Jon Rhattigan, Seattle Seahawks.
Going into work on Monday morning always feels a little bit better coming off a victory. The Seattle Seahawks got a win on Sunday. Hard to classify it as a good win since the team’s first-half performance was so inept. However, the Seahawks are tied at 1-0 in the NFC West with Arizona.
Some things broke Seattle’s way on Sunday. For example, opposing quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo getting knocked out of the game, forcing rookie Trey Lance into the game. To these eyes, Lance looks like a rookie. It took him some time to get comfortable with NFL game speed and decision-making. That time aided the Seattle Seahawks in being able to get a lead.
Also, Lance looks like the new Colin Kaepernick. Make of that what you will. Now, let’s get to what brings us all here. Here are our takeaways from an important win.
Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator, Ken Norton, changed his starting lineup. He put cornerback Tre Flowers on the bench. There were reports that a very loud Hallelujah heard emanating from 12s everywhere in regards to this news. Newcomer and Pacific Northwest local Sidney Jones IV started opposite D.J. Reed. Jones had a very nice game, racking up seven tackles, with five of them being of the solo variety, while also recording one pass deflection.
Another player in the secondary who had a nice game after not getting much playing time was Ryan Neal. The Seattle Seahawks asked “Baby Bam Bam” Neal to be the sixth defensive back and cover the opposing tight end, George Kittle. He finished with five tackles (four of them solo) and also recorded one pass deflection. If Neal can be the top tight end cover guy, that can be very beneficial for Seattle.
The performance from the Seattle Seahawks defense against Minnesota was atrocious. This week the unit made up for it. Well mostly. There was that one wide-open Deebo Samuel 76-yard touchdown catch. Overall, though, this unit played very well and kept the Seattle Seahawks within striking distance. Especially in the first half when the offense had minus six yards of offense.
The defense still gave up a ton of yards; another 457, with an average of 6.3 yards per play. That is not good, and if it continues, it will come back to cost them. However, if the defense only gives up three touchdowns (two if you want to brush off the Samuel touchdown), that shouldn’t be too much for the offense to overcome. There were some big positives.
The Seattle Seahawks defense only allowed San Francisco to convert only a pair of their 14 third-down opportunities. That kind of production gives the offense more chances to win. Just think about those extra possessions Russell Wilson will get. He will turn those into points more often than not. Which in turn will force opponents into throwing the ball more often. Thus, allowing Norton to turn the pass rush loose. Hopefully, it will force some more turnovers and sacks. It’s a
Speaking of those stats, Seattle forced a Garoppolo interception and recovered a fumbled kickoff. They also notched two sacks, one apiece on Garoppolo and Lance. Again, if this defensive unit can get off the field on third down consistently, it will be a major boost to the team as a whole.
Are the Seattle Seahawks going to a running back by committee approach? At this point, it is way too early to tell. However, seeing Alex Collins get three fewer carries than starter Chris Carson is eyebrow-raising. Maybe, this is just a one-off game, and head coach Pete Carroll went with the hot hand. Collins averaged 4.4 yards per carry, compared to Carson’s 2.3 yards per carry.
Or maybe Carroll felt like saving some wear and tear on the often injury-prone Carson. As a whole, the Seattle Seahawks ground game was not spectacular. They ended the day with 105-yards on 28 carries. It’s premature to expect another 50/50 split of carries between Carson and Collins, unless Carson is injured.
While this week’s Seattle Seahawks offense wasn’t quite as explosive as it was in the first three weeks, it was, however, more balanced. The offense passed for 129-yards and rushed for the previously mentioned 105-yards. The passing yards, or lack thereof, leave a lot to be desired. However, nobody should really be too worried. There were several big pass play opportunities that just didn’t work out.
More often than not, we can expect those big plays to hit. D.K. Metcalf led the way with 65 receiving yards on six catches and one touchdown. Freddie Swain was also involved; he made a great catch on Wilson’s second touchdown throw. If this type of offense is what offensive coordinator Shane Waldron plans, then the Seahawks will be very tough to stop.
What were your takeaways from the game? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.
For now, it’s onto Thursday night football against Los Angeles.