Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 37-23 Win vs. Chargers
Vaulting into first place in the NFC West, the Seahawks used a balanced, explosive offensive attack and an opportunistic defense to race out to a 17-point lead and earn a convincing 37-23 road upset victory over the Chargers on Sunday.
As expected, Seattle had no shortage of stars on the field on both sides of the ball in the most complete game by the team so far this season. Here are my top five grades and other notable performances from an impressive win at SoFi Stadium in Week 7:
Ryan Neal
Overall Grade: 92.0 (Run Defense 88, Tackling 92, Coverage 96)
Despite receiving IV treatments on Sunday morning, Neal played the game of his life while dealing with an illness in a performance that would make Michael Jordan smile. Right out of the gate, the veteran safety shot out of the backfield and teamed up with linebacker Boye Mafe to stonewall running back Austin Ekeler at the line of scrimmage on 4th and 1, generating a turnover of downs on the Chargers first possession. Two drives later, after the Seahawks took an early 7-0 lead, Neal dropped back into zone like a linebacker in a dime package and intercepted a badly telegraphed throw by Justin Herbert for his first pick of the season, setting up another touchdown. Over the course of the game, he broke up a whopping four passes, including denying receiver DeAndre Carter in the end zone in the second quarter, the second-most by any defender in a single game this season. Flying all over the field like his hair was on fire, he made four run stops netting two or fewer yards, playing a critical role in limiting Los Angeles to 53 yards on the ground.
Ken Walker III
Overall Grade: 89.0 (Rushing 95, Pass Blocking 80*)
*Weighted for three pass protection reps
While Neal shined on defense, Walker nearly took the mantle for highest grade of the week with a riveting showing of his own dicing up the Chargers defense with his unique blend of speed, quickness, vision, and power. On countless occasions, Los Angeles appeared to have the electric rookie bottled up in the backfield, only for him to jump cut his way out of trouble to turn negative plays into positive yardage. Helping the Seahawks race out to a 17-point lead in the first quarter, he patiently set up a block by guard Damien Lewis, stuck his cleat in the turf, and bolted through the crease before bowling his way into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown. In the second half, he ripped off a 19-yard gain after slipping through a tackle and ran for two first downs as part of a 17-play drive that ate up 10 minutes and netted a field goal. Putting the finishing touches on a filthy good outing in his second career start, he followed a caravan of lead blockers on a toss and turned on the afterburners as he hit the sideline, racing past multiple defenders for a 74-yard touchdown to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Rushing for 125 yards after contact and nearly 5.5 yards per carry after contact with four missed tackles created, he looks like the front-runner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Marquise Goodwin
Overall Grade: 88.0 (Receiving 94, Run Blocking 70*)
*Weighted for 12 run blocking reps
Now in his ninth NFL season, Goodwin hadn't had many chances to contribute as a receiver in the first six weeks. But still possessing blazing speed at 31 years young, in a game where DK Metcalf exited early with a knee injury and Tyler Lockett was playing at less than 100 percent, he picked a perfect afternoon for a breakout game with his new team. After Seattle turned the ball over on its first possession, Geno Smith escaped the pocket and found the veteran wideout along the sideline for a 22-yard completion on third down. Moments later, facing 3rd and 12 in the red zone, he used a subtle jab step inside to gain separation against Asante Samuel Jr. and Smith floated a perfect touch pass to the corner to him for a 20-yard touchdown. Later in the half, Smith hooked up with him in the end zone again, as Goodwin showed off his Olympic long jumping explosiveness high-pointing the football for six points to push Seattle's advantage back to 10 points. He finished the afternoon with four catches for a team-high 67 yards and that production could have been better if not for an offensive pass interference penalty against Dee Eskridge taking away a big gain on a bubble screen.
Austin Blythe
Overall Grade: 86.0 (Run Blocking 82, Pass Blocking 90)
In his first season at the pivot position for the Seahawks, Blythe has battled inconsistency, particularly as a run blocker where his smaller stature can lend itself to struggling to create push at the point of attack. But the savvy veteran put together his most complete game thus far against the Chargers, executing several quality reach blocks in the run game and using his wrestling athleticism to get onto defenders at the second level to help aid Walker's monster day out of the backfield. Most importantly, in addition to his usual value as the main communicator for a young offensive line calling out blitzes, stunts, and other line calls, he didn't allow a single pressure in pass protection on 31 snaps, limiting interior pressure on Smith all afternoon. Playing better by week, Blythe seems to be settling in with a scheme he already was well-versed in and his improved play continues to have a positive ripple effect on the rest of the unit.
Colby Parkinson
Overall Grade: 85.0 (Receiving 87, Run Blocking 83)
While he only caught one pass on Sunday, Parkinson's lone reception proved to be a crucial one for the Seahawks. Motioning right to left across the formation without any defenders following him on 1st and 10, the Chargers failed to pick him up as he leaked out of the backfield on a wheel route and Smith immediately hit him in stride for a 28-yard completion to the opposing 34-yard line. A couple plays later, Goodwin skied for his second touchdown and momentum shifted back to Seattle's sideline moments before halftime. In the second half, Parkinson didn't make any catches, but he did draw a pass interference penalty on his single target, helping set up a Jason Myers field goal to increase the lead to 30-16 early in the fourth quarter. Making two decisive blocks on the same play, he chipped Kyle Van Noy and kicked Samuel out to the sideline as a lead blocker for Walker, creating the crease for him to explode through for his game-icing touchdown.
Other Notable Performances
Just missing out on the top five, Will Dissly caught four passes with two of them netting first downs and made a handful of nice blocks in front of Walker, earning an 84.0 mark. Behind him, despite being hindered by a hamstring injury, Lockett proved to be money with three crucial first down generating receptions in the third quarter, coming through in the clutch without being able to create his usual separation downfield for an 83.0 grade. Receiving the second best grade on the offensive line before exiting with an injury, Phil Haynes allowed just one quarterback pressure and was a key component of Walker's success on the ground, receiving a strong 82.0 score. One point behind him, Charles Cross put in an impressive outing keeping Khalil Mack away from Smith and yielded one single pressure to receive an 81.0 overall mark. Abraham Lucas' lone blemish came on a sack allowed and he performed well in the run game most of the afternoon, earning a favorable 78.5 grade of his own. Smith got away with several turnover-worthy throws, including a near second interception by Samuel in the fourth quarter, but he still completed 74 percent of his passes and made several spectacular downfield throws to earn a 76.0 overall.
Though he didn't find a way to bring down his former teammate Herbert for a sack, Uchenna Nwosu continued to be a disruptive force off the edge with eight pressures and three quarterback hits, netting an 83.5 grade. Finishing with a similar mark, Shelby Harris swatted away two passes and also produced a quarterback hit, quietly turning in a strong game for an 83.0 grade. Darrell Taylor and Boye Mafe also had quality games, with Taylor earning an 86.0 pass rush score and Mafe receiving an 85.0 run defense grade. Two dropped interception opportunities hurt his overall score (81.0), but cornerback Mike Jackson played a clean game in all facets with five tackles, a pass breakup, and a quarterback pressure. Across from him, Tariq Woolen allowed his first touchdown of the season but also had a pass breakup and still only allowed 37 yards in coverage, receiving a 77.0 score. In the middle, Jordyn Brooks had a stellar performance with eight tackles and a quarterback hit for a 78.0 grade, while Cody Barton's score took a hit allowing a late touchdown for a 74.0 mark. At the other safety spot, Quandre Diggs didn't have many chances to make plays holding down center field without many downfield throws, but he did thwart a bubble screen and also rebounded from an earlier missed tackle on Gerald Everett to blow him up on a quick pass for a 78.0 grade.
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