Report Card: Top 5 Performers in Seahawks 20-15 Win vs. Washington
Punching their ticket to the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years and the third consecutive season, the Seahawks withstood a furious rally by the Washington Football Team in the fourth quarter to secure a 20-15 victory at Fed Ex Field.
After re-watching the game, which players shined as the biggest stars in Seattle's 10th win of the season? Here are my top five performers from Sunday's contest and other notable performances.
D.J. Reed
Overall Grade: 89.3 (Coverage 97, Run Defense 83, Tackling 88)
Continuing to make a case for maintaining his starting spot for the rest of the season, Reed seemed to be in on every play on Sunday. In coverage, he finished with three pass deflections, including recovering to swat away a deep ball from Dwayne Haskins intended for running back J.D. McKissic down the sideline and breaking up a touchdown to Terry McLaurin in the end zone. He also took advantage of a poor decision by Haskins early in the third quarter, baiting the young quarterback and jumping a route by Cam Sims for his second interception of the season. Targeted nine times in the game, he gave up just four receptions for 15 yards. In addition, the feisty cornerback added six tackles and contributed against the run.
Shaquill Griffin
Overall Grade: 88.3 (Coverage 95, Run Defense 85, Tackling 85)
Reed wasn’t the only Seattle cornerback playing at an elite level against Washington, as Griffin turned in one of the finest games of his career. After Quandre Diggs deflected a pass from Haskins intended for Sims, the fourth-year defender dove to make a spectacular interception inside Seattle’s five-yard line, erasing at least three points from the scoreboard. Griffin produced two more pass breakups on the day, including swatting away Haskins’ Hail Mary attempt on 4th and 24 to secure the victory for the Seahawks, and allowed 10 yards on two completions. He also made a fine play against a bubble screen, shedding the block and bringing down the receiver for a tackle for loss.
Alton Robinson
Overall Grade: 85.3 (Pass Rush 88, Run Defense 82, Tackling 86)
Robinson only logged 24 snaps against Washington, but he made the most of his limited chances. Rushing the passer 14 times, he generated a pair of hurries and came through with a strip sack off a speed rush on Washington’s final drive of the game, nearly creating a game-ending turnover for the Seahawks. He also recorded one run stop in limited snaps and helped make a tackle downfield in coverage. His hand technique and pass rushing counters continue to improve by week and as the rookie keeps showing a penchant for making big plays, there’s no question he deserves more opportunities if Seattle can find a way to get him on the field.
Cedric Ogbuehi
Overall Grade: 81.0 (Pass Blocking 78, Run Blocking 84)
Just as Chad Wheeler did last week – and against a far superior defensive line – Ogbuehi surprised with a bounce-back second start filling in for Brandon Shell after struggling mightily against the Eagles a few weeks ago. While the veteran tackle was far from perfect and allowed a pair of pressures, he held his own working against Montez Sweat and Chase Young in pass protection. The former first-round pick out of Texas A&M also made several key blocks in the run game to help the Seahawks rush for 181 yards on the afternoon, including pancaking a linebacker on Carlos Hyde’s 50-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter.
Russell Wilson
Overall Grade: 80.0 (Passing 77, Rushing 83)
Throwing for only 121 yards, Wilson’s production was limited by the fact Seattle ran the ball quite a bit in this game and emphasized the quick passing game out of one and three-step drops to mitigate Washington’s outstanding pass rush. But his yardage and touchdown numbers weren’t helped by Freddie Swain’s inability to get his left foot down inbounds on what would have been a 39-yard score early in the second quarter as well as an overthrow of David Moore in the end zone. Still, he fired a missile to Jacob Hollister for his lone touchdown and used his legs to extend scoring drives, rushing for 52 yards on just six carries, including a 38-yard scamper to set up the touchdown pass. Not a great game by Wilson’s standards, but he executed the game plan, completed 66 percent of his passes, and his interception was a fluky one after being tipped by defensive end Montez Sweat.
Jamal Adams
Overall Grade: 80.0 (Coverage 75, Run Defense 85, Tackling 88, Pass Rush 72)
Adams’ aggressiveness appeared to bite him again in coverage in the fourth quarter, as he allowed McKissic to come wide open in the flats to walk into the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. But taking away that play, the star safety had another strong game for the Seahawks, finishing with seven solo tackles and adding to his record for defensive backs by chasing down Haskins to bring his season total to 9.5 sacks. He also made an outstanding tackle in coverage working against McKissic on a 3rd and 4 situation midway through the third quarter, bringing down the versatile back for a one-yard gain and forcing Washington to punt. While he allowed five completions and the aforementioned touchdown on six targets, he only allowed 35 yards on those targets and had two third down stops.
Other Notable Performances
Offense: While Ogbuehi stood out, he wasn’t the only offensive lineman for Seattle to have a stellar game against a ferocious Washington defensive line. Damien Lewis turned in an 81 overall run blocking grade, while Ethan Pocic received an 83 overall pass protection grade working against the likes of Jonathan Allen and Da’Ron Payne. Duane Brown had a tougher outing than usual, allowing three pressures in pass protection and receiving a 66.0 pass blocking score. But the veteran made up for it to an extent with a solid 75 run blocking score. In the backfield, Chris Carson earned a steady 78.5 overall grade after rushing for 63 yards on 15 carries, while Carlos Hyde received a 90 run grade and would have been a top five performer if not for a huge dropped pass in the fourth quarter. On the outside, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett had quiet days statistically, but Metcalf earned a 77.0 grade by catching five of his six targets, while Lockett finished with just four receptions on seven targets for a 71.0 grade. Jacob Hollister also deserves credit after snagging his second touchdown of the season and posting a surprising 75 run blocking grade, as Hyde called him his “convoy” on the long touchdown run.
Defense: A pair of missed tackles in open field ultimately kept Quandre Diggs from making the top five this week, but the veteran free safety continued to play well with a 90 score in coverage, preventing Washington from connecting on any passes down the seam and giving up just a pair of receptions for 10 yards. Though Benson Mayowa didn’t record any of Seattle’s four sacks, he recorded a tackle for loss in coverage and also had a pair of hurries rushing off the edge, earning himself a 78.5 overall grade. L.J. Collier turned in another strong game, receiving a 78 pass rushing grade and collecting his third sack of the season on the game’s penultimate drive. Up front, Poona Ford wasn’t as much of a factor rushing the passer from the interior as he has been in recent weeks, but made three run stuffs to earn a 78.0 overall grade. On the flip side, Jarran Reed had an underwhelming day against the run by his standards but did contribute a quarterback hit and four hurries for a 79 pass rush grade. Carlos Dunlap was relatively quiet most of the game, but did come up with a crucial sack of Haskins late in the fourth quarter to salvage his grade with a 73.0 overall score. At linebacker, K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner weren’t able to do much with their blitzing opportunities and allowed 14 combined receptions in coverage, preventing either player from surpassing a 70.0 score.
