The Seattle Seahawks defense was a completely different unit when they had Jamal Adams on the field last season compared to when he wasn’t. On film, they were quicker to the ball, more energetic and in general a tougher defense to score on with No. 33 out there.
Adams brings a sense of enthusiasm that mirrors coach Pete Carroll’s, one of the reasons they were happy to give him a four-year deal that made him the highest-paid safety in the NFL by a comfortable margin. He offers more than just intangibles and energy, though – Adams had a massive impact on Seattle’s defense statistically. With Adams on the field, their man coverage rate, blitz rate, sack rate and EPA per play all dramatically improved.
A few interesting numbers re Jamal Adams:
When he was on the field, Seattle's man coverage rate went from 9% to 24%.
Seattle's blitz rate doubled from 18% to 36%.
Seattle's sack rate went from 3.2% to 7.4%.
Seattle's Passing EPA allowed dropped from 0.17 to 0.03.
— Doug Farrar (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 20, 2021
Their overall EPA per play also jumped from No. 20 in the league without Adams to No. 9 with.
Seahawks defense rank in 2020 | EPA Per Play:
📈 With Jamal Adams: 9th
📉 Without Adams: 20th pic.twitter.com/WwmnudznbP— PFF (@PFF) August 17, 2021
While Adams had some issues in coverage – he gave up 411 yards and a 104.7 passer rating last year he’s clearly a valuable defensive piece and worth the investment.
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