Seahawks defense just received bulletin board material thanks to Bucs reporter's big misperception

Mike Macdonald has proven himself to be one of the NFL's best defensive minds, if not the best defensive mind, as he navigates Year 2 with the Seattle Seahawks.

The results are showing, too. The Seahawks defense, while not perfect by any means, is currently tied with two other teams when it comes to allowing the sixth-lowest EPA per play on defense, per Next Gen Stats. The unit has racked up the sixth-most sacks (12) through four games and allows just 3.6 yards per carry, which is the fourth-lowest of all 32 teams.

It's obvious why the Seahawks defense is on the rise. It's the simple equation of a good scheme and good players. But, according to one Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter, there aren't any "recognizable players" on that side of the ball.

It's a pretty big misperception, as the Seahawks defense currently has three players considered to be top-10 or better at their respective position in Leonard Williams, Ernest Jones IV, and Devon Witherspoon. On top of the fact there are four players with at least one Pro Bowl under their belts.

3 Seahawks defensive stats through Week 4

• Points allowed per game: 16.8 (t-2nd)
• Yards allowed per play: 4.5 (t-2nd)
• Takeaways: 7 (t-4th)

Todd Bowles quickly lets Bucs reporters know just how good the Seahawks defense is

Bowles is a defensive coach, so this is his forte. Therefore, he made sure the room knew just how good Macdonald's unit is after he was asked the aforementioned question about the unrecognizable players.

"I don't think they're recognizable to some people here, [but] they're recognizable to us," Bowles told reporters. "They have two great defensive tackles inside, with [Byron] Murphy and Leonard Williams, and they got DeMarcus Lawrence. They have the corner, [Devon] Witherspoon from Illinois (on the outside. They have a very good group. They play fast, they play physical, and they play violent."

It's funny - the Seahawks defense has Pro Bowlers on nearly every level of the defense. The linebackers are without nods, but at the same time, Ernest Jones IV is considered to among the best at his position and he was a driving factor in the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl run back in 2021.

Sure, the media is the media at the end of the day, but football players are always looking for some source of motivation and if I've carved out a long career that involves a Pro Bowl nod or nods, then you better believe I'm going to make sure that reporter knows my name by the time Sunday's game ends.

Win or lose.