RENTON, Wash. -- With the game on the line Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, defensive coordinator Kris Richard called on something the Seattle Seahawks are not usually known for: the blitz.

The Seahawks sent five rushers or more on the final four plays vs. Atlanta. Overall, they blitzed Matt Ryan 37 percent of the time. That's the highest percentage in any game since Richard took over as defensive coordinator prior to the 2015 season.

And they were successful. Ryan was 7-for-16 (43.8 percent) for 60 yards (4.19 YPA) when the Seahawks blitzed. When they sent four rushers or fewer, Ryan was 20-for-26 (76.9 percent) for 268 yards (10.31 YPA).

"I think you’re seeing an emergence of our players’ development," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "You see Bobby [Wagner] and K.J. [Wright], who are the primary guys now. You get a little bit of Cassius [Marsh] and a bit of KPL [Kevin Pierre-Louis] also. Also Kris feeling the guys and calling, he’s got a good sense for it and really good timing. Really trusts the guys that they’re going to execute really well."

On the season, the Seahawks are blitzing 25.5 percent of the time (19th). That's up slightly from 21.9 percent (26th) last year.

When they have blitzed, they've created pressure 50 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That's the highest mark in the NFL. They've produced sacks 8.3 percent of the time, which is tied for fifth.

When a Seahawks blitz call sends linebacker K.J. Wright, "It’s just real fun to get in the quarterback’s face and get those hits on him." Jim Dedmon/Icon Sportswire

"I think we’re just using it more," Wagner said. "They’re calling it a little bit more.

"When they call it, we get a sack or a hit off of it, so it’s been pretty productive so far. We’re definitely confident in the guys in the back end who cover, and we’re confident that we can get to the quarterback too."

Added Wright, "As long as he dials those calls up, he’s calling man on the back end so we know who we got. So it’s just real fun to get in the quarterback’s face and get those hits on him."

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was the best quarterback in the league against the blitz last year. But this year he's averaging just 5.76 yards per dropback (21st) when opponents dial up pressure.

Given how well the Seahawks have executed and the fact that the Cardinals have had some injuries on the offensive line, it'd be no surprise if Richard dialed up the blitz quite a bit on Sunday night.

Statistics courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information