Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 30-23 Win Over 49ers
Snapping a three-game losing streak and completing the season sweep of their rivals from the bay area, the Seahawks rebounded from an early 10-point deficit to defeat the 49ers 30-23 on Sunday, improving their record to 4-8 on the season.
After keeping their (very) slim playoff hopes alive, which players shined in Seattle's bounce-back victory? Here are my top five grades and other notable performers from the team's much-needed Week 13 win at Lumen Field.
Travis Homer
Overall Grade: 88.0 (Rushing 97, Pass Blocking 92, Receiving 75)
Special teams standouts often don't receive the love they deserve, but Homer stole the show with several critical plays on Sunday. Receiving the green light from the coaching staff, he called his own number on a gutsy fake punt deep in Seattle's own territory on the game's opening drive. Taking a direct snap from Tyler Ott, he bolted outside to find a huge crease off the edge and rocketed into the 49ers secondary, eventually setting up a lead block by Nick Bellore that sprung him for a 73-yard touchdown. Then to open the second half, after Bellore punched the ball out of receiver Travis Benjamin's hands in kickoff coverage, the third-year back bounced on the loose football for a fumble recovery to set the Seahawks up with outstanding field position. In addition, he played flawlessly in pass protection and tacked on four receptions out of the backfield for good measure.
Russell Wilson
Overall Grade: 87.0 (Passing 90, Rushing 80)
Hindered by poor pass protection, Wilson's recent struggles continued with just 22 passing yards on six completions in the opening quarter. But he found his groove midway through the second quarter and rediscovered his Pro Bowl form, starting with a 33-yard dime to DK Metcalf to move the chains on 3rd and 14. Two plays later, Adrian Peterson found pay dirt to trim the 49ers lead to 17-14. After San Francisco answered with a touchdown drive of its own, Wilson came right back with a seven-yard score to Dee Eskridge to cut the deficit to two points before halftime. With the game knotted up at 23 apiece midway through the third quarter, the star quarterback dropped a perfect 12-yard pass into the bucket for Tyler Lockett in the back corner of the end zone on what wound up being the game-winning score. He finished the day 30 for 37 with 231 passing yards and would have had three passing touchdowns if not for a drop by Gerald Everett at the goal line leading to an unfortunate interception by K'Wuan Williams.
Dee Eskridge
Overall Grade: 85.0 (Receiving 90, Run Blocking 70*)
*Weighted for five run blocking reps
Lockett and Metcalf had more receptions and yardage than Eskridge, but the speedy rookie wideout made the most of his opportunities and provided a spark when the Seahawks absolutely needed it late in the first half. Down nine with under a minute to play in the second quarter, he first made a critical third down reception on a quick hitch and then broke cornerback Josh Norman's tackle attempt, allowing him to slip out of bounds after an 11-yard gain. Three plays later, following a roughing the passer call against the 49ers, Wilson climbed up in the pocket and then fired a dart to him on another quick curl. Just as he had done on the previous play, he used his strength to power through Deommodore Lenoir's tackle and dove into the end zone for his first career touchdown to cut the lead to 23-21. Later in the third quarter, he came open on a crossing route and Wilson hit him along the sideline for a 17-yard gain to the 49ers 34-yard line. He finished with three receptions for 35 yards on three targets, coming through in the clutch with a touchdown and two first down conversions.
Jordyn Brooks
Overall Grade: 84.5 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 86, Coverage 80)
Prior to Sunday, the 49ers had rushed for nearly 180 yards per game during a three-game winning streak. But with Brooks leading the charge, the Seahawks were able to thwart their red-hot ground attack, limiting rookie running back Elijah Mitchell to 66 yards and a meager 3.0 yards per carry average. The sophomore linebacker out of Texas Tech continues to improve each week, as he snuffed out numerous runs by Mitchell, including blowing him up for a tackle for loss on San Francisco's opening possession. With teammate Bobby Wagner blowing up Kyle Jusczcyk's lead block, Brooks flew in to clean up the play behind the line of scrimmage. He finished with a team-high 11 tackles and made four stops holding Mitchell to two or less yards. In coverage, Jimmy Garoppolo only targeted him three times and he allowed a pair of receptions for just 13 yards.
Rashaad Penny
Overall Grade: 83.0 (Rushing 76, Receiving 85, Pass Protection 90)
Although he only rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries, Penny ran tough all afternoon, averaging a team-high 2.60 yards after contact per carry according to Pro Football Focus. After battling injuries all season long, the former first-round pick finally showed off his explosiveness too, producing a pair of 10-plus yard rushes and breaking loose on a 27-yard pickup on a screen midway through the fourth quarter to advance the Seahawks into the red zone. But Penny's best play came without the football in his hands early in the third quarter. Wilson's left side in the backfield, he alertly broke off from his play fake when he noticed safety Talanoa Hufanga coming untouched off the edge on a blitz. Hitting the deck, he executed a perfect cut block on the defender to upend him, allowing Wilson to slide his pocket to the left and hit Eskridge for a 17-yard gain.
Other Notable Performances
Several defensive players narrowly missed out on the top five, led by safety Quandre Diggs, who registered his team-best fourth interception of the season and laid several big hits as a tackler. If not for his role allowing a 24-yard touchdown to George Kittle down the seam, his grade would have been significantly higher than 81.0. Missed tackles ultimately hurt Wagner's overall score, as he picked off his first pass of the season and finished with nine tackles in a stellar effort against the 49ers run game, earning him an 80.0 mark. Cornerback Sidney Jones turned in a third consecutive strong outing with an 80.0 grade of his own, allowing two catches for 27 yards and making a key pass breakup in the end zone during Seattle's final goal line stand. Fellow cornerback D.J. Reed also played well aside from Kittle's first touchdown grab, registering a pair of pass breakups and receiving a 78.0 overall grade. Up front, Carlos Dunlap made the most of just seven defensive snaps, sacking Garoppolo for a safety and producing a game-clinching fourth down pass deflection for an 81.0 grade. On the low end of the spectrum, Jamal Adams had a tough afternoon before exiting with a shoulder injury, missing two tackles and allowing a 28-yard catch to Kittle while caught in no man's land deciding whether or not to blitz, receiving a 68.0 overall grade. Ryan Neal also struggled after replacing Adams, allowing 105 receiving yards on five receptions and failing to bring down Kittle on a 48-yard touchdown late in the first half.
Offensively, Lockett turned in another stellar, if unspectacular, outing with seven receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown, scoring an 82.0 overall mark. Metcalf missed out on a few chances for big plays partially due to inaccurate throws, but still earned an 80.0 overall with five catches for 60 yards and his critical 33-yard reception on 3rd and 14. Up front, left tackle Duane Brown surrendered a sack, but was otherwise outstanding going against Nick Bosa and Samson Ebukam, surrendering just two pressures on 43 pass blocking snaps to earn a 78.0 overall grade. Rookie lineman Jake Curhan survived an onslaught replacing an injured Kyle Fuller, allowing two sacks and three pressures on 38 pass blocking reps and making a few solid blocks in the run game for a 65.0 grade. Gabe Jackson endured one of his worst games as a Seahawk, allowing five pressures on the afternoon and receiving a 58.0 grade. In the backfield, Adrian Peterson deserves kudos for tying Jim Brown with his 126th career touchdown, but he also lost a fumble and averaged just 1.5 yards per carry, earning him a 48.0 grade. Responsible for three turnovers, including a dropped touchdown-turned-interception in the third quarter and a goal line fumble in the fourth quarter, Gerald Everett earned a 25.0 overall grade.
