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Seahawks have blown second-most fourth quarter leads since 2012

By Vincent Frank | Last updated 10/13/15

The Legion of Boom has gained the reputation as the best defense of this generation. Led by Pro Bowlers at three of the four positions in the secondary and an All-Pro linebacker, the Seattle Seahawks have found a way to rely on this unit for a whole heck of a lot of success since the start of the 2012 season.

In the three years prior to this season, Seattle boasted a 36-12 record — a number that ties Pete Carroll's squad for the best mark in the NFL during that span. The team is also yielding a league-best 15 points per game since the start of the 2012 campaign.

As we saw Sunday in a difficult loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, there has been one Achilles heel for Seattle's defense over the course of the past three-plus seasons:

Seahawks are tied for 2nd-most blown 4Q leads (13) since 2012. Only Tampa Bay (14) has more. @TonyDungy
— Scott Kacsmar (@FO_ScottKacsmar) October 12, 2015

With so many fourth quarter leads, it stands to reason that the Seahawks would have a ton of opportunities to blow games late in the fourth quarter.

The problem that we saw on Sunday is that Seattle's defense pretty much fell apart with a huge lead in the fourth quarter. En route to blowing a three-score lead in the final stanza for the first time since 2004, Seattle yielded 230 total yards of offense in the fourth quarter and overtime .

This has led to a team that's now 2-3 on the season and two games out of first place in the NFC West heading into a big Week 6 game against the undefeated Carolina Panthers.

We can look at missed tackles and blown coverages until we are blue in the face. But it all comes down to execution from the team as a whole. Seattle's offense sputtered with a 17-point lead, putting up a total of 53 yards in its final six possessions. That led to its defense having to be on the field for nearly 80 plays, including 33 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

We can also point to a Seahawks defense that has now forced one interception and is yielding a 97.2 quarterback rating in five games.

The two-time defending NFC champions will have to turn this around in short order if they are going to find a way to win the conference for a third consecutive season. Heck, with a 2-3 record almost one-third of the way through the season, Seattle might actually be fighting for a playoff spot late into the year.

Blowing three fourth quarter leads in four attempts isn't going to help matters. That's the harsh reality of the situation for Seattle as it attempts to get back on track against Cam Newton and Co. this upcoming weekend.

Check out Vincent's other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter @VincentFrankNFL.