SEATTLE — DeMarcus Lawrence scooped up the unfastened ball in stride together with his proper hand and by no means touched it together with his left on his approach to the tip zone for a 22-yard fumble return for a landing.
If it appeared just like the veteran exterior linebacker had finished it earlier than, it’s as a result of he had — solely minutes earlier, and on an nearly similar play.
Among the many many highlights for the Seattle Seahawks of their 44-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Lumen Area have been two return touchdowns by Lawrence within the first half, each of which got here on fumbles compelled by blitzing inside linebacker Tyrice Knight.
Per ESPN Analysis, Lawrence turned the fourth participant in NFL historical past with a number of fumble return touchdowns in the identical recreation, and the primary since Jeremy Chinn had two for the Carolina Panthers in 2020. The Seahawks used these two scores to leap out to a 38-7 halftime lead on their approach to their fourth straight win, which retains Mike Macdonald’s staff tied atop the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams, their opponent subsequent week at SoFi Stadium.
“You may’t draw that up,” mentioned Lawrence, who had two defensive touchdowns in 12 NFL seasons coming into Sunday. “T-Knight did a fantastic job, working the play precisely how Coach Macdonald drew it up, and I used to be the fortunate recipient of the 2 compelled fumbles. I’ll take it on daily basis.”
Lawrence’s first landing got here on a 34-yard return halfway by way of the primary quarter. As with the second — which got here early within the second quarter — officers reviewed the play and upheld the on-field ruling that the ball was not transferring ahead when Knight knocked it out of quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s hand.
Including to the strangeness of the performs was that the Seahawks entered Week 10 having but to power a fumble on protection regardless of being tied for fourth within the league in fewest factors allowed per recreation at 18.0.
“I couldn’t consider that D-Regulation received the second,” Macdonald mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Holy crap, it’s him once more.’ However the way in which that he attacked the ball, T-Knight, is simply superior. We hadn’t compelled any fumbles but all this 12 months on protection and we received two at the moment. It’s consciousness. Simply profiting from these alternatives was superior.”
The Seahawks had the NFL’s third-lowest blitz charge over the primary 9 weeks, as Macdonald largely has relied on his entrance 4 to get strain lest he additional tax a secondary that has been compelled to play backups at a number of spots due to accidents. The 2 blitzes on which Knight compelled Brissett to fumble had been in Seattle’s playbook, however Macdonald had but to name them this season earlier than Sunday.
“That was like déjà vu,” mentioned receiver Cooper Kupp. “It was loopy.”
Kupp (two catches, 74 yards) and Lawrence have been the Seahawks’ two massive veteran additions amid what was in any other case an offseason youth motion. Seattle signed the longtime Dallas Cowboys defensive finish to a three-year, $32.5 million contract, and to date it has gotten its cash’s price.
With a half sack towards Arizona, Lawrence has 4.0 sacks and 11 QB hits in eight video games (he missed one with a quad damage). His rugged edge-setting has been a consider Seattle’s stingy run protection, and Macdonald has raved concerning the tone he units with youthful gamers by way of his follow habits.
“I’m simply grateful DeMarcus Lawrence is on my staff, truthfully,” mentioned receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a Dallas-area native. “I grew up watching him on the Cowboys, so to have him, it’s an honor, and I nonetheless can’t actually consider that he’s on my staff. However simply grateful for lots of nice gamers that we’ve.”
Smith-Njigba, the NFL’s main receiver, caught 5 passes for 93 yards and a landing to surpass 1,000 receiving yards on the season. The Seahawks received their struggling run recreation going, too, topping 200 speeding yards earlier than late kneel-downs dropped them to a season-high 198.
Macdonald gave recreation balls to Lawrence, Knight and working backs coach Kennedy Polamalu, a mirrored image of how the sport was gained by Seattle’s protection and run recreation. The Cardinals’ first two touchdowns each got here after they took over with brief fields following Seattle turnovers — a botched change between Sam Darnold and fill-in heart Olu Oluwatimi and a Darnold interception that deflected off a teammate’s helmet. Darnold misplaced one other fumble later within the recreation.
Lawrence, Knight and the protection picked up the slack.
Knight began at center linebacker rather than Ernest Jones IV, who was out with a knee damage he sustained final week in a win over the Washington Commanders. Knight changed him in that recreation and led the staff with 10 tackles. He made eight extra Sunday to go together with his two strip sacks.
“You’ve received to remain prepared … and he’s taking part in nice soccer,” Macdonald mentioned. “Clearly we wish Ernest again as quickly as potential, however he’s exhibiting that he can go in and play nice ball for us and execute. Each of these have been pressures that we haven’t ran earlier than, so to have the ability to go in and execute these issues having not gotten all of the reps was some high-powered stuff.”
The Seahawks sacked Brissett 5 instances, who once more began rather than Kyler Murray. They’d 10 QB hits, together with a team-high three by Lawrence.
“We knew he wasn’t going to get out the pocket that a lot,” Lawrence mentioned of Brissett, “so we may pin our ears again and go hunt.”
In line with ESPN Analysis, the Seahawks completed with 22 quarterback pressures towards Arizona. They now have 146, probably the most by a staff by way of 9 video games since ESPN started monitoring duress in 2009.
The Seahawks on Saturday put veteran defensive sort out Jarran Reed on injured reserve due to a wrist fracture. Macdonald mentioned he’s anticipated to return, however Seattle should overcome the absence of one other key defensive participant for no less than the following three video games.
“I consider it’s a testomony of what we inbuilt coaching camp,” Lawrence mentioned. “We’ve been going at this for some time, and our younger guys are stepping up, taking part in good ball. … We’ve received a superb factor going.”
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