There are a lot of mythical creatures in the world; unicorns, Santa, Bigfoot… but a dominating Seahawk defense does not fall in that category.

It hasn’t been easy this season to fluster opposing quarterbacks, to rack up sacks and to grab interception after interception like the reigning Super Bowl champions did last season. The Seattle Seahawks were defined by their suffocating defense in their run to the Super Bowl and their physical style of play bullied many teams into fearing them. The major headlines of the 2014 season revolved around teams ‘figuring the Seahawks defense out’, but the reasons for the defense’s prowess last season was no secret, and that dominance is anything but a myth this season.

They hit hard, punish teams for coming across the middle, dare quarterbacks to throw their way, and fly off the end to sack and pressure quarterbacks. There is no mystery to unravel. The defense simply had to adjust to the learning curve of working around injuries and being under the microscope as the reigning champs.

It was clear early on this season that the Seahawks were going to have to evolve and learn to work around less depth and a lot of injuries.

Last season, the Seahawks led the NFL in total defense, had 28 interceptions and 44 sacks, and led the league in every defensive category. This season, the Seahawks are once again leading the NFL in total defense, despite ranking third against the run. To date, the Seahawks have 23 sacks and 10 interceptions with three regular season games left to play.

The past three games have brought visible change to the defense with the return of linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Kam Chancellor. While the defense gave up 401 yards to Dallas in Week 6, allowed the New York Giants to rack up 270 passing yards in Week 10 and then got run over by Jamaal Charles and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, those games were all played without the likes of two key players.

“We are just having fun, man,” Wagner said in an interview with Greg Bell of the Tacoma News Tribune. “That’s one thing I wanted to bring back when I came back, was the passion. I wanted to remind everybody, just have fun. This game’s fun. We’ve been playing it since we were kids. It’s supposed to be fun. Play with no pressure, you know, we’ve been doing this for so long.”

The 2014 Seahawks’ defense can be divided up into two sections: without Wagner and Chancellor and with Wagner and Chancellor. If you are skeptical of the influence those two players have on the defense, look no further than the numbers.

While Wagner was out with a torn ligament and broken bone in his foot that he suffered against the Cowboys, the Seahawks gave up an average of 26 points, 358 total yards and 132 yards rushing per game while going 2-3. Since Wagner returned for the week 12 game against the division leading Arizona Cardinals, the defense has given up just three points and 184 yards per game.

Chancellor was out resting lingering bone spurs on his ankle as well as a sore groin and hip for the wins against the Oakland Raiders and the New York Giants in Weeks 9 and 10. While the Seahawks did win both games, it was a lackluster performance for the defense, as it allowed 41 points combined over that two week stretch.

Prior to the game against the Cardinals, Chancellor was asked to give a pre-game speech to rally the defense and, according to linebacker KJ Wright, it was the best pregame speech he’d ever heard. Whether it was the speech, or simply the presence of Wagner and Chancellor on the field again, the Seahawks were flying to the ball and delivering punishing hits reminiscent of last season.

“It took us some time to figure it out, but we have, and it’s only as good as the next game out. There’s no question in the last two weeks that we have elevated our game,” Head Coach Pete Carroll said in an interview with the Seattle Times.

Last Sunday against the Eagles, the defense gave up 139 total yards, the fewest ever recorded in the Chip Kelly era. They forced a fumble, grabbed an interception and gave the Seahawks’ offense 41:56 with the ball. The Eagles high speed offense was stalled, running only 45 plays total.

Last season, the defense’s story was nothing short of legendary, while this season has unfurled more like a Cinderella story. The Seahawks have learned to adapt to the injuries plaguing the unit, and the lack of depth that was their strength last season.

It took small corrections made by each player at each position. The things that opponents used at the beginning of the season to beat the defense, short pass plays, deep balls and sophisticated routes designed to confuse the secondary, are no longer issues for the Legion of Boom. And with key run-stuffer Brandon Mebane out for the season with a hamstring injury, a balanced defensive attack is the key to maintaining the strides the defense has taken since the beginning of the season.

As the Seahawks again find themselves leading the NFL in total defense, they have rediscovered a piece of their identity that was a huge reason the Lombardi trophy belonged to Seattle last season. The terror-inducing defense is back with a vengeance, and just in time to help push the Seahawks into the playoffs.

“Most definitely, we are having fun,” defensive end Cliff Avril said in an interview with the Seattle Times. “We trust each other. I know that I trust the guys on the back end that they have my back, and they trust that we are going to get pressure on the quarterback. It is working for us, and we just have to keep it going.”

Fear not, 12th man, the Seahawks’ crushing defense is no myth and will be delivering a ticket to the playoffs by Christmas.