3 Up, 3 Down: Winners, Losers From Seahawks' 30-3 Loss to Broncos
With most of the team's starters resting for the second straight week, Seahawks fans yet again had to endure a slog of a preseason game on Saturday night.
Health misfortunes dominated the evening for Seattle as linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven and receiver John Ursua both had to be carted off the field with knee injuries. Its reserve-led offense stumbled to the tune of three turnovers and just three points, falling to the Broncos by a score of 30-3.
Nevertheless, there were still some takeaways to be had from an otherwise uneventful night in Seattle. Let's go over three players who shined despite the Seahawks' woeful performance and three who found themselves at the center of it.
3 Up
RB DeeJay Dallas
One of the Seahawks' few standouts against the Raiders last week, Dallas did it all against the Broncos. He may have solidified himself as the team's primary kick returner with a pair of impressive run backs, including a 45-yard return into Denver territory in the first quarter. His special teams contributions wouldn't stop there, however, as he blocked a punt in the third quarter. He also added 27 yards on three receptions, continuing his strong preseason.
WR Cade Johnson
Seattle's offense was downright pitiful all night, but one bright spot was Johnson. Coming in after Ursua's unfortunate injury, the undrafted rookie out of South Dakota State reeled in three catches for 34 yards on seven targets. He also had a 38-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, and delivered a nice block on one of Dallas' catches. If there's an available sixth roster spot for a receiver on the Seahawks' 53-man roster, he looks to have a good beat on it following his performance Saturday night.
LB Nick Bellore
With Burr-Kirven going out on the opening kickoff, Bellore got an extensive look at middle linebacker tonight. The Pro Bowl special teamer put up five tackles—the second-highest mark on the team—with an explosive tackle for loss. If Burr-Kirven's injury is as serious as anticipated, Bellore suddenly becomes one of the Seahawks' immediate reserves at linebacker.
3 Down
CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Starting at left cornerback for the second week in a row, Witherspoon struggled once again. Burned inside by Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy on a 35-yard catch-and-run, the fifth-year corner was replaced by rookie Tre Brown in the first quarter and only saw the field on special teams for the rest of the night. In these first two preseason games, he hasn't done anything to suggest he's deserving of a starting job.
QB Alex McGough
Both Russell Wilson and Geno Smith didn't play in this one, forcing McGough to go out there against Denver's No. 1 defense. It went about as expected, with the 2018 draftee getting picked off by All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. As the night went on, things got progressively worse for McGough. He held onto the ball for far too long, which partly resulted in a strip-sack, and made some odd throwing decisions. In all, he completed nine of his 13 passing attempts with two interceptions, a lost fumble and 17 yards on two scrambles. He was a rough watch.
TE Dom Wood-Anderson
It was somewhat of a surprise Wood-Anderson wasn't among the five players cut by the Seahawks this week after dropping two passes and being flagged twice against the Raiders. Somehow, the nightmare got even worse for the Tennessee alum. Penalized a whopping five times Saturday night, his time in Seattle is likely over.
