Seahawks Are Breaking a Defensive Rule — Mike Macdonald Explains Why It Works – heavy.com

Seahawks Are Breaking a Defensive Rule — Mike Macdonald Explains Why It Works  heavy.com

The Seattle Seahawks are doing something defensive coordinators generally aren't supposed to get away with. They're defending the run with relatively light boxes. They're preventing explosive plays. And through two games, Mike Macdonald's defense has barely given opponents room to breathe. A reporter told Macdonald on September 21 that Seattle leads the NFL in rushing success rate allowed and is producing a tackle for loss once every 5.4 opponent carries despite putting fewer defensive backs near the line of scrimmage than most teams. Another statistic was even harder to ignore: Seattle is the first NFL team since 2006 to go through its first two games without allowing a play of at least 20 yards. Macdonald's explanation was more interesting than the numbers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEyDKLahsgg Mike Macdonald Explains Why Seahawks Can Survive With Light Boxes "If you want to play with light boxes, you need to constrict space and you need to win one-on-one matchups," Macdonald told reporters. That sounds simple. It isn't. Playing fewer defenders near the line can leave a defense vulnerable if the front loses individual matchups or the second level arrives late. Seattle is effectively demanding that its defensive linemen and linebackers handle more territory so the rest of the defense doesn't have to surrender numbers elsewhere. Macdonald pointed to all three levels. The front has to win.