‘Blur of a Human’: Ageless Demarcus Lawrence Continues to Wow Seahawks’ Teammates, Coaches
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Seattle Seahawks defensive end Demarcus Lawrence prepares to tackle Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images [/caption]
SEATTLE, Wash. - Nursing a slim 3-0 lead and backed up in their own red zone following a fumble by quarterback Sam Darnold, the Seattle Seahawks found themselves in a tighter than expected defensive slugfest against the Minnesota Vikings, who came to Lumen Field without their starting quarterback and two starting offensive linemen.
Pitted against an undrafted rookie quarterback in Max Brosmer, who stepped in for J.J. McCarthy under center, the Seahawks had forced punts on each of their first four defensive possessions, yielding under 50 net yards on those drives. Unfortunately, with the offense sputtering throughout the first half, a shutout now seemed unlikely thanks to the unfortunate starting field position for the Vikings, who took over at the opposing 13-yard line after recovering Darnold’s fumble on a strip sack, already well within field goal range.
However, living by the mantra of defending every blade of grass following the quick change of possession, Seattle wasn’t about to let Minnesota get on the scoreboard without a fight. After cornerback Josh Jobe brought down Jordan Addison a yard short of the marker on a third down completion from Brosmer, the Vikings opted to bypass a chance at a field goal to tie the game, instead choosing to go for it on 4th and 1 with eyes on extending the drive or scoring a touchdown to take the lead closing in on three minutes left to play in the first half.
Even in hindsight, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made the right call, particularly with a backup quarterback under center. But as he has done so many times during the course of his first year as a Seahawk, Demarcus Lawrence decided to make that decision a regrettable one.
Not fooled at all by Brosmer’s play fake to running back Aaron Jones, Lawrence swam past a down blocking tight end and zeroed in on the rookie quarterback, flushing him downfield on a bootleg with immediate pressure. As he dragged the quarterback down for what he hoped would be a drive-ending sack, Brosmer tried to throw the ball away for a turnover on downs, only for his ill-fated pass to land right in the hands of linebacker Ernest Jones, who took the interception back 85 yards for a momentum-changing touchdown, serving as the signature highlight in a 26-0 Seahawks victory.
“While I was in the process of bringing him down, I’m thinking he was throwing it out of bounds,” Lawrence said after the game. “But, when I heard the crowd roar, I am trying to find out what was going on, and I just see E.J. just chugging right beside me. I got up and ran and celebrated.”
On a day where Seattle didn’t find the end zone on offense until the fourth quarter, Lawrence delivered the goods to help pick up the slack in a contest where points were at a premium early, something that has become all-too-familiar over the past few games at Lumen Field. Only three weeks earlier, he scored two defensive touchdowns of his own returning Jacoby Brissett fumbles forced by teammate Tyrice Knight for six points, helping blow the game wide open early in an eventual 44-22 win over Arizona.
Though he wasn’t the one who crossed the goal line with the football in his hands this time around, Lawrence created Jones’ first career touchdown with his football IQ and savvy just as much as his skill as a pass rusher. Understanding the situation and circumstances for an opponent trying to make things easier on an untested quarterback, he read the naked bootleg as if he was shot off the line of scrimmage from a cannon, generating the necessary harassment to coax Brosmer into a horrific decision.
There’s no such thing as a bad time for a defense to produce a pick six, but considering it came in the immediate aftermath of Seattle’s own turnover while only leading by a field goal margin, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald viewed Lawrence’s latest heroics as a huge turning point in a game that could have played out differently if Minnesota converted in that situation.
“That's one of these things that DeMarcus does probably better than anybody I've been around,” Macdonald said. “He plays with anticipation and understands situational football at an incredibly high level. Fourth-and-one in a run-or-pass type of situation and reads it, it's a movement, and that's not part of his technique. That's just him being a great football player and understanding situational ball. Just an awesome play.”
Lawrence wasn’t done directly contributing to scoring opportunities for the Seahawks, either. Far from satisfied after forcing Brosmer into an ugly interception, the 12th year defensive end got home again on the ensuing drive for a third down sack, leading to a fifth Vikings punt and a Jason Myers field goal to send the home team into the break with a 13-point advantage.
Then after the break, on Minnesota’s first possession in the third quarter, Lawrence continued to play the role of one-man wrecking ball, this time demonstrating remarkable effort after Brosmer had unloaded the ball on a completion to Jones. Despite being blocked upfield and knocked to the ground briefly on a chip block by the back, he got up and turned on the afterburners in pursuit, chasing the ball carrier from behind before “attacking” and punching the ball free for a fumble, leading to another Jason Myers field goal to extend the lead to 19.
Gushing about Lawrence’s motor and determination, Macdonald called the forced fumble his “new favorite play,” and there’s a 0% chance he didn’t show the play dozens of times to the entire team on Monday morning.
“Unbelievable. Just plays like a blur of a human. It's on the other side of the field, and then you're like holy crap he's going to make the play,” Macdonald remarked. “Then you see him coming down with the right hand and it's like, okay. Hopefully recovered the ball. It was awesome.”
Not showing any signs of slowing down at 33 years young, Lawrence’s addition has been an absolute game changer for a defense already loaded with experienced and youthful talent at all three levels. Along with five sacks and the aforementioned two defensive touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus, he ranks in the top 20 among edge defenders in Pass Rush Productivity (8.7) and quarterback hits (nine) while also having a top-10 average depth of tackle (0.9 yards) against the run.
But away from his fantastic production, Lawrence’s presence as another valuable leader on and off the field has been equally impactful for the Seahawks, providing an invaluable mentor for the likes of second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II. Already touted by Macdonald on multiple occasions as the best practice player he’s ever coached, efforts such as the one he put in to hunt down Jones for the fumble on Sunday undoubtedly will make everyone else around him play that much harder snap to snap.
Finally finishing off a shutout after numerous close calls earlier in the season, Lawrence proclaimed this current Seahawks’ defense as the best one he has played with in his career to this point. Showing no signs of slowing down as he closes in on a dozen NFL seasons and enjoying one of his finest all-around seasons, if there’s a scary proposition for the rest of the league, he doesn’t think the unit has peaked yet either with five regular season games left to play.
“It is rejuvenating, man. We got a dope brotherhood, we are well connected in our locker room, we fight for each other, we all love the game, so I’m excited to be a part of this group, and excited to go out and hunt again next week.”
