Hot, Medium, Mild Post-game Seahawks reactions

Seahawks-Packers recap: As I see it

No spoilers until you get one paragraph in, that's my guarantee! Seaside Joe 1638

Aug 26, 2023

If you watched the Seahawks final preseason game, then you already know what happened. If you didn’t watch it, I would actually recommend the replay because it managed to be more entertaining throughout than 99-percent of preseason finales or exhibitions of any kind. Not that it was always what you want to see from a Seattle team on the field—we’ll get into that—but more interesting than what’s usually expected from games at this time of the year.

The Seattle Seahawks finish their preseason 2-1 after losing 19-15 to the Green Bay Packers, but in his only drive of the game, quarterback Holton Ahlers went 5-of-10 for 55 yards with two carries for eight yards to nearly lead the offense to a game-winning score. Though the final play was instead an interception in the end zone, Ahlers had no other choice in the moment but to make a decision and a throw, which I will always prefer over indecision and a sack or a throwaway.

He went for something, it was just the wrong something.

But because this is the preseason, Ahlers and the final drive is nowhere near the story of the game. Instead, we should focus on how well Drew Lock’s backup offense played against mostly Green Bay starters, and just how much the results actually matter when those are the circumstances.

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Don’t Miss It: 53-man roster projection, plus 16-man practice squad projection following Seahawks preseason finale vs. Packers! Read it now!

The OL needs a backup plan to the backup plan

As I see it, the Seahawks will need to scour the waiver wire and trade market for available offensive linemen. Finding quality offensive line prospects at this time of year is especially difficult, but the main takeaway from Saturday has to be that Seattle is going to be heavily reliant on their five starters because the backups had a lot of trouble with Green Bay’s front-seven. And that’s true whether it was the first quarter, when the Packers were playing many starters, or the second half, when they weren’t.

Anthony Bradford had an early false start, Stone Forsythe had a holding penalty in the third quarter, Olu Oluwatimi looked lost at times, and the Seahawks struggled to a) protect Drew Lock and b) open up running lanes throughout the contest.

Seattle was fortunate last season because Charles Cross (99.8%), Austin Blythe (95.5%), Damien Lewis (92%), and Abe Lucas (89.5%) all played in most of the snaps. We’ll see how Evan Brown and Phil Haynes hold up as first-time starters. But every team needs to dip into their reserves eventually and in the Seahawks case, that could be an Achilles heel if Saturday’s performance was any indication of regular season expectations.

Seaside Bonus article: Evaluating what a Chris Jones deal would cost and other trade scenarios

Artie Burns won’t be denied

As I see it, Seattle’s “insane depth” at cornerback has only been proven in practice and drills. Well, practice time is over. Mike Jackson’s preseason has not matched up with Pete Carroll’s praise as the top “standout” of OTAs, as he allowed another touchdown and was consistently picked on by Jordan Love. Worse yet (but also I guess good news) is that Love looked awful otherwise.

The Seahawks held Love to 9-of-15 passing for 63 yards, but he was 5-of-11 for only 23 yards in the first quarter.

Tre Brown played but wasn’t as noticeable as Jackson, and the one standout at cornerback was Artie Burns. It’s not the first time that Burns has played well—if I recall, he had three batted passes in the mock game—and the former first round pick should have put himself into position by now to make the final 53-man roster. Given that Pete didn’t hold back Jackson or Brown from playing in the preaseason, it could also be assumed that Burns is in the running to start in Week 1 against the Rams.

Another secondary standout was rookie Jerrick Reed II. The sixth round pick out of New Mexico State has been on the outside of the bubble, but maybe he was just needing that extra time as a rookie to catch up and is now starting to show why the team was so high on him during the draft process.

How does this impact the secondary depth chart for the final 53?

We know that Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon are expected starters. We still assume that Jackson, Brown, Burns, and Coby Bryant are going to make the roster. We know that Jamal Adams was activated from PUP and is slowly working his way back. We know that Quandre Diggs and Julian Love are going to make it. That leaves Reed, Blount (shoulder injury suffered in game), Jonathan Sutherland as the players most likely to challenge for any final spots.

That’s 12 names. Is it too many? Probably not. The Seahawks had 13 on the roster last season, but many of those names are gone and forgotten (Teez Tabor, Xavier Crawford, Isaiah Dunn, Justin Coleman, Josh Jones to name five). This group seems better, although there have to be some concerns that Jackson, an expected starter, isn’t playing like one.

Seahawks stowaways

As I see it, the Seahawks have had a few stowaways on the roster…players who were seemingly never projected for the final 53 (including by me) and aren’t being revealed until Seattle reaches their destination.

Defensive tackle Matt Gotel looks like a player who should make it, not only because of his play in the preseason (Gotel was consistently in the backfield and in on tackles on Saturday) but also look at the depth: Bryan Mone and Austin Faoliu are on PUP, while Cameron Young has been M.I.A., also a candidate to start the season on an injured list. Gotel could not only make the roster, he may be necessary to play a key role in Week 1. Defensive tackle Roderick Perry also had a nice play, breaking up a pass. Jacob Sykes is hovering between the 53 and the practice squad.

Linebacker Patrick O’Connell should make the roster. Right at the time that the Seahawks get back Jordyn Brooks, Seattle’s linebacker depth seems to have changed from a weakness to a strength: Bobby Wagner, Brooks, and Devin Bush (who left with injury that Carroll said after the game is a concussion, but was playing well prior to that) makes three, while O’Connell now seems ahead of Jon Rhattigan, Vi Jones, and Ben Burr-Kirven.

Receiver/punt returner Easop Winston has made his final argument. Whether it’s enough for the jury to come back with a verdict of “Roster” or “Not Roster” isn’t clear, but Winston had 74 yards on three catches and returned punts, although he made a bad decision to fair catch inside of the 5. We have to believe Jake Bobo (27 yards and a touchdown) is a lock and certainly not a stowaway at this point; Bobo may need to even start against the Rams. Said Seasider HD in our chat thread during the game: “Bobo = Be Ordinary, Be Open”.

Matt Landers, needing to make a great final impression, didn’t.

If the Seahawks start the season with Kenny McIntosh on short-term IR (and I know this won’t be a popular question but: Since being a seventh round pick, what exactly has McIntosh put on film since then that would convince other teams that they should claim him for their own 53-man roster if he is cut? Nothing, since he has no film, so I’m not sure if McIntosh actually would be claimed; he’s injured though so it seems like a moot point), then running back SaRodorick Thompson might actually go from roster filler to roster-maker.

Evaluation Hesitation

As I see it, games like this one are harder to evaluate because a little more than half of the first half was Seattle’s backups against Green Bay’s starters. The Packers held out a few key players, but not many, whereas the Seahawks were mostly resting their starters. So while it is true that the Seahawks were consistently out-matched in the trenches—couldn’t run the ball, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t pass protect, and couldn’t rush the passer—what else would we expect?

The Seahawks rested the entire offensive and defensive line, meaning no Dre’Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Mario Edwards, Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu, Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks. That’s…THE TEAM! That’s the front-seven.

(Derick Hall left game with a shoulder injury.)

It’s actually amazing that Seattle almost won the game. But does nearly winning the game mean that fans can rest easier tonight about the Seahawks depth in key areas? I certainly won’t. Even in the middle of the game, when Green Bay did pull their starters, the Packers seemed to be controlling the line of scrimmage and led the score 9-7 in the second and third quarters.

But it’s not only how you start…

As I see it, we talk about “the Seahawks defense” or “the Seahawks” as if the team they are today is the team that really matters. Teams are living, breathing, and most importantly evolving entitities. Whatever “the Seahawks” are today, I expect them to be different in September, October, November, December, and January. It wouldn’t surprise me if Seattle’s defense is a bigger concern in the first month of the season than what it ends up being in the final month of the season.

Drew Lock was pretty good

As I see it, Drew Lock was pretty good. How would he do in a real game situation? I don’t know, but he closed out his three preseason games with a consistent record of being pretty good. When he was nearly picked in the first quarter, I thought it was an extremely difficult throw to try and execute so whether that’s on him or he was ordered to attempt the pass, that will say a lot about the grade he gets for it. Lock’s completion to Colby Parkinson while Kenny Clark was barreling down on him was very impressive.

ICYMI: Drew Lock’s secret power?

What I think I learned the most from Lock’s game is that it would help if he was mobile. When the Seahawks next draft a quarterback, let it be one who can move the pocket around and maybe pick up a first first downs with his legs. I know a quarterback at Coastal Carolina who can do that.

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What’s next?

I did a 53-man roster and practice squad projection for a bonus article this weekend, so be to be sure subscribed to not miss anything! I should also do a follow-up that is free—don’t worry, I got EVERYBODY covered.