Of course this game ended in a tie. Pete Carroll oversaw some of the wildest and weirdest NFL games during his tenure in Seattle, and this late Thursday night was about as wild as it gets for a preseason affair. Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty, Maxx Crosby, and the Raiders starters played early against almost exclusively backups for Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks. That, alone, is a rarity when most coaches coordinate their plans around use of starters during the preseason. It would only get stranger from there. A blocked extra point, two penalties for celebrating interceptions by the team not coached by Carroll, a fullback starring early, an unending barrage of penalties (19 in all across both team), a spirited comeback, and ultimately, a blocked field goal that left the team’s where they started. He won’t admit it, but Carroll really wanted to win this game. There is a saying in golf when two players tie on a hole. The phrase “no blood” is uttered as they stride on to the next hole. Perhaps this lack of blood was the best outcome for two sides who parted ways, but remain bound forever.
The difference in how the two coaches approached this game was noticeable throughout. Carroll’s starters played early and then their second string quarterback played well into the fourth quarter while Macdonald put his third string quarterback and many third string players in after halftime. It is always difficult to assess performances in these games given they do not count, there is no game planning, and many players who will not be on an NFL roster this season get snaps. It is even more difficult when the teams are approaching playing time differently.
Seattle played zero starters on defense. Expectations were low on that side of the ball knowing even backups like Shaquill Griffin, Josh Ross, and Jamie Sheriff were not going to play, and a rookie like Nick Emmanwori was only going to play a few snaps. Still, they forced Geno Smith and the Raiders off the field quickly to start the game. The Seahawks did not do any sort of tribute to Pete Carroll or introduce Smith so there was not an opportunity for fans to really cheer or boo.
Even when backup Aidan O’Connell entered the game for Smith, the Seahawks defense held. O’Connell has started 20 games in his young career, far more than most of the defenders he was facing. Josh Jobe and Nehemiah Pritchett picked him off. The play by Pritchett was especially impressive as he baited O’Connell into the throw and broke on it beautifully. The Raiders could only muster three points in the first half. The story of this game, though, really wasn’t about the defense.
What stood out was the maturity of the scheme on offense. There was cohesion and balance and connection. You could feel players working in unison and the play calls building off one another. There were players who were open by design, and not just by talent. There were explosive plays on the ground and in the air. Third down could be watched without covering your eyes. The red zone was once again a place to look forward to your offense reaching. Klint Kubiak and his offensive coaching staff had an excellent debut. There was plenty of room for improvement, but the foundation feels solid.
After Kubiak, it was the oft-maligned offensive line that earned some shine. Three, and possibly four, of the eventual starting line played a few series in this one. Abe Lucas suited up and was terrific against Crosby and everyone else across from him. The upgrade he represents over what the Seahawks have endured at right tackle the past two seasons cannot be overstated. Anthony Bradford played well alongside Lucas at right guard. Jalen Sundell had a few standout plays, especially in pass protection, and may overtake the injured Olu Oluwatimi at center. Then there was rookie left guard Gray Zabel, who shined in pass protection and had some positive moments in the run game. Even backup tackle, Josh Jones, acquitted himself nicely at left tackle.
The individuals were good. The unit was great. Drew Lock had time to throw and George Holani had room to run. They moved as one. John Benton, Rick Dennison, and crew know it is too early to celebrate, but the arrow is pointed up for a position group that has sunk too many Seahawks seasons over the past decade.
It certainly does not hurt to have an extra blocker on the field. Fullback Robbie Ouzts played an outsized role despite playing only a handful of snaps. His block keyed Holani’s 24-yard touchdown run on the left side. He was also targeted twice and should have had two receptions. The first looked like an uncalled pass interference. He caught the second for 17 yards.
Ouzts has talked about looking up to Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard. If Thursday night was any indication, he could quickly surpass the All-Pro as a multi-faceted weapon as opposed to solely being a blocker.
Holani was terrific with his chances, finishing with 61 yards rushing and nearly nine yards per carry. He has appeared ahead of rookie Damien Martinez on the depth chart heading into this game, and nothing that happened against the Raiders will change that. Holani is a well-rounded back who is skilled in blitz pickup, can run inside or outside, and is a special teams contributor. Martinez has some ground to make up if he hopes to grab that last running back spot.
Seahawks fans had to love what they saw from the ground game that generated 170 yards without either Kenneth Walker or Zach Charbonnet playing a snap. The passing game was encouraging as well.
Tory Horton Jr. continued his climb up the depth chart with three catches and his first touchdown. He flashed some of the skills that have emerged during training camp that go beyond route running and speed. His touchdown came as he found a soft spot in a zone, and then spun his way through tacklers into the end zone. Horton has displayed savvy and athleticism since he stepped on the field. The wiggle he showed in this game was new. He dodged a couple tacklers on a punt return in addition to his twirling touchdown. Veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling did not play. That won’t be the last time those words are written if Horton continues his ascent.
Jalen Milroe was the main attraction for most. The rookie quarterback did not enter the game until the second half, and played with the third string offense. That hindered him early as a nice scramble was called back for a holding on center Federico Maranges, and then another big run was called back for a holding on Brady Russell.
As one would expect from a young quarterback, there were fireworks and duds. He showed off his jets multiple times, including a 27-yard run out of his own end zone. He also turned down a chance to convert a 4th down by throwing instead of running when he only had one man to beat in the open field to gain an inch. That is a play he will want back. Truthfully, that was an odd play call when the team had a chance to reinforce their new identify as a smash mouth team.
Milroe’s running ability is electric, but it was questions about his accuracy, processing, and decision-making that caused him to slide to the third round. The scorecard was mostly good in those areas in this game. His best throw was probably the one on the run to Tyrone Broden, but he had nice completions to Ricky White III and Russell.
He is in a great situation where he can work through some of the mistakes while building on the positives. Expect more and better as the preseason continues.
One thing to monitor there is that he operated out of shotgun quite a bit as they incorporate the read option into the offense when he is out there. This is a predominantly under center system. Kubiak is still exploring the best ways to utilize his skills without going too far afield from the principles of his scheme.
Other players who helped their causes in this game included running back Jacardia Wright, who was explosive and shifty, and Christian Haynes, who had a nice block downfield on a screen pass. Elijah Arroyo did fine, but just scratched the surface of what he will do in a normal game. Eric Saubert had a nice game as a blocker, and Dareke Young had a big 31-yard catch.
Jared Ivey played a ton of snaps and was a physical presence, especially against the run. D’Anthony Bell had mostly a good game, both in run support and in coverage. Connor O’Toole finally showcased the pass rushing ability he was known for in college, netting the only sack on the night. And Tyreke Smith did a nice job on the edge, especially against the run. Speaking of run defense, Quinton Bohanna and Brandon Pili both had some nice plays in the middle of the line.
Pritchett is a player who I have been unimpressed by, but his interception was excellent. He had another nice pass breakup. He also gave up a number of receptions. Damarion Williams had an uneven game.
Mike Morris missed practice earlier this week but played a lot of snaps and was disruptive. Emmanwori showed up nicely against the run in his short sting, which is important considering that’s where many people had the most questions about him coming out of college.
The team will take Friday off before heading back to the practice field Saturday and Sunday as they prep for their second game next Thursday against the Chiefs. Macdonald has already alluded to playing some starters in that game as Andy Reid tends to do the same. Make sure to head over to HBTix.com to grab some tickets to watch the boys in blue play Patrick Mahomes.
The game may have ended in a tie, but Macdonald had to feel like there was a fair amount of winning going on. The Seattle backups were up 16-3 at halftime despite the Raiders playing their starters. The rookie class continues to look fantastic, and may wind up being historic. Most importantly, the new identity of being a physical team that controls the line of scrimmage is developing quickly. The formula for this team to surprise the league remains adding a top ten rushing offense to a top five scoring defense. Pete would be proud.