The Seattle Seahawks’ 38-35 loss to Tampa Bay wasn’t just about missed tackles and busted coverages — it may point to a much larger issue across the NFL.
In this debut of our new weekly segment “Ask Coach Bryce,” I sit down with football coach and QB developer Bryce Coutts to break down:
**What really went wrong with Seattle’s defense on Sunday
**How the team tried to adjust on the fly after losing multiple key defenders
**Why this might not be a “Seahawks problem” at all — but a league-wide developmental crisis
As college football offenses become increasingly spread-based and less physical, NFL teams are finding it harder to develop “ready-made” defensive players. The result? Defenses are under-repped, backups aren’t game-ready, and injuries expose those cracks faster than ever.
We also discuss the philosophical shift in modern football:
Offenses are now truly multiple — they can go empty and throw it 50 times one week, then line up in heavy sets with two tight ends and pound the rock the next (or even within the same game). It forces defenses to try and find, and build unicorns at every level:
**Linemen big enough to stop the run, but quick enough to rush the passer
**Linebackers who can hit like old-school thumpers but cover like safeties
**Corners who can play press, hold the edge, and still support in run fits
Is it any wonder even great defensive minds like Mike Macdonald and Todd Bowles saw a shootout break loose Sunday?
This is a can’t-miss conversation if you love the X’s and O’s of football and want to understand the state of defensive football in today’s NFL.
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