Short-Handed Seahawks Stampeded By Broncos, Lose 30-3 in Second Preseason Game
For a second straight week, the Seahawks chose not to play very many of their starters, and with the opponent taking a different strategy, the end result was a 30-3 drubbing at the hands of the visiting Broncos at Lumen Field.
Seattle failed to score until the second half, with backup quarterback Sean Mannion leading a field goal drive early in the third quarter. Otherwise, it was another dud offensively with the team producing 250 total yards and converting only five of 14 third down opportunities while committing three turnovers. A similarly short-handed defense was only marginally better, allowing two quick touchdown drives and three fourth down conversions in the first half.
To put that dud of a game in the rear-view mirror, here are five quick observations from a forgettable second preseason contest:
1. There’s no reason to panic about a dreadful first half performance given circumstances.
Nobody on the Seahawks will use it as an excuse, but the Broncos clearly held a substantial talent advantage on both sides of the football with most of their starters playing. The two teams have approached this preseason much differently with Denver trying to figure out who its starting quarterback will be for Week 1. To properly evaluate Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, other starters need to be on the field with them. As for Seattle, the team already knows what Wilson can do and most of their starters don’t need to be playing in these games that don’t count in the win-loss column. Keeping that in mind, while Carroll certainly won’t be happy with how the first half played out, there shouldn’t be any cause for alarm. The game went how most should have expected considering who was on the field.
2. The Seahawks should be grateful for not only Wilson, but Geno Smith as well.
Regardless of who is behind Wilson on the depth chart, Seattle would be hard pressed to overcome him missing games if it ever happened. But as evidenced the past two weeks, there’s an even bigger drop off going from Smith to either Alex McGough or Sean Mannion. While McGough completed nine out of 13 passes in the first two quarters, he threw a pair of ugly interceptions, including telegraphing one to Justin Simmons that only was missing wrapping paper as an early Christmas present. He also lost a fumble on a strip sack that netted a 20-yard loss. Mannion looked more like a capable NFL quarterback, though he struggled to throw anything beyond five yards and the offense seemed to pack it in with the score out of reach simply begging for the clock to move faster. For any fans who didn’t appreciate Smith as a backup before, he looks like an All-Pro in comparison to other alternatives on the roster.
3. A trio of undrafted rookies helped their cause heading into the final week of camp.
Trying to find bright spots in a 20-point preseason loss can feel as difficult as finding a palm tree in Antarctica, but there were a handful of them for the Seahawks if you looked beyond the scoreboard and several undrafted rookies were able to come up with big plays. Midway through the second quarter, defensive tackle Jarrod Hewitt registered his first career sack rushing from the 3-tech spot, quickly getting to Lock and bringing him down for an eight-yard loss. After the half, running back Josh Johnson broke off a trio of nice runs, finishing with nine carries for 30 yards despite playing behind a struggling offensive line. On the outside, Cade Johnson hauled in three passes for 34 yards working from the slot, converting a pair of first downs with those opportunities. While a roster spot may not be quite in reach for any of those players, all improved their case for being practice squad candidates.
4. DeeJay Dallas continues to prove he’s not just a running back, he’s a football player.
There’s no debate who has been Seattle’s MVP this preseason, as Dallas has done a bit of everything while providing most of the fireworks in back-to-back losses. After scoring on a 43-yard touchdown reception in the exhibition opener, the second-year back nearly broke a kick return for a touchdown and averaged 36.5 yards per return on two opportunities. Early in the third quarter, he shined on special teams again, penetrating the backfield to get a piece of a punt and give the Seahawks great starting field position. He didn’t get any carries on offense, but added three receptions for 27 yards as a receiver and had to work hard to earn those yards. He looks to have the third down running back job in the bag and may also emerge as the team’s new kick return specialist.
5. John Schneider will be scanning the free agent scrap heap after the team lost multiple players to significant injuries.
Adding insult to injury – no pun intended – the Seahawks didn’t just lose on the scoreboard in this ugly affair. They also lost several players to what appeared to be season-ending injuries. Already short depth-wise at linebacker, Ben Burr-Kirven badly hyper-extended his knee on the opening kickoff and had to be carted off. Later in the second quarter, John Ursua suffered the same fate after dropping at the top of a route with a non-contact injury. While no details have been provided about either player, both injuries didn’t look good and they were immediately ruled out. Even with rosters getting trimmed to 80 players by Tuesday, Schneider will be on the look out for insurance at both positions. And it’s possible Burr-Kirven’s injury could re-open the door for a certain No. 50 to come back.
