Seahawks Dominate Preseason Finale, Smash Chargers 27-0
It took three weeks and two ugly outings to make it happen, but even without Russell Wilson and numerous starters once again, the Seahawks finally found their groove in their preseason finale, dominating from start to finish in a 27-0 shutout victory over the Chargers.
Shining as a runner and receiver, Alex Collins scored a five-yard touchdown and contributed 89 total yards of offense, while Geno Smith completed 11 out of 15 passes for 90 yards and added 20 rushing yards to pace Seattle's offense. Marquise Blair returned a fumble for a touchdown and Nick Bellore led the defense with six tackles as they held Los Angeles to 159 yards of total offense.
Here are five quick takeaways from the Seahawks commanding 27-point victory at Lumen Field:
1. Back in game action for the first time in nearly a year, Marquise Blair thrives.
Before suffering a torn ACL in Week 2 last September, Blair looked poised for a monster second season. As he showed throughout training camp last August, his versatility playing in the slot and defending the run in the box adds another element to Seattle’s defense. When he’s healthy, he’s another potential game-changing talent on Ken Norton Jr.’s unit and he illustrated that again in limited reps against the Chargers. On the opening play of the game, he came crashing down to the line of scrimmage and teamed up with Bryan Mone to stuff running back Joshua Kelley for a one-yard gain. Only a few plays later, after linebacker Cody Barton blasted quarterback Chase Daniel, the third-year safety recovered the fumble and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. He only played one more possession, but he showed he was fully healthy and ready for Week 1, a welcome development for the Seahawks.
2. In a quick debut, Dee Eskridge tantalizes with his speed and ability to separate.
Following two weeks of practice after a stint on the PUP list, Seahawks fans were finally able to see Eskridge’s wheels in person, even if only for a limited time. The second-round pick out of Western Michigan has “easy” speed like a muscle car, capable of going from 0 to 100 in an instant. A former high school running back, coordinator Shane Waldron got him involved as a ball carrier right away on the team’s second drive and he picked up nine yards on a fly sweep rocketing to the sideline. Three players later, he pulled away from the cornerback out of his break and made a tough 19-yard catch in the middle of the defense for a first down. He checked out of the game after Seattle scored a touchdown to finish the drive, but his two touches showed his explosive playmaking potential in this offense as a complementary weapon alongside DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett.
3. No surprise, but competent quarterback and line play does wonder for an offense.
Going into the preseason, the Seahawks clearly didn’t intend for Russell Wilson to see the field much, if at all. As coach Pete Carroll said after an exhibition loss to the Raiders, they hoped to see Geno Smith get a lot of chances to throw the football. But a concussion suffered early in the game altered plans, leaving only Alex McGough and Sean Mannion as healthy quarterback options. The offense couldn’t find traction, scoring just 10 combined points in eight quarters. But with Smith back under center and a pair of starters playing along the offensive line, things changed in a big way against the Chargers. Showing easily the best flow they have had in three games, the Seahawks marched on 80 and 54-yard scoring drives in the first half to help build a 17-0 halftime lead. Smith was a catalyst for the turnaround, displaying top-notch accuracy for the most part and displaying outstanding pocket presence to buy time to throw or create yardage with his legs as a runner.
4. Bend it like Beckham? Not quite, but Darrell Taylor takes a big step forward in third game.
To start his NFL career, Taylor’s performance has been a mixed bag through the first two preseason games. On one hand, his speed and overall athletic profile have been obvious rushing off the edge and he’s been able to blow past tackles. But he has struggled drifting upfield too much and consequently hasn’t been able to turn the corner to get to quarterbacks. His run defense and tackling have also been suspect at times. On Saturday night, the former second-round pick took a substantial leap forward in all areas of his game, playing fast, physical, and confident. Early in the second quarter, looking as if he was shot out of a cannon, Taylor exploded past the tackle, dipped his shoulder, and bent around the corner with ease, flying into the pocket for his first NFL sack on Daniel. He would later team up with Kerry Hyder for another partial sack on Easton Stick and also produced a pass deflection on fourth down to force a turnover on downs in the third quarter. Stuffing the stat sheet with four tackles and 1.5 sacks, the youngster made major strides at his new position just in time for the regular season.
5. While one starting cornerback seems set in stone, the other side still lacks clarity.
The decision not to play D.J. Reed after practicing all week long doesn’t guarantee he’s a starter, but comments from Pete Carroll earlier in the week strongly suggest he will remain in the lineup at right cornerback and resting him backs that notion. On the other side, however, Ahkello Witherspoon, Damarious Randall, Gavin Heslop, and John Reid all saw snaps without making many impact plays. Witherspoon did have some bad luck befall on him, as a pass breakup went up in the air and receiver Josh Palmer was able to make the catch for a first down. He also had solid coverage on a pair of incomplete passes on third down. Randall, Heslop, and Reid produced seven tackles as a group without any pass breakups or interceptions. None of the four contenders for the left cornerback starting job played poorly on Saturday, but once again, nobody truly grabbed the bull by the horns and took control of the job.
