Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 23-13 Loss to Cardinals
Desperate for a win with their playoff hopes fading, the Seahawks weren't able to answer the call against a Kyler Murray-less Cardinals squad on Sunday, dropping their seventh game of the season in a demoralizing 23-13 loss at Lumen Field.
While little went right in yet another defeat suffered on its home field, Seattle still had several players enjoy strong performances against the NFC West division leaders. Here are my top five grades from Sunday's disappointing outcome along with other notable performances.
Tyler Lockett
Overall Grade: 89.0 (Receiving 94, Run Blocking 65*)
*Weighted for 15 run blocking snaps
Last year, Lockett torched the Cardinals with over 200 receiving yards and four touchdowns in two games and even with the Seahawks' offense being grounded most of the afternoon, he still found success against a much-improved secondary on Sunday. Spearheading Seattle's first scoring drive midway through the second quarter, Wilson hooked up with his trusted receiver on a post route for a 25-yard gain to advance the ball to the Arizona nine-yard line. Then later in the quarter, with his team down 13-3, Lockett again came through in the clutch, overcoming contact downfield to reel in a 36-yard reception and then putting his Oscar-worthy acting on display to draw an unnecessary roughness penalty on Jalen Thompson. Finishing with over 100 yards for the 14th time in his career, his biggest play came in the fourth quarter after Wilson bought time in the pocket and then fired a dart to Lockett on a corner route for a 46-yard gain, setting up a DeeJay Dallas touchdown run to put the Seahawks within three points with under eight minutes left to play.
Bryan Mone
Overall Grade: 87.5 (Run Defense 82, Tackling 90, Pass Rush 90)
Prior to Sunday's game, Mone had 0.5 sacks and four quarterback hits in his first 22 NFL games and at 345 pounds, the nose tackle hasn't been known for his pass rushing prowess. But he has been surprisingly effective pushing the pocket in spurts and enjoyed a career day against the Cardinals with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. The massive defender first found his way to Colt McCoy at the 7:51 mark in the first quarter, hand-fighting past guard Sean Harlow and then punching the ball out of the quarterback's hand on a strip sack. Teaming up with fellow defensive tackle Poona Ford, he got in on the action again midway through the third quarter, tossing center Rodney Hudson aside like a bag of flour and then devouring McCoy as he tried to step up in the pocket for a partial sack. He also held up well against the run, helping hold James Conner to just 62 yards on the afternoon.
Sidney Jones
Overall Grade: 85.0 (Run Defense 85, Tackling 90, Coverage 80)
Replacing an injured D.J. Reed as Seattle's starting right cornerback, Jones eventually saw action on both sides after rookie Tre Brown exited with a patellar tendon injury in the second quarter. Playing all 80 snaps, the former Washington standout turned in his best game since joining his new team in September. Active against the run game, Jones produced a career-best 12 tackles, including helping Jamal Adams stuff Conner on a 3rd and 1 off tackle run in the second quarter. In coverage, McCoy targeted him five times and he allowed only three completions for 10 yards. Unfortunately, tight end Zach Ertz beat him inside on one of those catches for a touchdown with 1:52 to go in the second quarter. With that said, Jones may have been cheated out of a momentum-changing interception early in the third quarter after jumping a hitch route by A.J. Green and returning the pick to the Cardinals 11-yard line. Officials overturned the play, ruling the ball hit the ground.
Damien Lewis
Overall Grade: 84.0 (Run Blocking 80, Pass Protection 88)
Enduring a sophomore slump to an extent this season, Lewis may have played his best game of the season in all facets against the Cardinals. He got off to a fast start, making a key down block to set up a cutback lane for Rashaad Penny, who exploded for an 18-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. The former LSU standout threw several other quality blocks in the run game to spring Alex Collins and Dallas and most importantly, he was as sharp as he has been all year in pass protection, helping keep Wilson clean for most of the game. For the first time since a Week 2 loss to the Titans, he didn't allow a single pressure on 30 pass blocking reps, rebounding in a major way after getting ambushed with six pressures allowed against the Packers one week earlier.
Gerald Everett
Overall Grade: 82.5 (Receiving 85, Run Blocking 77, Pass Blocking 80*)
*Weighted for two pass blocking snaps
Statistically, Everett had a ho-hum afternoon with three receptions for 37 yards. But he deserves a ton of credit for exhibiting fight and making the most of his chances when Wilson targets him. The fifth-year tight end continues to scrap after the catch, as he amassed 20 yards with the ball in his hands and broke a pair of tackles on an impressive 12-yard catch in the third quarter. He also added a 16-yard reception later in the quarter that required three Arizona defenders to bring him to the turf. Such scrappiness hasn't been seen near enough from the rest of Seattle's roster and despite being a bit on the lighter side for his position to play inline, he continues to give his all as a run blocker when his number is called.
Other Notable Performances
Playing at less than 100 percent, Duane Brown rebounded from a tough day in Green Bay, allowing just one pressure on 30 pass protection reps to receive a 78.5 overall grade. The same couldn't be said for an ailing Brandon Shell, who gave up two pressures and a sack on 25 repetitions for a 65.0 grade. Center Ethan Pocic and guard Gabe Jackson each gave up one pressure apiece and did a decent job in the run game, receiving 75.0 and 73.0 grades respectively. Wilson had more splash plays in his second start back from injury and averaged eight yards per pass attempt, but several misses in the red zone and on third down dropped his grade (72.0) substantially. In the backfield, DeeJay Dallas impressed rushing for 25 hard-earned yards and a touchdown and his 74.0 grade would have been higher without a third down drop out of the backfield. A relative non-factor, DK Metcalf caught four passes for 37 yards and missed out on a touchdown on a fade when he bobbled the ball, earning him a 68.0 mark. At tight end, Will Dissly endured one of the worst games of his career with two crucial second half drops, leading to a dismal 50.0 grade.
For a second straight game, Rasheem Green quietly made an impact for Seattle in the trenches, finishing with five tackles, two quarterback pressures, and a swatted pass to receive an 81.0 overall grade. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks held up well against the run, combining to make 26 total tackles on the afternoon. But both players had their issues in coverage, with Wagner allowing nine receptions on 10 targets and a touchdown and Brooks surrendering 86 yards on seven receptions. Wagner finished with a 74.0 grade, while Brooks received a 70.0. Coming off his best game of the season, safety Jamal Adams had an up-and-down performance, failing to make an impact as a blitzer and nearly giving up a late touchdown to Christian Kirk. Finishing with seven tackles, his stellar run defense helped his overall grade (73.0), while fellow safety Quandre Diggs had a missed tackle and received a 76.0 mark. Defensive end Darrell Taylor endured another challenging outing, registering more missed tackles than actual tackles and no quarterback hits for a 55.0 grade.
