Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers From Blowout Loss to Ravens
Dominated in all phases from start to finish, the Seattle Seahawks suffered one of the worst losses of the Pete Carroll era in a 37-3 beatdown at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Even in the ugliest of defeats, however, several Seahawks still managed to turn in solid efforts despite losing by 34 on the scoreboard. After re-watching All-22 film, here are my top five grades and other noteworthy performances from Week 9:
Boye Mafe
Overall Grade: 81.5 (Pass Rush 88, Run Defense 78, Tackling 78)
Like the rest of Seattle's beleaguered defense, Mafe made his share of mistakes on Sunday, including missing a tackle at the line of scrimmage on a 40-yard touchdown run by rookie Keaton Mitchell late in the third quarter. But the rising second-year pass rusher tied a franchise record registering a sack for the sixth consecutive game, beating left tackle Ronnie Stanley around the edge with a swipe/dip combo move and stripping the football from Lamar Jackson's right hand as he started his throwing motion.
On top of forcing a fumble, Mafe also recovered the football, creating a key turnover in Seattle territory. In the run game department, he blew up a block in the first quarter to help Jordyn Brooks bring down Jackson for a tackle for loss and also stopped Justice Hill for no gain on one of his four tackles.
Jordyn Brooks
Overall Grade: 80.0 (Run Defense 82, Tackling 80, Coverage 78)
Dealing with a tough matchup often covering star tight end Mark Andrews, Brooks allowed six catches on seven targets. Similar to the rest of the defense around him, he also left a couple tackles on the field that allowed the Ravens to bust big runs. Still, the fourth-year linebacker racked up six tackles against the run netting three or fewer yards, including a four-yard tackle for loss on Mitchell early in the third quarter after defensive tackle Leonard Williams initially blew up the play with penetration.
In addition, Brooks recorded a second tackle for loss on a designed quarterback keeper by Jackson, making a rare stop on the elusive signal caller. In coverage, while he did allow 52 yards in the game, he made an impressive pass breakup staying stride for stride with Hill on a wheel route in the third quarter, forcing the Ravens to settle for a field goal.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Overall Grade: 79.0 (Receiving 81, Run Blocking 75*)
*Weighted for nine run blocking reps
Contributing to Seattle's abysmal third down woes, Smith-Njigba bobbled his first target on the opening series, failing to secure a perfect throw on an out route from Geno Smith before momentum took him out of bounds. But after that drop, the rookie receiver was near-perfect, catching all six of his targets for the remainder of the game for a team-high 63 yards and a pair of first downs. His highlight play came on the first snap of the fourth quarter with the Ravens firmly in control, as Smith lofted a deep ball down the right sideline to him over the hands of cornerback Arthur Maulet for a 35-yard gain. Later on the same drive, he made a contested catch in traffic for another first down, but the Seahawks unfortunately couldn't cash in for any points.
Tre Brown
Overall Grade: 77.0 (Run Defense 75, Tackling 73, Coverage 83)
Joining in on the missed tackles fest, Brown got spun around trying to bring down Mitchell and came up empty as the speedy rookie back slipped out of his grasp and raced 60 yards to set up Baltimore's final touchdown. Taking that play out of the equation, however, "Big Play Tre" performed well considering circumstances. Jackson tried to test him on deep balls twice, but the third-year cornerback had quality coverage on both attempts that sailed over the receiver incomplete.
On four total targets, Brown allowed two receptions for 21 yards, and one of those catches turned into what could have been a game-changing turnover. Late in the first half, Jackson connected with Odell Beckham Jr. for a first down, but as Brown tackled him, the receiver rolled over the top of him without being downed and then coughed up the football. Linebacker Bobby Wagner recovered in Baltimore territory, only for Seattle to end up turning the ball back over three plays later and fail to capitalize on the gifted opportunity.
Phil Haynes
Overall Grade: 77.0 (Run Blocking 74, Pass Blocking 80)
When it comes to protecting Smith and creating running lanes for Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks' offensive line struggled mightily in Baltimore, allowing four sacks while the team rushed for only 29 yards. In his return from a calf injury that cost him the previous two games, Haynes had a relatively clean game compared to his peers in the trenches, allowing two pressures and no quarterback hits on 35 pass blocking snaps. As a run blocker, he had a few snaps where he created decent push off the line of scrimmage early in the game, but Walker unfortunately wasn't able to take advantage on those plays due to instant penetration coming from backside pursuit.
Other Notable Performances
While his struggles can be chalked up to suspect play calling and poor protection, Smith completed under 50 percent of his throws with an interception for a season-low 64.0 grade. Receiver DK Metcalf turned in Seattle's biggest play of the day on a 50-yard reception and had at least one catch left on the field by poor throws, earning a 77.0 score. Tyler Lockett finished with three receptions, but Smith's interception came on a play where the veteran receiver wasn't on the same page communication-wise, resulting in a 73.0 grade. In the trenches, Stone Forsythe and Jason Peters both endured difficult afternoons, combining to give up six pressures for 62.0 and 60.0 grades respectively. Left tackle Charles Cross allowed two of Baltimore's four sacks and three pressures, netting a season-low 68.0 grade.
Though he finished with only one tackle in his team debut and got bullied at times at the point of attack, Leonard Williams generated a pressure and also created a tackle for loss for Brooks with penetration, receiving a 74.0 score. Dre'Mont Jones endured his toughest game as a Seahawk, getting abused in the run game throughout the afternoon and producing only one pressure for a 62.0 grade. Safety Jamal Adams had a roller coaster of a game, producing two tackles for loss and giving up two catches for eight yards in coverage while also missing three tackles, earning a 72.0 grade. Fellow safety Quandre Diggs came up empty on a key missed tackle on a 42-yard run by Gus Edwards, but he salvaged a solid 70.0 score giving up only one catch for five yards in coverage. Cornerback Devon Witherspoon only allowed three receptions in coverage, but two bad missed tackles resulted in 40-plus yard runs, dropping his grade to a season-low 67.0. On the opposite side of the secondary, Riq Woolen allowed a late touchdown to Beckham and also missed a pair of tackles, receiving a 63.0 grade.
