Tag: legion of boom

The Seahawks defense is off to a historic start in 2024

The Seahawks defense is off to a historic start in 2024

For years now, the Seattle Seahawks have fielded some truly abysmal defenses. In 2020 and 2021, Seattle was on pace to being one of the worst units in the history of football. While they turned it around just enough in both years to avoid such a dubious distinction, Seattle still finished with a bottom-tier unit. Things may not have been on track for historic failure in 2022 and 2023, but Seattle still had the 31st ranked defense to end those seasons.

The Seahawks’ inability to truly fix their defense led to the team moving on from Pete Carroll in favor of Mike Macdonald. So far through three games, the decision appears to be paying off for Seattle. The Seahawks’ defense, which has helped fuel their 3-0 start, is back to making NFL history… but in the way fans would want it. Macdonald’s team has accomplished something not seen in 45 years:

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Anytime you find yourself in the same conversation with the Steel Curtain, and you’re the only one standing beside them, you’re clearly doing something right.

Critics of the Seahawks will say this is a result of playing a handful of tomato cans to start the season. While it is true that Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, Skylar Thompson and Tim Boyle aren’t going to be confused for Pro Bowlers any time soon, Seattle’s defense is doing exactly what they should be doing against quarterbacks of their caliber. If the Seahawks were 3-0, but they were winning offensive shootouts against these water-gun offenses, we would be having an entirely different conversation.

Still, the teams Seattle has faced to start the year aren’t likely to be legitimately in the playoff hunt by the time December roles around. The first true test the Seahawks will face is coming Monday night against the Detroit Lions. Jared Goff is lightyears ahead of those four quarterbacks I’ve mentioned, and Seattle will have to face several other far more talented signal callers in the coming weeks. We will have a much better idea of how good this Seahawks defense is soon enough.

(Side note: the 1979 Steelers did go on to win the Super Bowl…)

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Bobby Wagner does not hesitate naming biggest hater on Seahawks

This current group is the most talented and colorful that the team has fielded since they were at their peak.

The Seahawks of modern times may not be quite as good as the Legion of Boom rosters of old. However, this current group is the most talented and colorful that the team has fielded since they were at their peak from 2012-2015. The one carry-over from the glory days is middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who returned to Seattle this past season after spending one year with the Rams.

Wagner led a defense that was a mix of young risers like Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, as well as seasoned veterans such as himself and Jarran Reed. Another key vet is free safety Quandre Diggs, who has a well-earned title of biggest trash-talker on the team. Just watch Wagner’s response when he was asked who the Seahawks’ biggest hater is at the annual NFL Honors awards show last weekend.

Funny. As for the 2024 season, Wagner is about to become a free agent so the team has a decision to make there. However, if Bobby is willing to stay for anything remotely near what he did this past season then it’s an easy call to bring him back.

As for Diggs, his contract makes him a good candidate to either get cut or be asked to agree to a restructured deal. We should see GM John Schneider starting to make these kinds of decisions soon.

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Former Seahawks DB DeShawn Shead joining Dolphins coaching staff

DeShawn Shead says he’ll be moving on to join Mike McDaniel’s staff on the Miami Dolphins.

One of the less-famous members of the Legion of Boom when they were at their peak was cornerback DeShawn Shead, who played for the Seattle Seahawks for five years (from 2013 to 2017). In 54 games he totaled 153 tackles, 24 pass breakups and two interceptions. After his time in Seattle ended he spent one season with the Lions, then retired as a player.

Since the 2021 season Shead had been working as an assistant on former head coach Pete Carroll’s staff, working as an assistant defensive backs coach. Now Shead says he’ll be moving on to join Mike McDaniel’s staff on the Miami Dolphins.

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It’s a good landing spot for Shead, as Mcdaniel’s staff is one of the most forward-thinking in the league and Miami is a team on the rise in a crowded AFC contender picture. Shead will get a chance to work with one of the best secondary units in the league, featuring Jalen Ramsey, Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland.

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Seahawks players tweet reactions to their crushing Monday night win

Nobody does Monday Night Football quite like the Seahawks.

Nobody does Monday Night Football quite like the Seahawks. At their peak, ESPN didn’t even want to book them because the best of the Legion of Boom teams could so often be counted on for a prime time blowout. In a throwback to those days, Seattle put together a physically dominant defensive game against the Giants last night, taking them down on the road by a score of 24-3, a score which suggests the contest was much closer than it actually was.

This lastest victory on MNF improves Seattle’s all-time record to 29-12 on Mondays and 9-3 in the Pete Carroll era. Heading into their early bye week with a 3-1 record, you can bet players are thrilled. Here’s what Seahawks players are tweeting following their blowout Week 4 win.

Mark Schlereth: Seahawks DBs deeper than the Legion of Boom

It may sound like blasphemy, but he’s right, keeping in mind that depth wasn’t what made the LOB great.

Yesterday Mark Schlereth was a guest on the Brock and Salk show and made some interesting comments regarding the Seahawks’ roster. For one thing, Schlereth thinks Seattle’s current secondary is deeper than the Legion of Boom was. Watch.

It may sound like blasphemy, but he’s right, keeping in mind that depth wasn’t what made the LOB great – it was three Hall of Famers along with a rotating cast of mostly-forgettable DBs. Brandon Browner, Byron Maxwell and Jeremy Lane all had their good qualities, but there’s a reason why people only think of Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman when they hear LOB.

Meanwhile, this current Seahawks secondary has three Pro-Bowlers in Riq Woolen, Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. They also have a top-five overall pick in Devon Witherspoon, two respectable corners in Tre Brown and Mike Jackson, a Jim Thorpe award winner with Coby Bryant and the remarkably underrated safety Julian Love.

There are better secondary units around the NFL, but this one has a chance to earn the title of the deepest in the league.

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Cliff Avril tells a story about Earl Thomas snapping on him at practice

Watch.

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The Seattle Seahawks in their peak Legion of Boom days were the most entertaining and compelling group of athletes in the world. One reason they were so dominant was an unparalleled intensity. Sometimes that high motor resulted in clashes behind the scenes, though.

Earlier this week Cliff Avril was a guest on K.J. Wright’s podcast and he told a story about Earl Thomas snapping on him for eating sunflower seeds during a walkthrough practice. Watch.

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K.J. Wright ranks his top five members of the Legion of Boom

Naturally, Kam Chancellor takes the top spot. No surprise there.

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Every team in the league has made their mark in some capacity to the story of the NFL, and the Seattle Seahawks made theirs loud and clear. The Legion of Boom defense from the early-to-mid 2010’s are already being remembered as one of the greatest defenses in the history of the sport, with the 2013 unit arguably No. 1 all time.

K.J. Wright, one of the more unheralded – yet crucial – members of the LOB recently went on Good Morning Football to do what every sports show loves: ranking players. Wright took the time to rank his Top 5 LOB members, and it’s not all too surprising.

Naturally, Kam Chancellor takes the top spot. No surprise there. Chancellor brought the BOOM to Legion and made opposing receivers suffer as a result.

Of course, Wright’s running mate, Bobby Wagner, had to make the list. But what might be most interesting is seeing defensive lineman Brandon Mebane on the Top 5. Defensive linemen rarely get the credit they deserve but they can be the most disruptive. Wright has been open about discussing how much impact they have on a linebackers job as they eat up offensive linemen blocks.

What do you think, dear reader? Do you agree with Wright’s list, or is there perhaps someone else you think should have made it?

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Remembering the 2013 Legion of Boom

The greatest single season defense in NFL history

As the years go on, it is becoming ever more increasingly noted how the 2013 Seattle Seahawks defense truly was one of the greatest units of all time. The famed Legion of Boom was truly a terror for opposing offenses, and was the most dominant force in football at the time.

On Thursday, the NFL Stats Twitter account tweeted a nice little reminder about just how suffocating the Legion of Boom was.

Of course, the ’85 Chicago Bears are typically noted as the best defense of all time, but quite frankly I think the Legion of Boom has them beat. Chicago played in a much different era of football, which was far more defense friendly. They also played in an era before widespread free agency.

Meanwhile, the Legion of Boom had figured out how to play within the rules skewed so heavily in favor of offenses, yet still prevented them from doing much of anything.

To me, what takes the cake is how they fared against opponents in the playoffs. Seattle had to face against Drew Brees in his prime, Jim Harbaugh’s explosive 49ers, and of course… Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos, who became the greatest single season offense in NFL history.

The greatest offense, who was held to eight measly points in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Bruce Irvin poised to make NFL history again with Sunday’s game

Since the Seahawks re-signed Bruce Irvin four weeks ago, their defense has pulled off a dramatic turnaround.

The Seahawks are making history this season in a lot of ways. The next item on the list is playing in the first NFL game ever in Germany. Seattle’s team looks a lot different than their peak during the Legion of Boom years. However, there is one familiar face who’s returned recently to be part of what’s becoming a special season.

Since the Seahawks re-signed Bruce Irvin four weeks ago, their defense has pulled off a dramatic turnaround, going from the second-worst unit in the league this year to one of the best. It will be fun to see Irvin be a part of the festivities in Munich on Sunday morning.

For Irvin, it will be the fifth different country he’s played a game in.

Irvin has been around long enough to make all kinds of history – including being the only player to get kicked out of a Super Bowl.

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Bruce Irvin identifies what’s wrong with the Seahawks defense

The first step towards improvement is finding out what’s wrong.

Bruce Irvin has been a part of some great defenses in Seattle, as well as some not so great ones in other places during his career. Now that Irvin is back with the Seahawks, he’ll try to help improve a unit that ranks last in several important stats.

The first step towards improvement is finding out what’s wrong. Speaking with reporters yesterday Irvin honed in on the problems, namely communication and inexperience. Here’s what he said, per Bob Condotta at the Seattle Times.

“Honestly, I just think that on defense it’s a communication thing. I was with Sean (Desai) last year in Chicago, so I know the system already. It’s big on communicating. You have to change the strength, so you have to communicate that because the plays go from one side to the other side with certain motions and stuff. I think once we are out there chattering and guys are beleiving in one another, I think it will make a difference. From what I’ve seen being at home, I see a young defense with not a lot of experience playing with onbe another, but the talent is there.”

Irvin’s experience and leadership will be welcome additions to this defense. However, he’ll also have to make some plays. Aside from free agent pickup Uchenna Nwosu, the outside linebacker rotation has been a total disappointment this year so far.

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