Tag: boye mafe

Seahawks missed key defensive players from first Lions scoring series

Seahawks missed key defensive players from first Lions scoring series

The Seattle Seahawks entered Monday Night Football’s Week 4 date with the Detroit Lions missing several starting defenders through injury. Defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II, outside linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe, and off-ball linebacker Jerome Baker were all sidelined. Starting safety Julian Love exited the game with a quad contusion.

The end result was a 42-29 defeat, Seattle’s first loss of the 2024 campaign. Despite being so short handed, Mike Macdonald’s defense began the contest on proper footing. The Lions went three-and-out on their first offensive possession, with defensive tackle Jarran Reed sacking Lions quarterback Jared Goff for a 14-yard loss on 3rd-and-6.

The Seahawks couldn’t muster much offense on the ensuing possession. Geno Smith and the offense also went three-and-out. A 3rd-and-11 pass to DK Metcalf gained just eight yards, prompting Michael Dickson to punt on 4th-and-3. That’s when Seattle’s missing defensive starters had an impact.

The Lions traveled 93 yards on a dominant 12-play scoring drive. Detroit’s offensive line created plenty of push and rushing lanes for David Monthomery and Jahmyr Gibbs to exploit. Mafe was missed on the edges as runs were bounced outside for chunk gains. Williams and Murphy, who typically create interior pocket push, were notably absent.

That drive began with an 11-yard Montgomery run. Goff completed a 10-yard pass to Jameson Williams on 2nd-and-6. A second explosive play arrived via a 17-yard completion to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Montgomery rushed for seven and 13 yards on consecutive plays, and the between-the-tackles back concluded the impressive drive with a one-yard touchdown.

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Seahawks will be missing the following crucial pieces vs. Lions

Seahawks will be missing the following crucial pieces vs. Lions

The Seattle Seahawks face a resume-defining game on Monday night when they face the Detroit Lions. The undefeated Seahawks have enjoyed a soft schedule thus far, but Jared Goff and the Lions will offer a significantly stiffer test. Mike Macdonald’s squad will unfortunately be missing several standout players via injury, including the following:

Abe Lucas

Seahawks right tackle Abe Lucas remains on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list. His return to play timeline remains unknown. Lucas’ injury became more front-facing for the Seahawks once another injury occurred across the offensive line.

George Fant

George Fant was acquired as insurance at right tackle by John Schneider. Fant has missed several games and will continue being sidelined on Monday with a hamstring injury. He’s ineligible to return until Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons. Stone Forsythe will continue starting in his place.

Boye Mafe

Boye Mafe initially injured his knee in the Week 2 victory over the New England Patriots. Mafe participated against the Miami Dolphins the following week and has recorded a sack in every single contest. The Seahawks are now taking a cautious approach with their ascending pass rusher.

Uchenna Nwosu

Uchenna Nwosu suffered a multi-week knee injury in the preseason finale. The Seahawks opted against placing him on IR because the initial belief was he’d return against the Lions on Monday night. That unfortunately didn’t come to fruition, but Macdonald possesses faith that Nwosu will return against the New York Giants next weekend.

Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams exited the victory over the Miami Dolphins with a rib injury. Williams consistently didn’t practice leading up to Monday’s primetime showdown. The Lions will be without Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. It’s a shame the Seahawks may fail to take advantage of his absence.

Byron Murphy II

Rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II is nursing a hamstring injury. The Seahawks will rely on Jarran Reed and Johnathan Hankins in his absence. Quinton Bohanna is a possible practice squad call up.

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Seahawks rule Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams OUT for MNF, Kenneth Walker will play

Seahawks rule Byron Murphy and Leonard Williams OUT for MNF, Kenneth Walker will play

The Seattle Seahawks will face their biggest challenge of the season on Monday night when they take on the Detroit Lions. Seattle is 3-0, but they’ve faced the likes of Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle to start the season. The Lions, led by Jared Goff and Co., will prove to be a considerably more difficult opponent.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks defense will be without four of their best players along the defensive front. Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy, Boye Mafe, and Uchenna Nwosu have all been ruled OUT for Monday. Detroit will be without their All-Pro center Frank Ragnow, but without Williams and Murphy, the Seahawks won’t have their best players to take advantage of the Lions’ potential weakness up front.

The silver lining is Seattle has defeated Detroit in the last three meetings without either Williams or Murphy, but not having them is going to be a legitimate blow to this defense.

Head coach Mike Macdonald said Boye Mafe hurt his knee against the Patriots in Week 2, but says it’s “nothing major.” It would appear Seattle is being cautious with one of their best pass rushers. The season is a marathon, not a sprint to be decided in Week 4.

The good news is running back Kenneth Walker III is going to play in his first game since Week 1. The Seahawks do not have him listed on the injury report, and Macdonald confirmed it as much himself on Saturday.

Linebacker Jerome Baker, who missed Week 3 vs. his former team in the Dolphins, is listed as QUESTIONABLE. Given how depleted Seattle’s defense is, hopefully Baker will be good to go.

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Seahawks pass rush has accumulated 50 more pressures than these 2 teams

Seahawks pass rush has accumulated 50 more pressures than these 2 teams

The Seattle Seahawks defense was downright dominant in Sunday’s blowout 24-3 Week 3 victory over the Miami Dolphins. Mike Macdonald’s pass rush accumulated six total sacks. They sacked Skylar Thompson on five occasions, and Tim Boyle, who replaced Thompson due to injury, once.

Only four teams have racked up more sacks than Seattle’s 11. Defensive coordinator Aden Durde watched his defense collect 21 total pressures against Miami’s backup quarterbacks. Consistently getting into the backfield completely derailed Miami’s offensive game plan.

Macdonald’s defense has totaled 77 total pressures thus far this season. Boye Mafe leads the defense in pressures with 17, according to Pro Football Focus. Derick Hall ranks second with 12, and Leonard Williams is the third defender with double-digit pressures (11).

Seattle’s defense has been so dominant that they’ve gathered 50 more pressures than the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals, according to Brett Kollmann. Macdonald and general manager John Schneider will especially appreciate that their NFC West rival Cardinals are so much worse at rushing the passer.

https://twitter.com/BrettKollmann/status/1838258396996464689

Macdonald has brought a creative defensive scheme to the Seahawks that’s allowing their pass rushers to apply constant pressure on quarterbacks. Macdonald oversaw a Baltimore Ravens defense last season that led the league in sacks with 60. Perhaps the Seahawks will threaten to post a league-leading amount of QB takedowns this season.

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First half highlights: Seahawks lead Dolphins 17-3

First half highlights: Seahawks lead Dolphins 17-3

The Seattle Seahawks have started the game red-hot against the Miami Dolphins. Seattle is seeking their first 3-0 start since 2020 and so far they are playing like they truly want it.

The Seahawks started the game off with a 56-yard field goal on their opening drive to take an early 3-0 lead. Miami attempted a 57-yarder themselves to respond, but the kick sailed wide left. Seattle managed to find the end zone on their ensuing possession, set up lovely by DK Metcalf’s remarkable reception on second down.

One play later, Charbonnet found paydirt for the second time in as many weeks.

Unfortunately, Seattle’s third drive of the game ended in near-disaster. Backed up in the shadow of the north end zone, Geno Smith was nearly sacked on 3rd-and-15. Instead, he tossed an ill-advised ball towards Charbonnet, which was far too high and landed in the waiting arms of Dolphins defensive back Kader Kohou.

Once more, the Seahawks defense was placed in a brutal spot on the field to defend. They were put in their own red zone twice in Week 1 against the Broncos, and they found themselves there again. Fortunately, Seattle’s defense did what they excel at this season and held Miami to only a field goal.

Geno Smith found instant redemption on his very next throw in the final five seconds of the first quarter.

Metcalf’s 71-yard touchdown was the third longest in his career, and the seventh time he’s had a 50+ yard score.

Seattle’s pass rush came to play in the first half, sacking Skylar Thompson four times, including the first sack of the season from Derick Hall. Boye Mafe also had his third sack of the season, his third in as many games. Last season, he set a franchise record for a sack in seven-straight games.

The second quarter did get a bit sloppier for Seattle. Their three drives before halftime resulted in a missed field goal, two punts and a bevy of penalties caused by the offensive line. However, thanks to the defense, their lead was never in jeopardy. The Seahawks forced Miami to punt the ball on three-straight drives in the second quarter, and then another devastating sack from Derick Hall to conclude the half.

The Dolphins will get the ball to start the second half.

Be sure to follow @TheSeahawksWire and @KoleMusgrove23 on Twitter for live updates, highlights and analysis during the game.

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Seahawks young pass rushers show growth in Week 1 win

Seahawks young pass rushers show growth in Week 1 win

The Seattle Seahawks entered Sunday’s Week 1 contest versus the Denver Broncos without star pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu, who is nursing a week-to-week knee injury. That placed extra responsibility on the shoulders of young outside linebackers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall. Both players responded with quality performances.

Mafe carried a particularly heavy load in Nwosu’s absence. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher played 60 total snaps against the Broncos. That accounted for 87% of Mike Macdonald’s defensive snaps in Week 1.

Mafe totaled a team-high nine pressures, tied for the most of any pass rusher on Sunday, according to Next Gen Stats. Mafe recorded his first sack of the season, and Pro Football Focus also credited him with seven quarterback hurries. It was a dominant performance from a potentially budding superstar.

Hall was also very effective in a rotational pass-rushing role. The second-round sophomore totaled a more modest 31 snaps, equaling 45% of Seattle’s defensive plays.

Hall converted 23 pass-rushing snaps into four pressures, two QB hits, one sack, and one hurry, per Pro Football Focus’ charting. It was Hall’s first career sack. He appears primed to showcase growth as a sophomore this season.

The Seahawks could be without Nwosu for the next two contests. A two-to-three-game timeline was the expectation when Seahawks general manager John Schneider didn’t place him on IR. Having young pass rushers like Mafe and Hall showcase the desired development is allowing Seattle to get by without their first-choice quarterback hunter.

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Boye Mafe talks about his first game against Russell Wilson, Broncos

Boye Mafe talks about his first game against Russell Wilson, Broncos

I believe I speak for all the 12’s when I say the Monday Night Football game in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos will be one of the most memorable Seattle Seahawks in recent memory, if not all time. The heavily favored Broncos with their newly acquired quarterback in Russell Wilson were supposed to walk over the “rebuilding” Seahawks. Instead, they returned home with a stunning 17-16 defeat.

As memorable as it is for the fans, it is infinitely more so for those who actually played in the game. Such is the case for linebacker Boye Mafe, who made his NFL debut in the very same game. Recently, Mafe went on Chris Long’s podcast to reminisce on the insanity and high octane energy he experienced.

As you can see, the reason I put “rebuild” in quotations in the opening paragraph is because of how Mafe himself still holds scorn for that assesment. After the last two years, players like Mafe are still holding a little grudge over the media writing Seattle off like they did… and are potentially still doing.

Mafe may not have been the heavy sack producer he is now when he played in that game, but his introduction into the league is one of the more unique situations a rookie can find himself in. It’s safe to say he will always remember that moment, and the feeling of his ears ringing days later.

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Watch: Every Boye Mafe sack from 2023

Watch: Every Boye Mafe sack from 2023

As bad as the Seattle Seahawks defense has been for the last two years, they do have some exciting pieces at key positions. Seattle may not have been able to slow down the run, but they did their best to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks with their pass rush.

Leading the way was second year linebacke Boye Mafe, who truly turned on the jets to become a terror for offensive linemen. Mafe set a new franchise record for recording a sack in seven straight games. During this stretch, the Seahawks went 5-2, with the only losses coming on the road in Cincinnati and Baltimore.

Mafe went on a bit of a sack drought towards the second half of the season, which correlates more to Seattle’s struggles down the stretch. Still, he finished the season with nine sacks – an improvement from three the year before – with two in the 20-17 win over Tennessee.

For those who want to take a trip down memory lane, here are all nine of his sacks from last season.

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Seahawks EDGE Boye Mafe explains why Trent Williams, Lane Johnson are his toughest foes

Seattle Seahawks edge-rusher Boye Mafe explains why Trent Williams and Lane Johnson are the NFL’s toughest blockers to deal with.

It’s often said that edge rushers need a full year in the NFL before proverbial light goes on. Rookies are dealing with experienced offensive tackles who not only know all their moves, but can also counter them with moves those rookies have never seen. So, the kids learn as they go, and eventually (well, hopefully), they’re able to match their athletic traits with the things they need to know to succeed at the highest level.

When the Seahawks selected Boye Mafe of Minnesota with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2022 draft, that was the hope for him. Mafe had some things to learn, but he also had the ability to rush from multiple gaps with both speed and power.

Mafe had three sacks and 12 total pressures in 200 pass-rushing snaps in his rookie season. But it all paid off starting in 2023. From Week 3 against the Caroling Panthers through Week 10 against the Washington Commanders, Mafe had a sack in every game. And it wasn’t just about sacks for the second-year man — Mafe totaled nine sacks, seven quarterback hits, and 42 quarterback hurries last season. Among edge defenders selected in the 2022 draft, only Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions, George Karlaftis of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Travon Walker of the Jacksonville Jaguars had more total pressures than Mafe’s 58 — on 443 pass-rushing snaps.

Mafe is excited about his place in new head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense, as the pressure in that scheme tends to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He was recently on former NFL edge-rusher Chris Long’s Green Light podcast, and Mafe also got into the two offensive tackles that have given him the most trouble to date: Right tackle Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Trent Williams of the San Francisco 49ers.

On Johnson, Mafe had this to say:

“The thing people don’t give Lane credit [for] is how smart he is. I’ve never had a tackle pass set me on a run down. I don’t know how he knows, but he’ll pass set you, I’ll beat him on a move, I’ll look, and the ball’s going the other way. I’m like, ‘Aw man, this is gonna look terrible [on film].’

“If a tackle stays square on you, it makes your job harder… if a tackle opens and closes the door, and kick-drops his leg back, that’s fair game.”

As for Williams, the best left tackle in the NFL today, Mafe had all kinds of things to say about how the future Hall of Famer takes edge-rushers out of their games.

“The big difference with him is his athleticism. Trent can give you the [gap] and then take it away. You think it’s wide open, and the next thing you know, he’s squeezing right back with you.

“One thing I’ve noticed about him is that he’s quick with his hands. When people go to power, he does not let power sit on him. He’s chopping that hand down as soon as you get it in there. He’s quick with his hands, so you’ve got to play a game with him. You’ve got to make him think.”

Given the level of scouting (and self-scouting) Mafe has been doing, the experience that gives him on the field, and how he could factor in to Macdonald’s multi-faceted defense, it’s fair to expect a huge season in Mafe’s Year 3.

Seahawks OLB Boye Mafe highlights from the 2023 season

Here are 52 seconds of Mafe’s best work from the 2023 season.

One of many Seahawks players who should be excited about getting to work with new head coach Mike Macdonald is third-year edge rusher Boye Mafe. Last season Mafe had a breakout year, posting nine sacks, 16 quarterback hits and nine tackles for a loss.

Here are 52 seconds of Mafe’s best work from the 2023 season.

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