Seattle Seahawks: Defense Gives Team Shot at Victory

Troy Taormina – USA TODAY Sports

Things looked like they were getting away from the Seattle Seahawks when they fell behind 20-3 at halftime against the Houston Texans. Seattle’s offense was struggling with three offensive linemen injured and the Texans appeared to have found their offensive rhythm. Things changed, however, in the second half as the Seahawks scored 17 straight points in the second half as the Seattle defense rose up and gave their team the chance to win the game.

After getting pushed around a bit in the first half, the Seattle defense made all the right adjustments at the break. They gave up some yardage to the Texans but were able to keep them off the scoreboard until the very end of the game. They capped the 17-point rally with a pick-six by Richard Sherman on an ill-advised throw into coverage by Matt Schaub.

The biggest difference may have been the pass rush. Early on, Seattle struggled to get to Schaub and allowed him plenty of time to sit back in the pocket and pick apart the secondary. In the second half, they harassed Schaub, applying pressure and hitting the quarterback regularly leading to poor choices from the Houston signal caller. Getting planted on nearly every drop back began to visibly affect his composure.

That attacking defense creates so many opportunities for big plays that can change the landscape of the game. Even when their offense struggles to get on track, an elite defense like Seattle can give the Seahawks an opportunity to win each and every game they play.

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