Stats provided by Pro Football Focus

Approaches: 79 (56 alone)

Pass deviations: 16

Interceptions: 1 (returned for touchdown)

forced groping: 1

Loss approaches: 8

Bags: 3.0

Coverage statistics: 39 receptions (68 targets), 396 yards, 4 TDs

Missed Attack Rate: 12.1 percent

Approaches: 51 (34 alone)

Pass deviations: 3

Interceptions: 0

forced groping: 1

Loss approaches: 1

Bags: 0

Coverage statistics: 37 receptions (50 targets), 323 yards, 0 TDs

Missed Attack Rate: 16.4 percent

Witherspoon is still flying around the field. He’s arguably been better in defense against the run this season than he was in 2023, forcing 21 stops — a play that results in a fumble for the offense, according to Pro Football Focus — after having 28 all of last season . Plus, he still delivers penalty kicks that make ball carriers fear his area of ​​the field.

That said, there hasn’t been the jump in his game that many expected after being arguably Seattle’s best quarterback as a rookie. He’s allowing about 4.1 catches for 35.9 yards per game this season after allowing just 2.8 catches for 28.3 yards as a rookie. However, he hasn’t allowed a touchdown so far in 2024.

The pass numbers stand out, too. Witherspoon had a 33.3 percent pressure rate and three sacks on 30 pass snaps last season, and that dropped to zero sacks and a 13 percent pressure rate. He still rushes the passer, but doesn’t affect the quarterback as much as he did as a rookie.

What is perhaps the most striking difference between Witherspoon’s debut season and his sophomore season is the lack of pass deflections. He just hasn’t had many standout plays in the football in the passing game – a key role he filled for the Seahawks last season.

As a rookie, it felt like Witherspoon was making plays all over the field. The first thought is if Macdonald is simply using him differently than Pete Carroll was, but that’s not quite the case. He is rushing the passer in 6 percent of coverage snaps this season and did so 5.5 percent of the time last year. Witherspoon’s lineup was also similar.

Of his 587 defensive snaps this season, Witherspoon has lined up in the slot 47.5 percent of the time and is in the box on 14.8 percent of snaps. Last year, those numbers were 47.6 and 10.3 percent, respectively (883 snaps). That’s a negligible difference.

It could just be a drop. Witherspoon has incredible talent and athleticism, but it’s the NFL. Long games happen even for the best players in the league and it could take time for him to find his rhythm in Macdonald’s system.

A strong second half of the season from Witherspoon would be a welcome upgrade for Seattle’s defense. At 4-5 overall, the Seahawks need every playmaker to step up for the final stretch of the campaign.

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