Getty Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. continues to be under fire.
The Seattle Seahawks came up with seven sacks against the Buffalo Bills but still managed to have one of their worst defensive performances of the season. Josh Allen picked apart the Seahawks defense and exposed the secondary throughout the Bills blowout win. As the Seahawks defense struggled, fans and analysts alike took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Seattle’s underwhelming performance.
“Seahawks out-executed, out-talented, out-coached,” Seahawks Maven’s Matty Brown noted on Twitter. “One of the worst losses of the Pete Carroll era. What’s most concerning is how terrible this defense is, particularly in certain game situations. This is a theme that continues to drag Seattle down. Only so much can be overcome.”
The Seahawks allowed Allen to throw for 415 yards and three touchdowns. Cornerback Quinton Dunbar was burned repeatedly and Fox Sports’ Brock Huard noted on the broadcast that he does not appear to be fully healthy.
The Seahawks also failed to protect Russell Wilson who was hit 16 times by the Bills defense, the most on any quarterback this season, per Fox Sports. Wilson uncharacteristically struggled with turnovers throwing two interceptions and notching two fumbles.
ALL the latest Seahawks news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Seahawks newsletter here!
The Seahawks Secondary Was Gashed by the Bills Receivers
ESPN 710 Seattle’s Mike Salk observed the Seahawks looked like they were playing prevent defense the entire game. Seattle’s secondary were giving the receivers a large cushion and Stefon Diggs took full advantage throughout the game.
“That is one of the worst first quarters of defense I have ever witnessed,” Salk said. “Seahawks look like they are playing prevent defense at the end of a blowout.”
ESPN’s Ryan Clark wondered if the Seahawks are trying to win the Super Bowl with “no defense at all,” the exact opposite of the Legion of Boom era.
“I like what the Seahawks are doing this year… They proved they could win a Super Bowl with defense in 2014 and now they can prove you can win a Super Bowl with no defense at all,” Clark tweeted. “Really good experiment.”
ESPN’s Mina Kimes provided a perfect meme to encapsulate the wild swings from the Seattle defense.
me gassing up the Seattle D last week
Fans Are Calling for Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton Jr. to Be Fired
Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.’s approval rating among Seattle fans may be at an all-time low. The Seahawks defense has struggled throughout the season, and there is a legitimate concern that the franchise will waste one of the best NFL offenses with their inability to stop opponents.
“The Seahawks just made @PeteCarroll one of the highest paid coaches in the league… and his defense is now the worst it’s ever been,” KDKA’s Tim Williams noted. “Will he make a change at defensive coordinator? Ken Norton Jr has got to go or this team will go nowhere.”
There are some small glimmers of hope for the Seahawks defense including the play of newly-added defensive end Carlos Dunlap who was effective at getting to Allen. The Seahawks were also without Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin who has been dealing with a hamstring injury as well as a concussion.
Norton deserves plenty of the blame, but Carroll has always been hands-on with the defensive gameplan. Carroll has undoubtedly signed off on the Seahawks defensive gameplan each week which has had more misses than hits this season.
Throughout the Seahawks’ early defensive struggles, Carroll has continued to emphasize that he believes the unit will eventually turn the corner. The Seahawks are running out of time to prove they can show drastic improvements, but the unit is getting healthier offering some sign of hope that things will change when the defense is back to being at full strength.
READ NEXT: Seahawks Trade Offer Turned Down by Texans: Report