How the Seahawks could look different in Week 2 vs 49ers
Seaside Joe 1287: And the debut of Seahawks Voice Memos
The Seattle Seahawks beat the Denver Broncos and are 1-0. That’s the last time I want to talk about the Broncos or Russell Wilson for the next four years.
I’m onto the next one. I’m not looking past Week 2 either.
If Monday night felt good, then sending the San Francisco 49ers off to their Week 3 matchup against Russell Wilson’s Broncos (damn it, you again already?) with an 0-2 record will feel great.
For those of you subscribed to the Seaside Joe podcast or YouTube channel, an announcement: the semi-retirement of myself as a podcaster. I’ve been at the audio game for over 10 years but my true passion has always been writing and the success we’ve had with the Seaside Joe newsletter has really reminded me of that. I want to make sure I’m dedicating as much of my free time as possible to the newsletter so in lieu of regular podcasting, I’m going to try using short form voice memos instead.
There are others out there doing better Seahawks podcasts and having more success at it than I did, but nobody else attempting to master Seahawks voice memos. My specialty has always been venturing where nobody else dares to venture, not blending in with the crowd, so here is your instant reaction voice memo for Week 1.
When the occasion calls for a full length podcast, I’ll reach out to Thad Wenatchee for those special editions and you can rest assured you’ll be in the loop when I do.
When thinking of what to write on Tuesday, I just couldn’t focus on the Broncos game without immediately getting bored and turning my attention to the 49ers matchups instead. For my final thoughts on Week 1, there’s always the instant reaction Stock Up/Stock Down newsletter from Monday night.
When the Seahawks kickoff in Santa Clara on Sunday, they will look a little bit different than they did in Week 1. These are the changes to expect and the impact that these new players could have against the 49ers.
S - Jamal Adams to Josh Jones
The best safety on the Los Angeles Rams last season was Eric Weddle, so while I am massively disappointed for Adams (and he seemed to be off to such a great start), there isn’t that same sense of loss that there might be for one of Seattle’s other stars. That’s not to say that it’s good or that it isn’t bad, but this is definitely how I am coping with the loss.
Jones was one of the best tacklers on the field on Monday and he could be staring down an opportunity to be an NFL starter for a very long time. It’s the coverage skills that come into question for Jones.
Ryan Neal got in two defense snaps and 12 special teams snaps, so he’s chasing his opportunity too but Neal missed time in training camp and Jones took full advantage.
RB - Kenneth Walker III debut?
Rashaad Penny brought a mixed bag of results to Monday Night Football and Pete Carroll paid no mind to any other running backs: Travis Homer had one run for two yards and DeeJay Dallas didn’t get out there. That won’t be the case when Walker returns, the team didn’t draft him just to sit him.
Not only do I believe that Walker will complement Penny as a runner, I think he’s Seattle’s best pass catcher out of the backfield and that the screen passes will have a new look with Walker.
Bears running back David Montgomery caught three passes for 24 yards against the 49ers, but San Francisco held him to 17 carries for only 26 yards. If the Niners run defense is that stout, Walker’s presence will be that much more important in both the running game and passing offense.
LB - Cody Barton
Barton had to leave the game at the end, but there have been no reports of anything significant with regards to injury. It would be surprising if he wasn’t at least listed on the injury report this week. It was a promising first start for Barton as the number two inside linebacker and it would be concerning if Pete had to turn to Nick Bellore or Tanner Muse in Week 2.
LG - Damien Lewis return?
Seattle’s offensive line was passable but certainly Pete Carroll expects better from this group in front of Geno Smith. Phil Haynes did have a false start in place of Lewis though he was probably not an ‘issue’ for the Seahawks offensive line. To what degree Lewis would change the offense isn’t clear but it’s probably not by a lot. However, it is always better to have three guards than two, as we saw this week.
CB - Artie Burns return?
It’s not my place to say that Coby Bryant and/or Tariq Woolen played ‘poorly’ just because they were only mentioned a couple of times and usually for bad reasons. It is only my intention right now to say that Burns could be active in Week 2 after missing Week 1 and that Pete could very well expect him to be a starter.
Most reports on Woolen’s performance have been positive—Deebo Samuel is a different matchup than any other kind of wideout in the NFL. The question for San Francisco is not of their pass-catching weapons, and George Kittle could make his 2022 debut this week, but of the passer.
No matter what anyone else wants to sell you, Trey Lance is a favorable matchup for any defensive coordinator worth his paycheck. That could change in a year, or even a couple of months, but I wouldn’t expect it to change overnight.
It was surprising to see Sidney Jones IV as a second-stringer in Week 1 and that could also be a change in Week 2—will Burns and Jones IV take over? Will Justin Coleman stick on the team for the entire season? Seattle’s best cornerback against the Seahawks was Mike Jackson, so he’s the only one who seems guaranteed to play the whole game against the 49ers.
LS - Tyler Ott return?
Carson Tinker didn’t miss a beat. Time for Tyler Ott to always compete?
I don't know exactly who or how but Seattle's defense has to set the edge a lot better than they did last night or SF will be running wide all game long. It's only week one and I still trust and have confidence in the coaches to fix that problem.
I’m worried SF might just run for days next Sunday. Denver should have run more. It’s crazy that Russ threw 42 times and their RBs only had 19 carries averaging 5.3 yards per carry.