Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 30-3 Preseason Loss to Broncos
For the second week in a row, the Seahawks were on the receiving end of a preseason beatdown, losing a 30-3 contest to the Broncos at Lumen Field.
With Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner, Jamal Adams, and a bunch of other starters wearing caps on the sideline, however, the result should not have been surprising with the opponent playing far more starters. Ironically, even in a more lopsided loss, following a re-watch of the game, there may have actually been more positives to take away from this game than the preseason opening defeat in Las Vegas.
After wrapping up my weekly re-watch, which players stood out as the biggest stars in Seattle's latest exhibition loss? Here are my top five grades from Saturday night along with other notable performances.
DeeJay Dallas
Overall Grade: 90.0 (Receiving 87, Special Teams 93)
For a second consecutive week, Dallas shined and did so without receiving a single carry out of the backfield. Seeing just 12 offensive snaps, he caught three passes - with all of them coming behind the line of scrimmage - and turned them into 29 yards, including a 16-yard reception. In total, he generated 38 yards after the catch, wiggling his way through the teeth of Denver's defense to average nearly 10 yards per reception and consistently do something with nothing. Where Dallas truly made an impact was on special teams, however. Already well-positioned to win the third down running back job, he displayed excellent patience and burst on a 45-yard kickoff return to give Seattle outstanding starting field position. Then in the third quarter, he blocked a punt rushing off the edge. The versatile back continues to impress and looks poised to be a major contributor in his second NFL season.
Jake Curhan
Overall Grade: 86.5 (Pass Blocking 90, Run Blocking 83)
Oddly enough, on a night where Seattle scored just three points, two offensive players stood out as the team's top performers as Curhan turned in an excellent outing starting at right tackle. After holding up well against the Raiders and not allowing a single pressure in his NFL debut, the undrafted rookie out of California was even better against the Broncos, allowing no pressures or quarterback hurries on 18 pass protection snaps. He also made strides in the run blocking department, throwing several quality blocks on eight run plays, including driving a defender several yards off the ball on a down block in the third quarter to spring running back Josh Johnson for a nine-yard gain. With Jamarco Jones and Cedric Ogbuehi still dealing with injuries, Curhan may have suddenly played himself into consideration for a roster spot.
Tre Flowers
Overall Grade: 86.0 (Coverage 90, Tackling 88, Run Defense 80)
Unlike the first two players on this list, Flowers did not play well in the exhibition opener against the Raiders, allowing four completions for 46 yards in two drives at right cornerback. But with the veteran needing a strong bounce back performance to stay in the hunt for a starting role, the fourth-year defender delivered with a quality performance while playing into the second half. Though he had a few plays where he didn't take the best pursuit angles defending the run, he didn't miss a single tackle and produced four solo tackles on 27 defensive snaps. In coverage, he was only targeted once, allowing a five-yard completion to Jerry Jeudy in the second quarter. He seemed to be in great position most of the night sticking with receivers and neither Teddy Bridgewater or Drew Lock tested him.
Rasheem Green
Overall Grade: 85.0 (Run Defense 90, Pass Rush 78, Tackling 88)
Joining Dallas as the two Seahawks to crack the top five grades for each of the first two preseason games, Green was once again rock solid while seeing snaps at both defensive end spots as well as defensive tackle. Though the Broncos eventually scored on the next play, he blew up Royce Freeman on 1st and Goal on the opening defensive possession for no gain. Two drives later, he disengaged from a block and again brought down Freeman at the line of scrimmage. While he wasn't overly effective rushing the passer most of the night, he did execute a beautiful swim move to slip past a guard rushing from a reduced 3-tech alignment on 3rd and 17 to sack Drew Lock and force the Broncos to punt. He may not quite have his roster spot secured, but after back-to-back quality performances, he should be closing in on lock status.
John Ursua
Overall Grade: 84.0 (Receiving 92, Run Blocking 70)
Ursua's inclusion on this listing is nothing but bittersweet, as the third-year receiver suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the second quarter. It was unfortunate timing for the former Hawaii star, as he turned in arguably his best week of practice since entering the league and the momentum had carried over into Saturday's game. Running crisp routes from the slot, he caught all three targets thrown his direction for 34 yards and one first down conversion, surfacing as a bright spot for an otherwise anemic offense. One of those catches came after Ursua motioned towards the backfield, Alex McGough pitched the ball forward to him, and he turned upfield for a nine-yard gain. Like Dallas, he did much of his damage producing 24 yards after the catch. He missed a pair of run blocks on the outside, but that doesn't diminish how good he looked with the ball in his before exiting on a medical cart.
Other Notable Performances
Offense: At the skill positions, Josh Johnson and Cade Johnson turned in strong second halves. The former didn't quite reach four yards per carry, but much of that had to do with poor blocking and when he had something to work with, he showed above average burst and ran decisively. He also made a pair of good blocks in pass protection, earning himself a steady 77.0 grade. The latter dealt with subpar quarterback play and could have had a bigger night with better throws in his direction, but he still recorded three receptions for 34 yards and got after it as a run blocker on the outside, earning a 75.0 grade. Aside from Curhan, the only other offensive lineman who finished with better than a 70.0 overall grade with 10+ snaps was Stone Forsythe, who didn't allow a pressure all night on 29 pass protection snaps to earn himself a 74.0 overall score weighed down by a difficult night in the run blocking department.
Defense: Playing extended snaps on defense with Ben Burr-Kirven sidelined, Nick Bellore narrowly missed out making the top five performers with five tackles, including dropping Adrian Killins for a tackle for loss in the fourth quarter. Not yielding any receptions in coverage, he earned a stellar 83.0 grade. Despite finishing with just two tackles, Cody Barton also played well for a second straight week, breaking up one pass while allowing two completions for 25 yards on four targets in coverage. Accounting for a bad missed tackle on the opening drive, he received a 77.0 overall mark. Unlike Green, Alton Robinson and Darrell Taylor were not nearly as effective as the preseason opener. Robinson finished with a pair of pressures, but didn't generate a quarterback hit and got beat up in the run game on a few occasions for a 65.0 overall grade. As for Taylor, he didn't generate a single tackle or pressure on 14 snaps and got juked out of his jockstrap by Royce Freeman in the first half, receiving a dismal 55.0 grade. Away from Flowers, no other cornerbacks stood out with quality performances, as missed tackles doomed Tre Brown's score (62.0) and Ahkello Witherspoon (60.0) surrendered a 35-yard completion to Jerry Jeudy on fourth down to keep Denver's first touchdown drive alive.
