Seahawks defense wasn't as bad against the Rams as you think

What answers do Mike Macdonald and Klint Kubiak have for their last game against the Rams?

The Los Angeles Rams scored 37 points in their last meeting against the Seattle Seahawks, but that doesn’t mean that the Seahawks defense gave up 37 points. Or that it all happened in 60 minutes.

Did Seattle actually struggle that badly against the Rams in Week 16 — needing a 16-point fourth quarter comeback and an 8-point overtime touchdown to win — or was it a short week, a couple outstanding plays by All-Pro players on L.A.’s roster, and an impressive answer from Mike Macdonald and Klint Kubiak in the fourth quarter?

That’s mostly what I’ll address in today’s Super Joes Q&A answers.

Today’s Seaside Joe opens up HEAVY on quotes from Xs an Os experts about what makes Mike Macdonald’s defense so good this season and what to expect against the Rams. So if you likes football analysis, quotes, and breakdown videos, this one’s for you.

Super Joes ask questions every week and I answer them (or more accurately LOOK for answers while you’re busy with your lives doing other important life things that prevent you from searching the Internet for Seahawks-related insights and info) in the newsletter. If you want to be a part of the action next time, join or upgrade to Super Joes. Don’t worry, Regular Joes can also ask questions any time you want! But just not in the super joes Q&A section.

Chuck Turtleman: After watching All-22's brilliant coverage and listening to a bunch of smart football people, I'm trying to understand Macdonald's defense. I'm starting to see the disguised blitzes and bluffs (blitzes that never happen), which have to be frustrating for an opposing QB. (sj note: here’s an explanation of simulated pressures)

Re-watching the last two 49ers and Rams games this week, it seems like we hardly play base defense at all anymore. Do we credit the growth of Emmanwori for him being able to get by with 2 linebackers and still stop the run? Is it the ass-kickers on the front four/five?

Since I know you've made it a daily habit to understand scheme better, I was hoping you might have some insight for what makes this defense the best in football. And why the Rams were able to exploit it.

You asked about defense, but since you mentioned the All-22 channel and I already shared his defensive video this week I’m going to drop the link to his offensive scheme breakdown because I haven’t shared it yet.

Beezo: In the first Rams game, I remember the analysis being that our D shut down Stafford & Co. What happened in the 2nd game that caused a considerably higher score? What was different to allow Nacua to have the monster game? Is it as simple as the injuries in the secondary?

Beezo’s question was similar enough for me to lump it in with yours, Chuck.

The Athletic’s Robert Mays recently wrote about Macdonald’s decision to stop playing base defense:

“Seattle addressed another issue with its clever solution: never play base defense.

This season, the Seahawks have played just 45 snaps in base defense outside the red zone or in backed-up situations. The next-closest team is at 71, and the league average is 243. Seattle has essentially removed base defense from its playbook within the regular rhythm of the game, and they’ve been able to get away with it thanks to one of the season’s most important draft picks.

Rather than have Nick Emmanwori bounce between safety and nickel, the Seahawks have exclusively used him closer to the line of scrimmage as a rookie, and his play from that spot has been a skeleton key that’s helped unlock Seattle’s entire defense.”

Mays also mentions that Seattle is the second-most effective blitzing defense of the past 5 years, with the only team ahead of them being the 2023 Ravens. (Which Macdonald was the defensive coordinator of.)

In this video by Billy Stephens from December 10th, he also explains what base defense is and how the Seahawks have broken the NFL this season by not using it.

"When offenses come out with two or fewer receivers on the field, most defenses are going to deploy a base personnel package, meaning the package includes four defensive backs. So offensive packages like 12 personnel, meaning one running back and two tight ends, are usually going to be met with base defense.

But the Seahawks are one of very few teams who don't match offensive personnel. They stay in nickel, meaning five defensive backs, almost all the time, whether or not the offense goes heavy. Through Week 14, Seattle has a nickel defense rate of 79%, which is the highest in the league. Not only that, but they don't stack the box. They come out in two high safety shells on 76% of their defensive snaps, also first in the league. And their usage of two high shells barely even drops when offenses go heavy. They're deploying too high shells on 73% of snaps against personnel groups that include two or fewer receivers. They stay light up front no matter what.

And that causes offenses to get heavy on early downs to try to run the ball, which is exactly what Mike McDonald wants them to do.”

As you say, Chuck, the Seahawks having Nick Emmanwori this season is a major component to Macdonald’s ability to stay out of base defense and defend against heavy personnel (12 and 13 personnel, which the Rams use more and more effectively than any other offense in the NFL), which I recently called arguably the best move of the 2025 offseason:

The Seahawks traded DK Metcalf and acquired a pick that they were able to use to move up for Emmanwori. That could be the top move of any GM in 2025.

The Athletic did a breakdown video of Emmanwori this week as well:

I heavily downplayed the pre-draft hype and draft acquisition of Emmanwori because he came across as such a raw football player in the body of a 99.9th-percentile athlete out of South Carolina who did’t have the same type of resume of Kyle Hamilton coming out of college. Well, what can I say? Greatness often comes from unprecedented origins.

Aaron Donald is the greatest defensive tackle of all-time and many people were skeptical of him as a draft prospect because he’s one of the smallest defensive tackles in history. Could Emmanwori be developing into one of the league’s top-5 defensive players? If the Seahawks continue to orbit their defense around his unique abilities, I could see it happening.

As far as the Rams getting 37 points on Seattle in Week 16

Yes, Puka Nacua is easily a top-5 player in the league, in my opinion. Not including all the value and intricacies of playing quarterback, I give credit where credit is due in terms of how important Nacua is to L.A. making it to the NFC Championship this season: That is also greatness, which is something that Tom Brady highlighted in this video I watched this week of his top-10 favorite throws of the season.

Brady picks a Puka sideline catch against Seattle in that game that is truly a work of art. I can appreciate Puka’s elite abilities, even if it’s coming for the Rams and against the Seahawks.

Another interesting aspect to that game is that the Seahawks actually did a really good job of not letting it get out of hand:

• Rams drive 1: Turnover on downs

• Rams drive 2: Hold them to a FG

• Rams drive 3: Hold them to a FG

• Rams drive 4: Touchdown

• Rams drive 5: End of half

• Rams drive 6: Hold them to a FG

• Rams drive 7: 1-yard TD drive following interception

Following an 85-yard touchdown drive by L.A. in the third quarter, the Seahawks forced three consecutive three-and-outs to keep the game close.

Seattle “allowed 37 points”, which is a lot and not characteristic of the Seahawks. However, what if we add the context the 7 points came in OT and 7 points came off of what was essentially a pick-6? Then all of a sudden the Seahawks defense really allowed 23 points to the top-scoring offense in football on a short week.

And the OT touchdown came against a defense that had played over 80 snaps to that point.

To me the context says that Seattle had a bad night for them, but a “good night” for most defenses against the Rams. I hope that doesn’t sound like I’m making excuses for the Seahawks, but it’s also why I don’t think we’re going to see a repeat of it given the vast separation in effort given by both teams over the past two weeks and Seattle being more rested.

Chip Mac: I agree with everyone, don’t turn the ball over and run the ball. But, it seems to me that the Rams have demonstrated in the playoff that teams can throw intermediate/deep on them. My question is do you think the Hawks are going deep on the Rams and if so when in the game? Do the Hawks wait for the run game first or just go after them with the pass from the start? Finally who gets the deep shots, JSN, Shaheed, Kupp?

Armchair Coach Justin did a great breakdown video of the opposing strategies going into this game (it’s only an 8-minute watch) from both perspectives of who has the ball, McVay or Macdonald. Here’s the video, but I transcribed a relevant section after the link:

I like READING explanations to better understand them, so here’s a quote of the first chapter of the video and I think you’ll also better understand what happened on Darnold’s interceptions against the Rams:

“When games are this close, it's about which schematic structures hold up. Let's start with the first one. To address the elephant in the room against the Rams, Sam Donald takes too many sacks and throws too many interceptions. But let's explore why those happen.

In this example, the Rams put their defensive genius on full display. They start by showing a cover one blitz. This tells Sam Darnold that with all six of these players coming, he won't have enough blockers to hold them. He also knows that his receivers are doing a slant flat concept. He is thinking that if JSN wins his leverage, then there should be a quick enough high percentage throw for an easy touchdown over the middle.

Post snap, all six of the threats look like they're actually coming. This tells Sam that the pre-snap plan was correct and he gets his eyes glued to JSN, waiting for him to win leverage. As soon as JSN makes the cut, Sam gets rid of the ball just before the defender in his face drills him. Unfortunately for Sam, the defensive tackle took a couple steps downfield and then peeled off into the throwing lane for an easy interception. This is called a simulated pressure. The Rams create the urgency of a blitz without actually bringing more guys.

On this play, Sam Darnold sends Cooper Kupp in motion. Cooper's defender follows him across the formation, telling Darnold that the Rams are in man coverage. The Seahawks are running a Lion concept, which is great against man coverage. The inside receiver pulls the defender out of the way, and the outside receiver has a great window to win leverage and get an easy completion on a third down to move the chains.

Post snap, the defenders take their man and Shaheed wins his leverage, telling Sam he can pull the trigger. But right as Sam starts to let the ball go. The Rams defender recognizes the lion concept and peels off for an easy interception.

On both plays, Sam is following what he is taught to do, but the Rams remain a step ahead. On the flip side, Matthew Stafford has thrown five touchdowns, zero interceptions, and taken zero sacks. But don't fret too much, Seahawks fans. That doesn't mean the Rams have been perfect.”

You asked about how Seattle plans to move the ball — intermediate, deep, short, run, etc.? — and on EXPLOSIVE PLAYS by the Seahawks, Armchair Justin gives a great example of something that worked in Week 16. The momentum-shifting touchdown pass to A.J. Barner in the fourth quarter.

Seahawks running Flood concept against Rams:

This is when the Seahawks use the appearance of a flood concept to fool the Rams into running towards the field side, allowing Barner to get open by cutting back to the boundary for an open touchdown that ended up tying the game in Week 16:

What a call by Klint Kubiak. What a throw by Darnold. What a catch by Barner!

The Seahawks managed four touchdown drives in this game, which is four times as many as they had against L.A. in Week 11. Of course, if I alleviate Seattle’s defense of some accountability in the game, then I have to do the same for the Rams defense too. That’s only fair.

But the Seahawks have something going for them in the NFC Championship game that I don’t think a team like say the 49ers had going against Seattle last week:

Offensive talent.

Specifically I mean that Seattle has Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a receiver who can run circles around Rams cornerbacks and safeties, who are decidedly less talented than the ones that Nacua has to avoid on the Seahawks.

JSN was targeted 25 times against the Rams this season, gaining 201 yards on 17 catches. I’m not taking anything away from Nacua, who had over 200 yards just in the last meeting alone, but we’re just addressing how Seattle’s offense will succeed, not how they’ll stop Puka this time.

Secondly, I’d say that Darnold’s experience — and experience specifically against the Rams — is a far better advantage going against L.A.’s defense than the two quarterbacks they’ve faced in the playoffs already: Bryce Young and Caleb Williams. (I don’t think either of these QBs were overall good in 2025.)

Here are some numbers via Next Gen Stats:

Sam Darnold threw for 2,102 yards on downfield passes this season (10+ air yards), the fourth-most in the NFL.

This marks back-to-back seasons in which Darnold eclipsed 2,000 yards on downfield passes after he failed to gain more than 1,500 such yards in any of his first six seasons in the NFL. Notably, Darnold threw for a league-high 1,876 yards on deep passes (20+ air yards) over the past two seasons despite playing for two different teams during that span. He completed 40.9% of his downfield passes against the Chris Shula-led Rams defense across two combined meetings this season, compared to 61.5% of his passes against all other opponents.

So we know that Darnold can air it out, but he’s aired it out less often recently and he’s been less successful against the Rams than any other defense. Seahawks fans can be hopeful that this time around, L.A.’s defense is a little more gassed than Seattle’s offense.

Sam Darnold completed 61 of 82 passes for 1,104 yards and six touchdowns out of 12 personnel when faced with base defense this season, translating to a league-high 13.5 yards per attempt, nearly twice as many as the NFL average (7.5).

When passing out of 12 personnel and faced with five or more defensive backs, Darnold completed 25 of 37 attempts for 215 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions, translating to an average of 5.8 yards per attempt, over one full yard fewer than the NFL average (6.9). Across two combined meetings when the Rams’ defense matched the Seahawks’ 12 personnel with base personnel this season, Darnold went 10-of-12 for 157 yards and a touchdown. When they matched with five or more defensive backs, he went 3-of-7 for 22 yards and two interceptions.

Will this information help Kubiak and Darnold match up better with the Rams defense on Sunday and have an answer for base defense? We saw Kubiak use L.A.’s tendencies against them to beat the Rams in Week 16. He just needs to do it again but now at a higher level and with more time to plan.

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