Snap Count Synopsis: Seahawks Deploy More Nickel in Victory Over Rams

Playing under the lights on Thursday Night Football, the Seahawks sweated out a thrilling 30-29 victory over the Rams at Century Link Field, moving to 4-1 on the season in the process.

Checking out Seattle’s snap counts, here are several takeaways from last night’s instant classic.

For those who argued for running back Chris Carson to be benched after fumbling three times in the first three games of the season, coach Pete Carroll never seriously considered such an idea, saying “BS to that” following Thursday’s win. Despite receiving a heavy workload and rushing for over 100 yards just four days earlier, the third year back didn’t miss a beat against the Rams, eclipsing the century mark again and catching the game-winning touchdown from Russell Wilson late in the fourth quarter. Clearly back in command as Seattle’s bell cow back, Carson logged 62 snaps on Thursday night, good for 84 percent of Seattle’s offensive plays. Coming back from a hamstring injury, Rashaad Penny only saw 12 snaps, while C.J. Prosise didn’t play at all.

It became evident early on that the Seahawks planned to use more two tight end sets against the Rams and the final snap counts indicated just that. While Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf each played at least 51 snaps, receivers Jaron Brown, David Moore, and Malik Turner each played 23 snaps or less, with none of the three logging more than 31 percent of Seattle’s total snaps. Instead, rising star Will Dissly played all but eight snaps while posting a team-best 81 receiving yards and recently re-signed veteran Luke Willson played 43 snaps after seeing just 19 in his debut against the Cardinals on Sunday. There’s never been a question about who Seattle’s No. 1 receiver is, but as has been the case all season so far, Metcalf looks to have locked up his status as the No. 2 target for Wilson.

Seattle doesn’t have a Wally Pip situation on its hands at right guard, as D.J. Fluker will return to the starting lineup when healthy. But Jamarco Jones deserves major props for stepping in at a position he never had played in a game at any level until Thursday night and managing to perform at a high level, especially considering he had to block future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald much of the time. A lifelong offensive tackle, Jones hadn’t played a meaningful offensive snap in the NFL going into this game, let alone at guard. But took advantage of his first opportunity while playing 65 snaps as Fluker’s absence and Carroll called it a “great illustration” of the player.

After seeing limited action against the Cardinals and their Air Raid attack, Poona Ford and Al Woods each saw a slight uptick in snaps and significantly impacted last night’s contest. Playing 35 total snaps, Ford made his presence felt early by shooting through the Rams offensive line and bringing down Todd Gurley for a five-yard loss, while Woods stuffed Jared Goff on a two-point conversion run at the goal line during the third quarter that proved to be critical at the end of the game. Looking at edge rushers, Jadeveon Clowney played a season-high 78 percent of Seattle’s defensive snaps, while Ziggy Ansah saw an increase in snaps for a third straight game, seeing the field for 46 plays. Second-year defensive end Rasheem Green continues to earn more playing time as well, as he played a season-high 50 snaps.

Seattle has bucked modern trends during the first quarter of the season by extensively using their base 4-3 defense with linebackers Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, and Mychal Kendricks on the field together. But on Thursday, Carroll and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. utilized their nickel and dime packages with greater frequency. Kendricks played just 38 snaps, or 53 percent of the Seahawks defensive plays, while cornerback Jamar Taylor saw the field for a season-best 34 snaps. Taylor rewarded the coaching staff by making two key pass deflections and also showing value with a couple of quality blitzes from the slot. It may have just been game-planned for the Rams specifically, but with Taylor proving he can handle the job against a high-powered offense, the Seahawks may have more confidence playing sub-packages with additional defensive backs moving forward.