Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images Breaking down the Lions’ Week 4 opponent: the Seattle Seahawks and their suffocating defense. The Detroit Lions return home to another primetime game after getting another tick in the win column last week against the Arizona Cardinals. This time, it will be on “Monday Night Football” and against a team that Detroit hasn’t beaten since 2012, the Seattle Seahawks. To make things even more of a challenge, Seattle is coming in undefeated and in sole possession of first place in the NFC West. While injuries have affected the Seahawks a bit, they are still finding their groove early on this season. And while some of it is against some of the bottom-tier teams in the NFL, winning three games in a row is not easy. Can Detroit finally get past its kryptonite? Let’s dive deeper into the Seahawks in our Week 4 scouting report for the 2024 season. Seattle Seahawks Last Season 9-8 record (3rd in NFC West) 17th in points scored, 25th in points allowed Overall DVOA: 16th (12th on offense, 28th on defense) Coming off a Wild Card appearance in 2022, the Seahawks had higher expectations in 2023. Unfortunately, they were very similar with just a different ending to the year. The Seahawks finished the 2023 campaign with the same 9-8 record. After starting 6-3, their four-game losing streak in the middle of the season wasn’t enough to overcome and return to the playoffs. Quarterback Geno Smith was still playing well for the Seahawks, throwing for 3,624 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions, 37 carries for 155 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The running back duo of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet were helpful on the ground. Walker led the way with 905 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, while Charbonnet had 462 yards and a touchdown. The receiving game added another weapon in wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who did well as the number three option for Seattle, finishing with 63 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns. The dynamic duo of Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf were still playing great, as Metcalf was the leading receiver with 66 catches for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns, with Lockett getting the most catches with 79 for 894 yards and five touchdowns. The defense saw a few players step up in different spots. Linebacker Boye Mafe was the team leader in sacks with nine, and the Seahawks finished last season 11th for most sacks in the league. The secondary saw rookie cornerback Devon Witherspoon appear on everyone’s radar. He led the team in pass deflections with 16 and was a finalist for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. 2024 offseason Key additions: S Rayshawn Jenkins, TE Pharaoh Brown, LB Jerome Baker, DL Johnathan Hankins, S K’Von Wallace, WR Laviska Shenault Jr., G Laken Tomlinson, C Connor Williams Key losses: LB Bobby Wagner, LB Jordyn Brooks, TE Will Dissly, G Damien Lewis, TE Colby Parkinson, DL Mario Edwards Jr., C Evan Brown, HC Pete Carroll Trade additions: QB Sam Howell, LB Michael Barrett, LB Trevis Gipson 2024 NFL Draft picks Round 1: DL Byron Murphy IIRound 3: G Christian HaynesRound 4: LB Tyrice KnightRound 4: TE AJ BarnerRound 5: CB Nehemiah PritchettRound 6: OT Sataoa LaumeaRound 6: CB D.J. JamesRound 6: OT Mike Jerrell The biggest news for the Seahawks in the offseason was the change at head coach with Pete Carroll stepping down in January. Despite stepping down, Carroll didn’t go without a fight. He said he “competed pretty hard to be the coach, just so you know,” as the decision seemed to be more from the front office than Carroll. Carroll finished his career in Seattle 137-89-1 with two NFC Championships, two Super Bowl Appearances, and a Super Bowl victory. With that, the team moved on, and a new era in Seattle began with the hiring of Mike Macdonald, the former Baltimore Ravens and Michigan Wolverines defensive coordinator. Macdonald’s first free agency and draft overall had some interesting moves. The team would lose out on some helpful defensive pieces, losing Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner to other teams, and the offensive line took a hit as two starters left in Damien Lewis and Evan Brown. The additions seemed to address both of those issues, though, as the Seahawks brought in Jerome Baker and traded for Trevis Gipson and Michael Barrett to help their linebacker room try and grow. The offensive line got two new starters, former Lions first-round pick Laken Tomlinson and veteran Connor Williams to try to overcome their losses on the interior. When it came to the draft, Seattle went mostly for depth. Byron Murphy II was seen as a possible starter on the defensive line, while Christian Haynes, Tyrice Knight, and AJ Barner were pieces the team needed to get some more help in. Picking up extra cornerbacks and offensive tackles was also a good idea for the team, as injuries have been an issue in those areas for them. 2024 season thus far (3-0) Week 1: Defeated Denver Broncos 26-20Week 2: Defeated New England Patriots 23-20 (OT)Week 3: Defeated Miami Dolphins 24-3 Stats: 9th in points scored, 4th in points allowed Overall DVOA: 2nd (5th on offense, 2nd on defense, 26th on special teams) Seattle is starting the new era well by being one of two undefeated NFC teams left. The offense is moving the ball well, and the defense has been one of the best in the league so far. Geno Smith has been up and down, throwing for 787 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. But the run game has stepped up significantly, with Charbonnet tallying 141 yards and three touchdowns so far with Kenneth Walker out with an injury. When Walker returns, he and Charbonnet will be a challenge to slow down. Zach Charbonnet in Week 3:18 rushes (100% team share)91 yards2 TD3-16-0 receiving on 4 targetspic.twitter.com/gINct0YusZ— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) September 22, 2024 Seattle still boasts an impressive receiving group. Metcalf leads the team in yards with 262 and two touchdowns, Smith-Njigba has 17 catches for 175 yards. Lockett is not far behind with 13 catches for 138 yards. The defense for Seattle is more impressive than the offense. Linebackers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall both lead the team with 3.0 sacks each. The Seahawks have held their opponent to an average of just 14 points a game. Derick Hall and Boye Mafe are going to be a problem for people these next few years in MikeMcDonald's defense. Pair combined for 3 sacks and 6 QBH yesterday. #TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/R0H8BDYqzC— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 23, 2024 But don’t overlook their opponents so far this season. They faced the Broncos in Week 1 with Bo Nix making his first career start. Then they had to go to overtime to defeat the Patriots, which is surprising because the Patriots just got decimated by the New York Jets in Week 3. Then they played the Miami Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa, and their backup got hurt. So Seattle played against a third-string quarterback and former Lion Tim Boyle for about half the game. Detroit will undoubtedly be the Seahawks’ first test of the season to see if they are a legit competitor or one who benefited from a soft schedule. Injury notes Key players ruled out: T Abraham Lucas (PUP/knee), T George Fant (IR/knee)Key players to monitor: RB Kenneth Walker III (oblique), LB Uchenna Nwosu (knee), LB Jerome Baker (hamstring), DE Leonard Williams (ribs), DT Byron Murphy (hamstring) For the fourth straight game, the Lions’ opponent will be without a starting offensive tackle, and for the second straight week, their opponent will be without their backup offensive tackle. The Seahawks put right tackle Abraham Lucas on PUP in the preseason, knocking him out for the first four games. His replacement, Fant, was placed on IR just last Saturday, so he will now also be out for at least four weeks. Walker has missed the past two games with an oblique injury, but last week Macdonald was “very optimistic” he’d be ready for Detroit. The same goes for linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, as the Seahawks could use some help at linebacker. Baker was doubtful last week against the Dolphins and missed the game, so he also has a chance to return this week. Against Miami last week though, defensive end Leonard Williams and defensive tackle Byron Murphy left the game with injuries and would be listed as questionable before finally being ruled out. Biggest strength: Secondary The weak schedule could contribute to this, but according to PFF, the Seahawks’ secondary has been the best in the NFL with an 89.9 coverage grade. Seattle’s opponents have averaged just 157 passing yards against them this season and managed just a single passing touchdown. Seattle hasn’t created many turnovers with their poor passing, getting only two interceptions, both against the Broncos in Week 1. For now, I will respect the secondary for what they have done so far this season. Part of that success could also be because the front seven is generating pressure on the opposing quarterback. Whether it’s a sack or a throwaway pass, Seattle’s secondary has forced teams to run the ball on them instead of passing. Biggest weakness: Pass blocking Hello, Aidan Hutchinson. The changes to the offensive line and injuries at the tackle position have certainly made passing the ball more challenging in Seattle. Last season, the Seahawks allowed 38 sacks, and so far in 2024, they have allowed eight and are on pace for 45 this season. The pass blocking grade isn’t good either, as they have a 53.2 grade from PFF, which is the fourth worst in the NFL. Smith is kept clean on 61.9 percent of his throws, and when he is under pressure, he seems to struggle the most, as all of his interceptions came when he was facing pressure in his face. Blitzing isn’t the best course of action either, as despite the blitz coming, Smith has thrown more touchdowns and fewer interceptions when blitzed. The two new additions, Tomlinson and Williams, are struggling. Williams has a 55.5 pass-blocking grade, allowing two hurries, hits, and one sack. Tomlinson has a 45.1 pass-blocking grade, allowing five hurries, three hits, and a sack. If Detroit is going to win, it’s going to have to be on their defensive line. Key matchup: Lions pass blocking vs. Seahawks pass rush I could have run with plenty of choices, but this one could significantly impact the game. So far this season, the Lions haven’t faced this difficult of a front seven. The Lions offensive line has been great in run blocking and decent pass protection, only allowing four sacks. Seattle has the best pass rush compared to the other three opponents the Lions have faced. The Bucs have only two sacks this season with a 66.2 rush grade from PFF. The Los Angeles Rams have an even worse pass rush grade of 62.9 with four sacks, and the Lions just beat the worst of the bunch in Arizona, who has a 58.5 grade and eight sacks. Seattle brings in a 67.6 pass-rush grade but 11 sacks total. What makes them different is that their pass rush doesn’t come from the defensive line; it comes from their linebackers. The Lions might not have to deal with Williams and Murphy if they miss the game, but with center Frank Ragnow week-to-week with a torn pec, it could make it more challenging for the Lions offensive line to contain the pass rush. Last year, the Lions allowed two sacks against Seattle, and they hope to make it zero on Monday night. Vegas line for Sunday: Lions favored by 3.5