Snap Count Synopsis: Newcomers Play Extensive Snaps in Seahawks Win vs. 49ers

Looking for anything to get the pass rush humming, Seattle gave Shaquem Griffin a shot rushing off the edge and several newcomers thrived in their team debuts.

Improving to 8-2 on the season, the Seahawks came out on top in a wild 27-24 overtime victory over the 49ers on Monday Night Football, trimming their bitter rival’s NFC West lead to only half a game.

Moving into a Week 11 bye, here are several key takeaways from Seattle’s snap counts against San Francisco.

• Already struggling to find the field due to injuries and inconsistent performance, Rashaad Penny now appears to be in coach Pete Carroll’s doghouse. Though he’s fully recovered from a hamstring injury that cost him three games, the second year running back played only three snaps against the 49ers and lost a fumble on his third and final play. Understandably, putting the ball on the ground isn’t going to inspire Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to give him more snaps. But the Seahawks need to figure out what to do with Chris Carson’s workload after he played all but three of the team’s 74 offensive snaps. He simply can’t do that each week and last. If they don’t trust Penny right now, maybe it’s time to give rookie Travis Homer a shot at a few snaps?

• After only three practices with his new team, Josh Gordon played 28 snaps, good for 38 percent of Seattle’s offensive plays. He saw more field time than David Moore and made the most of his snaps, converting two third down catches into huge first downs during the second half and overtime. As he continues to learn more of the playbook during the bye week, expect him to see an even bigger workload in Week 12 against the Eagles. Away from Gordon, Malik Turner also took some of Moore’s snaps and made a critical first down reception in overtime, potentially earning himself more playing time in future weeks as well.

• It’s a good thing Ed Dickson could be activated this week because the Seahawks are extremely thin at the tight end position. One week after suffering a rib injury, veteran Luke Willson tweaked his hamstring and according to Carroll, there’s a chance he could miss some time even after the bye. For a second straight week, that forced Jacob Hollister to play the bulk of the snaps, as he played 78 percent of Seattle’s offensive plays against San Francisco. The third-year tight end continues to capitalize on his opportunities, as he caught a career-high eight passes and scored his third down in a two-week span. If Willson can’t go in Week 12, look for Hollister to earn the starting nod and Dickson to play substantial snaps in his first action of 2019.

• Given the team’s ongoing struggles generating an effective pass rush, many had been pushing for the Seahawks to give linebacker Shaquem Griffin a chance to rush off the edge, including yours truly. With Ziggy Ansah continuing to be a non-factor, he finally earned his shot on Monday, playing 14 snaps as a situational rusher. The second-year linebacker didn’t produce any tackles and got knocked down a few times while trying to execute a spin move, but he did bring energy to Seattle’s defense and hurried Jimmy Garoppolo out of the pocket to force a third down incompletion. After the game, Carroll sounded keen on the idea of continuing to mix him into the rotation as the Seahawks search for a role for him. This could mean diminished playing time for Ansah, who saw the field for just 14 snaps against the 49ers.

• In his first start with the Seahawks, Quandre Diggs played all 88 of the team’s defensive snaps at free safety, recording two tackles and a critical 44-yard interception in the third quarter to set up a Russell Wilson touchdown pass. Bradley McDougald also never left the field at strong safety, providing the team with valuable experience at both positions. Contrary to what Carroll said on Monday, rookie Marquise Blair didn’t play a single defensive snap on Monday night, but it sounds like Seattle plans to use him some as a third safety in dime packages down the road. As well as he played in three starts, it’d be nice to still get the rookie some reps on game day even with Diggs and McDougald entrenched as starters.