

“But I do think that this is going to be a defense that’s at a high level for several years now with this head coach. I think there’s a lot of talent on that defense. There’s a lot of young talent as well. You can imagine a world where some of their most important players are even better next year. So I do expect the defense to be very good again.”

Listen to the full conversation with The 33rd Team’s Sam Monson at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune into Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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