SEATTLE — It's been a long time since I've heard a head coach so fired up and positive after a loss.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll barely had time to decompress after a 17-13 loss to the Bengals, but that did not stop him from praising his players as if they had won.
He described his team as a "frickin' competitive group" adding, "They fought their ass off and it will help us down the road."
The coach did not sidestep the fact his team scored its only touchdown in Cincinnati on the first drive of the game.
Opening drives for most teams are already scripted before they take the field and that one was rehearsed and performed to near perfection.
But for the rest of the game, the team's writers must have gone on strike, only their picket line was more of a pick-it line. Geno Smith threw two interceptions - one at the three-yard line on the doorstep of a go-ahead touchdown. The other came in the Bengals' end of the field which ended a promising drive.
Yes, there were shortcomings in the Seahawks' offense that have to be fixed.
But it's their defense that clearly has Pete Carroll fired up. After all, he's a defensive back at heart, from his playing days as an all-conference safety at the University Of Pacific to his first NFL coaching job 40 years ago as the secondary coach for the Buffalo Bills.
Carroll loves a good defense, and defense wins championships (see Super Bowl 48).
The current Seahawks defense may not be the second coming of the "Legion Of Boom", but man, five games into the season it's a fun group to watch.
The defense so far this season has held teams to just 3.2 yards per carry, ranking them number one in the NFL.
That kind of effort forces teams to throw against a defense that is one of the best in the league at generating pressure on quarterbacks. Seattle is tied for fourth in sacks this season.
Defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt said a good pass rush is like a pitcher dealing on the mound. As an offense, you don't know what's coming.
One down, it's straight heat. Next down, it's a change-up with a linebacker busting through. Then they throw you a curve with a cornerback flying in off the edge on a blitz.
It's about keeping offenses guessing, especially quarterbacks.
Take Joe Burrow.
The Bengals saw how the Seahawks battered Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. You can bet that's why Burrow spent the first half against Seattle getting rid of the ball as soon as he touched it.
It was almost comical how quickly the ball came out of his hands. One step drops and gone. Two steps, gone.
But that plan fell apart in the second half when after a few adjustments, the Seahawks dropped Burrow three times and all but stifled the Bengals offense. The only points they managed came on a 52-yard field goal. That's as close as they got to seeing the black and orange of the end zone.
Instead, they saw nothing but the black and white of a checkered flag - the finish line for their offense.
The Bengals ended up with just 214 total yards, most of which came in the first quarter.
The Seahawks defense has all the weapons it needs, especially in the secondary.
I'm afraid to even say this but how much fun is it watching a healthy Jamal Adams level opponents?
Quandre Diggs led the team in tackles in Cincinnati - all solos, which helped limit the Bengals to just 42 yards rushing. Rookie Devon Witherspoon has put the league on notice just four games into his career.
Fellow cornerback Riq Woolen knows that feeling all too well from a year ago when he had six interceptions in the first 12 games of his NFL career.
And Julian Love has been that perfect veteran in a secondary that is stacked.
At the helm of this defense is future Hall Of Famer Bobby Wagner.
He's the difference maker.
As Diggs once told me, when Wagner says something, especially in the huddle, "he ain't playing. You know you better listen and do your job."
The bottom line: Defense is a "want to."
And overlooking this defense is something teams don't want to do.