Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 40-3 Blowout Win vs. Jets
Taking care of business from the outset against a vastly inferior team, the Seahawks scored on four of their first six drives to build a 20-point halftime lead and kept the foot on the gas pedal to snag a lopsided 40-3 victory over the Jets on Sunday.
After re-watching the game, which players stood out as the biggest stars in Seattle's dominant Week 14 win? Here are my top five grades from Sunday's blowout at Lumen Field and other notable performances.
Russell Wilson
Overall Grade: 89.0 (92 passing, 50 running)
In a rare occurrence, Wilson only ran the football once and lost a yard, so he didn't make an impact in the run game at all. But aside from throwing his career-high 12th interception in the first quarter, Seattle's star signal caller was masterful as a passer, completing 21 out of 27 passes for 206 yards and four touchdowns. He did an outstanding job distributing the wealth against one of the NFL's worst pass defenses through the short-to-intermediate passing game, connecting with seven different receivers and throwing a touchdown to four different targets.
Damon Harrison
Overall Grade: 86.5 (95 run defense, 55 pass rush, 80 tackling)
Easily playing his best game since signing with the Seahawks back in October, "Snacks" didn't just plug up space in the middle to slow down the Jets run game and create opportunities for linebackers to make tackles behind him. Winning at the point of attack and shedding blocks to make his own plays at the line of scrimmage, he finished with a season-high five tackles and also forced his first turnover of the season, punching the ball out of Frank Gore's hands for a fumble in the second quarter. Bobby Wagner recovered and Seattle tacked on a field goal to extend its lead to 17-3.
Will Dissly
Overall Grade: 86.0 (88 receiving, 82 run blocking, 80 pass blocking)
Dissly didn't put up gaudy stats with just two receptions for 23 yards, but he made the most of his two targets, turning one of them into a 13-yard first down reception and catching his second touchdown of the season on the other one. The third-year tight end also made his presence felt as a run blocker, helping spring Carlos Hyde for a 15-yard run on Seattle's second touchdown drive among several key blocks on the afternoon. He also played a role in preventing Wilson from being hit a single time by the Jets defense, holding up well in protection as an in-line blocker when he wasn't running routes on pass plays.
K.J. Wright
Overall Grade: 84.0 (88 run defense, 77 pass rush, 86 tackling, 85 coverage)
Continuing to play at a high level in his 10th season with the Seahawks and shining at SAM linebacker, Wright stood out most setting the edge as a run defender on Sunday, including blowing up a pair of runs for three and five-yard losses during a drive in the second quarter. He finished tied for a game-high six tackles with two tackles for loss and added a quarterback hit on Sam Darnold as a blitzer. In coverage, Wright gave up just one completion for 14 yards and if not for Poona Ford knocking the ball out of his hands, he would have likely had his second interception of the season off a batted ball by L.J. Collier.
Chad Wheeler
Overall Grade: 83.0 (79 pass protection, 87 run blocking)
Checking in late in the first half after Brandon Shell re-aggravated a high ankle sprain, Wheeler may have been Seattle's biggest surprise on Sunday. After struggling mightily against the Giants last weekend, he surrendered just one pressure in 40 snaps against the Jets, looking far more comfortable in his pass sets. But where the former USC standout truly excelled was on the ground, as he made a pivotal block turning a defensive end outside to help create a huge hole for Chris Carson on a 28-yard run and found his way to the second level for a pair of pancakes against undersized linebackers.
Other Notable Performances
While Wheeler earned the highest marks of the day up front, Duane Brown and Ethan Pocic also turned in stellar performances with 85.0 and 83.0 pass protection grades respectively. Before exiting, Shell also was having a solid outing against his former team, earning an 80.0 pass protection grade while allowing a single pressure. On the outside, DK Metcalf somewhat quietly produced 61 yards and a touchdown on six receptions, earning an 81.0 overall grade. Tyler Lockett caught all five of his targets for 52 yards and moved the chains three times for a respectable 79.0 grade. In the backfield, Chris Carson rushed for a season-best 76 yards and a touchdown, but a couple of missed opportunities on screen passes and one missed block in pass pro dropped his overall grade to 76.5. Receiving a 70.0 overall grade, Damien Lewis had an up and down day at the right guard spot, getting blown up a few times in pass protection while also making a key block on Carson's touchdown run. At the other guard position, Mike Iupati wasn't his typical dominant self in the run game and lost several times at the point of attack, earning a 64.0 overall grade.
Defensively, several Seahawks were on the verge of making the top five after holding the Jets to just three points. Quandre Diggs wasn't targeted once at free safety and once again didn't give up a single reception, earning a 90.0 coverage grade and an 82.5 overall score. While he only finished with six tackles, Bobby Wagner played a far cleaner game than last weekend, producing three run stuffs and allowing a single reception in coverage for an 82.0 overall grade. Jamal Adams also turned in another fine outing with five tackles and a record-breaking sack, though a dropped interception loomed large in coverage as he earned an 80.5 overall grade. Shaquill Griffin made two excellent plays in coverage against Jamison Crowder in the end zone, but a pair of missed tackles caused his overall grade to sink to 77.5. Across from him, D.J. Reed lucked out to an extent with a pair of drops by Breshad Perriman, who had beaten him in coverage. He also was penalized for illegal contact to extend a drive, earning him a 65.0 overall grade. In the trenches, Poona Ford enjoyed another solid game with a tackle for loss and one quarterback pressure, earning a 78.5 grade. Next to him, Jarran Reed came in with a 77.0 overall in large part due to an 84.0 pass rushing grade with a sack and two quarterback hits. L.J. Collier was stout against the run with a pair of run stops and also produced a pass deflection, but getting juked out by Darnold on a potential sack opportunity didn't go unnoticed and he earned a 74.0 grade as a result.
