The Seattle Seahawks did to the New England Patriots what they did to seemingly every non-Matthew Stafford offense. Drake Maye looked lost when he had time to throw, and unsure of himself when he did attempt
a pass. As a team, the Patriots had a -0.31 EPA per play and a 41 percent success rate, and couldn’t get anything going all evening.
Drake Maye was pressured on 52.8 percent of his dropbacks and sacked six times, despite only being blitzed 13.2 percent of the time. So, as you’re reading this week about which teams can copy Seattle’s blueprint, keep in mind their defense is stocked full of first-rounders who play with a level of aggression and possess speed that few teams do. The defense known as the “Dark Side” led by a mastermind in Mike MacDonald put their stamp on the biggest game in the sport.
We’ve seen the San Francisco 49ers field some of the very best defenses themselves in recent years. Seattle’s DVOA, which adjusts for strength of schedule, was -24.2 percent in 2025, the best by nearly five percentage points. The 49ers were -20.3 in 2019, -14.8 in 2022, and No. 1 in 2022. So close, but not as dominant as the unit we just watched.
So, that begs the question, how close, or perhaps far off, are the current iteration of the 49ers from the Seahawks defense? Let’s go position by position, starting with the defensive line.
Defensive line
If we go back to the P.E. days in school and are lining up every defensive lineman on each roster, Nick Bosa gets selected first, but the Seahawks probably have the next four or five picks.
The biggest difference between the 49ers’ defensive line and the Seahawks is that one team has players who win against the run and the pass, while the other is full of specialists. Bryce Huff and Yetur Gross-Matos are only playable on passing downs, while the rookie class from 2025’s main contributions come against the run.
The Seahawks had six players with at least 35 pressures and four players with seven sacks. Huff was the only player to notch more than 35 pressures, while Sam Okuayinonu and Keion White were the only two north of 20 pressures. No player had more than five sacks.
The depth and quality are night and day. There is still plenty of time for Mykel Williams, Alfred Collins, and CJ West to develop during their rookie contracts, but none entered the NFL with a pass-rushing pedigree, which limits their ceiling.
The 49ers swung and missed in free agency on Gross-Matos, who failed to show the ability to stay healthy. Sam O and White will be better alongside Bosa, as will Huff. Still, it goes without saying that the play from this group needs to improve, and expecting everything to change just because Bosa is back feels more like hope than an actual plan.
Linebackers
Playoff teams tried to attack linebacker Ernest Jones in coverage, but Seattle’s scheme was sound enough to hide him, thanks to having a plethora of plus starters around Jones.
Jones allowed 57 yards in coverage and all six of his targets to be completed, including a touchdown, but it was too little too late. The linebacker next to him, Drake Thomas, didn’t even start the season for Seattle. In the Super Bowl, the second linebacker only played 46 percent of the time.
That tells you this is not a position the Super Bowl champs are overly invested in. Why would they be when you look at the defensive line and the secondary?
Fred Warner is the ultimate equalizer. The player who lines up next to him has played at an All-Pro level at times, see Dre Greenlaw and Azeez Al-Shaair. Other times, they’ve been so bad that they walked off the field in the middle of a game.
Whether Dee Winters or Nick Martin, the 49ers are fine at linebacker as long as Warner is on the field. Linebackers have become running backs in the sense that just about anybody, relatively speaking, can get the job done. It’s more about playing a specific style, being athletic, but also being disciplined.
Secondary
Let’s line everybody up in the gym again. How long until the first player from the 49ers gets selected?
Devon Witherspoon was the fifth overall pick. Nick Emmanwori was a second-rounder, but played like a first-rounder. Statistically, Riq Woolen has been fantastic for 2+ seasons. This usually means teams target Josh Jobe. New England did nine times, and completed three passes for 14 yards. This past season, Jobe allowed a 42.6 percent completion percentage on 68 targets for 4.3 yards per target.
There are four players before you get to a Niner. Also, is that first player Upton Stout?
The dichotomy in athleticism between these two units is stark, and the 49ers don’t have a choice but to upgrade this offseason if they are going to embrace Raheem Morris’s identity or simply be more competitive in man-to-man situations on obvious passing downs next season.
We watched what Seattle’s secondary did to San Francisco’s wide receivers. That was a theme for the Seahawks in 2025. There was never a point during the year when it felt like the Niners secondary as a whole shut down their opponent.
So, to answer the article’s question, the 49ers have a ways to go to match the talent of their rivals on this side of the ball. Player development would help, but an infusion of talent and style at the highlighted critical positions is needed.
It helps when you hit on seemingly every one of your picks and signings. Getting Demarcus Lawrence for around $5 million was a steal. You could argue that Byron Murphy’s fall was as well. A strong offseason, paired with smart signings and rookies who can contribute right away, will be a step in the right direction and will go a long way in catching Seattle’s defense, but the Niners would still likely be a player or two short in the talent pool.
