Despite some recent struggles against the run and on third down, the Seahawks defense ranks third in the NFL with 25 sacks. Above, Brandon Mebane celebrates a sack of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. (AP)

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If it would please the court, I offer the following for those who over-analyze and nit-pick between Sundays:

For the prosecution

• The San Francisco 49ers' offensive coaches found an inconsistency in the Seahawks run defense. Frank Gore and the San Francisco offense gashed the Seahawks defense for 175 yards rushing using a variety of blocking schemes that included traps and fake double-teams that left Alan Branch and Jason Jones lunging into the backfield, allowing blocking angles on the linebackers.

• On-the-field adjustments must be made and the Seahawks defense really should've adjusted to the 49ers' blocking scheme.

• The Detroit Lions converted on third down 12 times, extending drives that yielded 352 yards and four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

• There's no excuse for giving up third down conversions at a 75 percent rate. If the Hawks had stopped the Lions just once on third down in the second half, they might've come out of Detroit with a win.

• Minnesota Vikings super back Adrian Peterson rushed for 182 yards, 169 of those yards coming on just six carries that made the Hawks defense look downright silly last Sunday.

• Peterson is just 10 months off of a very serious knee injury and was the No. 1 rusher in the NFL. How do you not get that guy on the ground?

For the defense

• The Seahawks defense held the 49ers to 13 points.

• The Lions were bound to explode and unfortunately Stafford threw some of his most accurate passes of his career that day. Those guys get paid, too.

• Peterson will be a Pro Football Hall of Famer the very second his five-year waiting period is up. Even though he ran roughshod over the Seahawks defense, they held the Vikings to under 300 yards of total offense and got a win.

Furthermore

• The Dallas Cowboys, fresh off of a win over the World Champion New York Giants, were held to just seven points.

• The Seahawks limited the 2011 NFL MVP, Aaron Rodgers, to an 81.5 QB rating, no touchdown passes and 12 total points for the explosive Green Bay Packers offense.

• Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton won the AP rookie of the year last season after throwing for more yards than any rookie in NFL history. He was sacked four times and handed a paltry 56.8 QB rating by the Hawks defense.

• Although Tom Brady threw for 395 yards, he was intercepted twice and held to a 79.3 rating and the potent New England Patriots offense scored just six points in the second half.

Additional findings

• The Seahawks have the No. 4 defense in the league, giving up just 309 yards per game.

• They have the No. 3 scoring defense, surrendering only 17.1 points per game.

• They are No. 3 in sacks with 25, putting them on a pace for around 45 sacks, 12 more than last year.

Not bad, and I would argue that had the possibility of these numbers been presented at the beginning of the year, most Seahawks fans would've said, "I'll take that!"

Yet we expect a lot from this defense, so in order to reach elite status, there are areas of improvement that must be satisfied in this case:

Run fits. On every running play, each gap is accounted for by a particular player. The good news for the Hawks is that I'm not seeing players getting overpowered or beaten at the point of attack. It's more about assignment and subtle adjustments in technique like staying low, attacking blockers and not over-running plays. This is a fixable problem and I'm sure that coaches like former Pro Bowl linebacker Ken Norton, Jr. will get that problem squared away.

Third down. I know that one game is a small sample size, but last week against the Vikings, the Hawks got healthy in that situation by holding Minnesota to 30 percent, largely because of big plays. Three sacks and one turnover came in third-down situations. I think they're on the road to redemption on third down.

Turnovers. In order to be considered an elite defense in this league, you've got to get turnovers. Head coach Pete Carroll will tell you it's all about the ball. The Chicago Bears rank behind the Seahawks in total defense but have 28 takeaways compared to Seattle's 13.

It's true that the Hawks have not had as many opportunities present themselves, but you make that happen by playing with confidence and aggressiveness. Any time you can get your hands on the ball, you have to make that play, and the Hawks have let too many of those opportunities slip away. I predict a spate of turnovers the next seven games. They tend to come in bunches.

I rest my case.

Follow Dave Wyman, 710Sports.com contributor

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  Bigfoot400 wrote...

  Thanks Dave

  November 8, 2012 11:55 am

  Finally a bit of perspective to counterbalance the continous "white noise" that is Mike Salk! I am getting very tired of listening to him rant about how this defense is "no longer elite" First that is a very overused phrase that really means nothing,although since its a title he bestowed on them, I guess its OK if he wants to remove it! Secondly, what I see is a defense that has made improvements over last year in several areas and is still learning to play together as a unit. Last year they were one of the top ten defenses (NOT top 5 like Salk would have had you believe from prior to the first pre season game). This year they look to be on track to be that top 5 defense. Right now they are dealing with the fact that nothing new lasts long in the NFL. OC's have spent the last 2 months dissecting tape and learning how to attack this unique defense. They have found the holes and now its up to the coaching staff to "adjust to the adjustments". Can they play better than they are right now? You bet! Will they play better? You can bet on that too! Again, thanks for a balanced view on the subject and I look forward to your contributions on "The Huddle" I used to be a big Brock and Salk listener, but its just too over the top these days, so your show has become the mainstay of my Seahawk analysis. Thanks again from a Canadian Fan.

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  Lee Pridemore wrote...

  White Noise of Salk Shall Rain Down Upon You

  November 8, 2012 12:36 pm

  Dear Mr. Bigfoot400, Michael Salk's new book, Spotlight On Elites: The Decline of Meritocracy in the NFL is a must read for any anonymous Canadian who thinks they know what they're talking about. Good day to you, Sir.

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  Bigfoot400 wrote...

  So enlighten me

  November 8, 2012 1:05 pm

  I see a lot of multisyllabic sneering, but no real opinion. I take it you have a problem with my approval of Dave Wymann's article. Show me the errors of my way rather than heaping sarcasm on my head.

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  Lee Pridemore wrote...

  Take the Bull By the Hand

  November 10, 2012 10:05 am

  I am not multisyllabic, Mr.Bigfoot. I do have a little nit-pic in me when it comes to West Coast football. I first developed a strong taste for tackle football during the Big Six Era of the Pacific Coast Conference and will not tolerate sloppy syntax or lethargic thought from any pundit of pigskin or you. Good Day to you, Sir.

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  Lee Pridemore wrote...

  argumentum e contrario

  November 8, 2012 12:14 pm

  In logic, argumentum e contrario (Latin: appeal for the contrary or argument based on the contrary) denotes any proposition that is argued to be correct because it is not proven by a certain case. Argumentums e contrario are often used in the legal system to solve problems not currently covered by a certain system of laws, in this case, the courtroom of public opinion with the Honorable Judge Wyman presiding. I accept Judge Wyman's fallacies and call to testify the Honorable and Angry Gentleman Paul Moyer.

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  NWPhil wrote...

  Nice Article

  November 8, 2012 1:38 pm

  I agree with Bigfoot! Mike Salk get way too much air time on football. Salk is not an elite expert and in fact should stick to baseball. The defense had to carry this team in the first 4 games and played a lot of downs. This is the NFL and you are going to give up plays so the more you are on the field the more likely it's going to happen. Now that the offense is staring to click I believe you will see the defense get back to the level it was in thr first couple of games.

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  sherm00 wrote...

  Jets

  November 8, 2012 1:50 pm

  This #4 Defense better Punch the Jets right in the mouth this weekend. The "Legion of Boom" Get down right nasty on Sanchez and Tebow. Make them wish they never came to the CLink.

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  rajuseattle wrote...

  mike salk is overrated Football analyst in Serattle Media.

  November 8, 2012 3:32 pm

  that said, seattle defense is doing good, and they should beat the Jets team very handily...Go Hawks as my beloved RW says. Note: True Football analysis should come from Broack Huard and Dave Wyman who are real NFL players and know what they talk, what is Mike Salk's credential? He pretend to be Prof John clayton, but John is a real stats guru and real analyst.

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  clevesside wrote...

  Future takeaways are in the distance...

  November 8, 2012 5:28 pm

  ... you can hear the Seahawk train a'comin. I believe the future schedule will provide for better opportunities than the first 1/2. Our vaunted 2ndary is overdue for some self-expression and the linebackers are not limited to recollecting the days of Tatufu. Something's got to give, and we're getting up to and beyond full-term. Mr. Stanford is merely stating the obvious for better clarification. Let's start with the Mouths from NY.

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  Chawks425 wrote...

  Wow

  November 9, 2012 3:58 am

  A lot of Salk haters on here! See what you started Wyman!? I agree the rants about the defense not being "elite" are getting a bit repetitive and kind of annoying. Anyways, good write up Dave! I completely agree and the fact that we're ranked the 4th over-all defense so far, I don't know what more we could want. We're still a very young team and they'll grow together and just keep getting better and better. And if I hear Salk say one more word on this topic, I'm going to be seriously annoyed...I like the dude, but it's getting rediculous Go Hawks!

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  Bigfoot400 wrote...

  Not a Hater

  November 9, 2012 7:48 am

  I'm not a Salk "Hater" per say, I just get tired of his creating "situations" out of thin air and then riding them to death. Remember the "Flynn must be faking his injury because he's mad he lost the job" argument? That's where I lost respect for him. It was like he was falling back on his polical training when RW was struggling in the early games...distract attention by smearing the opponent. I hate when somebody is so obviously trying to influence opinion...I can draw mine own thank you! Now when Salk talks baseball, I sit up and listen...when he talks football, I sit up to change the station!

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