LBs, ‘big nickel’ spurring Seahawks’ defense into showdown with Packers

Greg Cosell has studied NFL rosters and schemes longer than most players and coordinators have been alive. And before the season, Cosell said Seattle was a team better than most expected.

Entering Week 15, the first-place Seahawks (8-5) have won four in a row and stonewalled opponents during that streak. On Thursday, Cosell weighed in on Seattle’s highly anticipated primetime matchup with the Packers (9-4) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).

“The Seahawks’ defense, vanilla’s not the right word but they’re not a high-percentage blitz defense,” Cosell told Colin Cowherd on FS1’s The Herd. “But they have a really good defensive-line rotation and they made significant changes at linebacker.”

Those changes, Cosell said, have made the Seahawks “much, much better.” First, general manager John Schneider acquired Ernest Jones from Tennessee on Oct. 23. Then, Schneider and Mike Macdonald released starter Tyrel Dodson on Nov. 11 and replaced him with rookie fourth-round selection Tyrice Knight. The Seahawks haven’t lost since. Over the four games since inserting Knight, they’ve allowed the NFL’s third-fewest points per game (15.5) and fourth-fewest yards (297.3). Knight had 12 tackles and broke up two passes in last week’s win at Arizona.

Cosell said another transaction has helped to turn around the Seahawks’ season: Activating veteran safety Rayshawn Jenkins from injured reserve on Nov. 23. A healthy Jenkins has allowed the Seahawks to embrace a concept called Big Nickel, a three-safety look that helped the team earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in consecutive games (safety Coby Bryant and defensive end Leonard Williams). But Pro Bowl safety Julian Love has been the most impressive, according to Cosell.

“He is one of best safeties in the league and he’s not talked about enough.”

Williams gets talked about plenty. A stalwart in the defensive front, he aims for his fourth consecutive game with two-or-more tackles for loss. The veteran has consistently beat double-team blocks and allowed Macdonald to get better coverage from his linebackers and secondary. Seattle’s ability to get pressure without the blitz has also been important.

Jacobs ladder: In last week’s loss at Detroit, Josh Jacobs registered three rushing touchdowns. The Packers’ running back has rushed for three touchdowns in two of his past three games, including Green Bay’s win over San Francisco on Nov. 24, and became the first NFL player since Derrick Henry in 2021 with multiple games of three-or-more rushing TDs in a season … With the Raiders two years ago in his only career game at Lumen Field, Jacobs established career highs in scrimmage (303) and rushing yards (229), including the game-winning 86-yard touchdown in overtime. The play marked the second-longest overtime rushing touchdown and fourth-longest overtime scrimmage touchdown since 1974.

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