Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks.
The NFL season is underway! Seattle Seahawks Week 1 opponent was Indianapolis. On paper, this matchup looked like the best game in the early time slot. Some even boasted that very sentiment (raises hand and got so close to nailing the final score too). Nothing better than starting the year with a victory. That’s exactly what the Seahawks did.
No game is perfect. There are always things to clean up and improve. Perfection is an ever-moving target that is almost always never hit. However, Sunday’s game leaves very few things that fall in the “Dud” category. A little insight into tomorrow’s Stud and Dud article. It took a lot of work to find some dud’s from the game. Here are some big takeaways from the game
It’s a QB-driven league, and the Seattle Seahawks have one of the very best in the league. So, it’s only natural to start with him. Russell Wilson and the offense look just like they did at the beginning of last year. Indianapolis runs mostly a zone, Tampa 2 style defense. Yeah, that’s not going to pair well with Chef Russ’s cooking. See what I did there?
Only missing on five pass attempts all game, Wilson threw for 254 yards with four touchdowns for an 11-yard average per pass. Wilson finishes the game with a 152.3 rating. The only negative being the three sacks and seven QB hits. Otherwise, Wilson had time in the pocket to carve up an Indianapolis defense that some are saying will be good this year.
For comparison, Wilson in 2020 started the year with four touchdowns, with 322 yards passing and only missing on four pass attempts. Wilson finished with a 143.1 rating and was sacked only three times as well. Too early to say that Chef Russ will be cooking all year with no letdowns. Subsequently, he’s off to a great start in 2021.
Next: Page 2 – The Rest of the Offense
So, while someone speculated that 12’s might not get a very good idea about new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s offense, that person (slinks away slowly) does not look very smart. This game only solidifies that zone defenses, who can’t get pressure, will be in for a loss. The Seattle Seahawks offense was balanced.
Rushing for a total of 140 and throwing for another 241- yards. The run game averaged 5.2 yards-per-carry, and Chris Carson looked tremendous! Well, except for that one fumble he had. Consequently, Indianapolis got zero points from that turnover.
We’ll see how this offense evolves as the year goes as opposing defenses get more tape. There will be a need for Waldron and company to respond and adjust better than the Hawks did last season. This game was an excellent way for the new coordinator to start the season.
The biggest beneficiary of Wilson and Waldron’s success was wide receiver Tyler Lockett. The main thing about a Tampa 2 style defense is that it takes away big plays from the offense. Lockett gives zero cares about that idea. He caught four of five targets for an even 100 yards and two scores. Busting out the calculator for some quick math, that’s 25-yards per catch average.
The Indy defense rolled most of their attention and coverage to D.K. Metcalf. Thus, allowing the route running technician that is Lockett to operate with ease. For those of you who weren’t able to watch the game or missed the first half, look at Lockett’s first touchdown catch of the game.
Is that not a thing of beauty?
Fox broadcaster Johnathan Vilma said Rasheem Green was his player of the game. However, some may select a different player. Green is definitely deserving of consideration. He totaled four tackles, three solos, one sack, and tackle for loss, as well as a pair of pass deflections and QB hits. That’s a good line for a defensive lineman.
Some fans may not have expected much out of Green this year. However, after the first week, they may need to rethink their expectations of him. He created havoc against a very highly thought of Indianapolis offensive line. If Green can continue this kind of productivity to pair with Carlos Dunlap, this defense will be in even better shape.
While on the subject, Seattle’s defense played really well. However, I want to focus on the defensive line during this game. The Seattle Seahawks struggled against powerful, physical running backs last year. They took on another powerful physical running back named Jonathan Taylor.
The thought of taking on a power runner like Jonathan Taylor after last season’s struggles did not elicit confidence. However, this week the defense stepped up and held Indianapolis’ running game in check. The Colts finished with 113 rushing yards. Taylor accounted for 56 of them, with a 3.3 average. To hammer the point home even more, the longest rush Seattle allowed went for only 12-yards.
Consequently, this line made QB Carson Wentz uncomfortable all game long. Seattle hit him 10 times, sacking him three times, and knocked down three of his pass attempts. If this line can play the same way all year, the Seattle Seahawks will be even better than many expected.
This article can continue with a few more positive takeaways. For example, Carson averaging 5.7-yards-per-carry. Or rookie Dee Eskridge’s skills put on display for him to succeed. It would just never end. Instead, let’s wrap it up here. Seattle is on to Tennessee in Week 2.
Please share your biggest takeaway from Week 1 in the comments section below or on social media.