Seahawks Top Vikings in Preseason Opener as Rookies Shine
The Seattle Seahawks kicked off the preseason on Thursday night at Lumen Field with a 24-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
Neither side played a majority of their usual starters, with Drew Lock getting the start under center for the Seahawks and Nick Mullens leading the charge for Minnesota, but there remained plenty of valuable takeaways.
Lock had a solid night at the office, completing 17 of 24 passes for 191 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while leading three scoring drives. He was relieved in the fourth quarter by undrafted rookie Holton Ahlers, with the lefty going an efficient four of four for 43 yards and a score while adding three rushes for 29 yards.
Ahlers' first professional drive ended with a 30-yard touchdown pass to fellow undrafted rookie Matt Landers, who worked back to an underthrown, off-balance ball and ran it in to put Seattle up two scores.
That rookie magic largely sums up the night for Seattle, as first-round receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, second-round running back Zach Charbonnet and undrafted wideout Jake Bobo all had good showings offensively.
Smith-Njigba hauled in three of his four targets, ultimately finishing with 25 yards, while Charbonnet took four carries for 14 yards with a long of nine. Bobo proved productive as well, leading Seattle in receiving with three grabs for 55 yards and a score.
The strong rookie showings extended to the other side of the ball as well, with second-round outside linebacker Derick Hall, fifth-round defensive lineman Mike Morris, sixth-round safety Jerrick Reed II and undrafted corner Lance Boykin all impressing.
Hall and Morris converged for a pressure on Mullens early, showing the disruptive traits that have provided early optimism, while Reed II made five tackles with one tackle for loss. Boykin, who carries a physical build at 6-2, 198 pounds, had three tackles and played solid coverage throughout the night.
The star of the show on offense was running back Bryant Koback, who played for the Vikings last preseason. Koback was the Seahawks' leading rusher and second-leading receiver, taking six carries for 32 yards and adding three catches for 43 yards.
Defensively, the honor goes to linebacker Jon Rhattigan, who had a team-high nine tackles in an ultra-productive first half of work. Fellow linebacker Devin Bush pitched in six tackles, one going for a loss.
The Seahawks will return to action next Saturday, Aug. 19, against the Dallas Cowboys, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. PST at Lumen Field.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @ByDanielFlick
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Seahawks? Click Here to subscribe to AllSeahawks.com's Newsletter.
Follow All Seahawks.com on Twitter and Facebook
Make sure to subscribe to our daily podcast @lockedonseahawks today! Click here To Listen.
Want even more Seattle Seahawks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
