Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 20-7 Preseason Loss to Raiders
With a whopping 31 players not playing, including all 11 projected starters on offense and six projected starters on defense, the Seahawks laid an egg to open exhibition play with a 20-7 loss to the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
After making the painful decision to re-watch the game, which players stood out as the biggest stars in Seattle's preseason opening defeat? Here are my top five grades from Saturday night along with other notable performances.
Alton Robinson
Overall Grade: 87.5 (92 run defense, 88 pass rush, 87 tackling, 50 coverage)
From the outset, Robinson made his presence felt early and often while seeing playing time at LEO defensive end and strongside linebacker. He registered his first run stop on the fourth play of the game, bringing down Trey Ragas for a minimal two-yard gain. Then late in the second quarter, he exploded off the line of scrimmage as if he was shot out of a cannon and found his way to quarterback Nathan Peterman, hitting his arm as he threw and causing him to throw a dead duck that landed in the hands of safety Ryan Neal for an interception. On a pair of occasions, he showcased quality football instincts snuffing out jet sweep runs. The second-year defender wasn't perfect, as he let Peterman slip away on a sack opportunity and also allowed a 21-yard completion in coverage against receiver Zay Jones. Playing into the fourth quarter and logging 58 total snaps, however, he finished with six tackles and three quarterback pressures, turning in an excellent overall performance.
DeeJay Dallas
Overall Grade: 85.5 (82 running, 92 receiving, 85 kick return)
While Dallas is on the record stating players can't get faster once they reach the NFL, the former Miami standout continued to disprove his own theory in Vegas. Already enjoying a stellar training camp, the second-year back provided all of the fireworks for a sluggish Seahawks offense, snagging a fourth down dump off pass from Alex McGough against broken coverage. Exhibiting stellar contact balance, he broke a tackle along the sideline and then raced to the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown. Though he only had five carries on the night, he finished with 24 yards and averaged nearly five yards per rush, running with more decisiveness and less hesitancy than he did during his rookie season. In addition, Dallas' improved burst was on display on special teams, as he returned two kicks for 55 yards, including a quality 34-yard return before halftime. With a little over three weeks until the regular season, he has positioned himself in the driver's seat for the team's third down back role.
Rasheem Green
Overall Grade: 83.3 (80 run defense, 88 pass rush, 82 tackling)
On the hot seat given the depth Seattle has at defensive end, Green needed to turn in a signature performance and delivered, though his performance was a bit uneven compared to Robinson. The former USC Trojan has struggled maintaining gap integrity and those issues were present on a handful of plays Saturday night, opening up cutback lanes. He also whiffed on a pair of tackle attempts, including a potential sack on Peterman. With that said, he blew up a run play inside the 10-yard line early in the second quarter with instant penetration, walking a blocker into the backfield and allowing Ben Burr-Kirven to make a tackle for loss. Green turned up the heat all night , producing a sack, four pressures, and a pair of quarterback hits while rushing off the edge out of a three-point and two-point stance as well as reduced inside in 3-tech alignment. He also appeared to get a piece of a third down incompletion by Peterman late in the first half, forcing the Raiders to settle for a field goal.
Ben Burr-Kirven
Overall Grade: 82.0 (82 run defense, 88 tackling, 76 coverage)
Making the start at middle linebacker with Bobby Wagner receiving the night off, Burr-Kirven handled all of the defensive calls with ease and much like he did starring at Washington, he racked up tackles in bunches. Playing deep into the second half, the third-year defender amassed a team-high 12 tackles on 53 defensive snaps. Among his most notable plays, he leaped over the offensive line at the goal line on the Raiders opening drive to stuff Peterman on a quarterback sneak, setting up a fourth and goal situation. On the ensuing drive, thanks to Green's immediate disruption off the snap, he rocketed into the backfield to bring down B.J. Emmons for a tackle for loss. Though he got hung up on blocks a few times and allowed a pair of first down receptions in coverage, those two plays went for only 14 yards and he didn't miss a single tackle all night.
Freddie Swain
Overall Grade: 81.0 (81 receiving)
Aside from Dallas, few offensive players jumped out in Seattle's preseason opener, which shouldn't be surprising considering the team failed to hit 200 total yards and scored seven points. Positives were quite difficult to come by. But in limited action as the No. 1 receiver, Swain played well, catching three passes for 29 yards on just 14 offensive snaps. His biggest play of the day came on Seattle's second offensive possession when Geno Smith rolled out to his left on a bootleg and connected with the second-year wideout on a crossing route approaching the sidelines. He quickly turned upfield and picked up six yards after the catch, resulting in a 17-yard gain and a first down. A more polished route runner than he was this time a year ago, he may have created a bit of separation for the No. 3 receiver job with Penny Hart and D'Wayne Eskridge sidelined by injuries.
Other Notable Performances
Playing without a single projected starter in the trenches, the Seahawks entire offensive line struggled throughout the evening. Rookie Stone Forsythe endured a rough first two quarters, allowing three pressures and committing a costly holding penalty. The good news is that he didn't allow any pressures in the second half playing against reserves. He finished with a 70.5 overall grade. Trying to steal the starting center job away from Ethan Pocic, Kyle Fuller didn't help his cause in 13 snaps, allowing a pair of pressures and earning a 25.0 pass protection grade. Though he struggled as a run blocker in his NFL debut, undrafted rookie Jake Curhan didn't allow any pressures filling in for Brandon Shell at right tackle, receiving a respectable 65.0 overall mark. Guard Phil Haynes was stellar in pass pro and didn't allow a single pressure, but his overall grade (61.0) took a big hit due to a pair of botched run blocks.
Failing to capitalize on his chance to gain ground on D.J. Reed for the starting right cornerback spot, Tre Flowers allowed three completions for 44 yards on two drives, including surrendering a 28-yard completion to Jones when he failed to turn his head and find the football. Ahkello Witherspoon wasn't much more effective on the left side, benefiting from receiver John Brown missing a perfect throw from Peterman that would have been a first down. Both players received sub-optimal 45.0 and 55.0 coverage grades respectively. If there was a standout in the secondary, second-year defender Gavin Heslop recorded a nice pass breakup in coverage and also made a tackle for loss in the run game, receiving a 74.0 overall mark. At linebacker, Cody Barton narrowly missed making the top five performers due to a missed tackle and three receptions allowed in coverage. He still turned in a strong outing, producing a pair of sacks on three blitz attempts and making six combined tackles, earning a 78.5 overall grade. As for Darrell Taylor, it was a mixed bag in his first game action in nearly 20 months. He generated three quarterback hurries, including one that led to a sack by Barton, but he drifted too far upfield on several rush attempts and was overwhelmed at the point of attack defending the run on multiple plays. He also missed a pair of tackles, looking pretty rusty while receiving a 60.0 overall grade.
