Murphy stated coming into the season that he believes he can be a double-digit sack player, generally a benchmark for a great season for an interior lineman, and with three sacks in the past two games, he’s showing he’s very capable of those types of numbers.
“I feel like it’s going pretty good,” Murphy said of his pass-rush development. “Last week, when I got my first sack of the season, I’m like, damn, when you get that first one, they just start coming to you, they start coming in bunches, and I got two yesterday. I feel pretty good just being able to go out there and showcase my pass-rushing ability and for the coaches to believe in me, knowing, ‘OK, this guy can rush and we’re going to give him opportunities.’ Being able to go out there and put my best foot forward is pretty cool.”
But becoming a top pass-rusher doesn’t mean Murphy is ignoring the less glamorous parts of his job. A powerful force in the middle of Seattle’s run defense, Murphy is frequently tasked with taking on double teams while still being expected to make plays. He, along with the likes of Williams, Jarran Reed, Uchenna Nwosu, DeMarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall are a huge reason why the Seahawks have one of the league’s top run defenses while still playing a heavy dose of nickel and dime defense. And with the 49ers driving late in the game and the Seahawks needing a stop to give the offense a shot at tying or winning the game, it was Murphy who played a key role in blowing up a third-and-1 run and making the tackle for loss, along with Nwosu, to end the drive and force a field goal attempt. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, their final drive was stopped on fourth down before the Seahawks could get into field goal range, but that run stop at least gave the Seahawks a chance to get the ball back.
“I take a lot of pride in the run game,” Murphy said. “In order to rush, you’ve got to stop the run first. I feel like when teams try to run the ball on us, or try to run my way, I take that as the ultimate disrespect. Why are you even trying me? When I’m out there, I take a lot of pride in turning out blocks, playing in their backfield, keeping my linebackers free so they can make plays. I take a lot of pride in that for sure.”