Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 40-34 Loss to Raiders
In this story:
Unable to overcome self-inflicted mistakes on offense and poor execution stopping the run on defense, the Seahawks lost a 40-34 overtime heartbreaker to the Raiders at Lumen Field on Sunday, dropping their record to 6-5 on the season.
While Seattle suffered a costly defeat at home that knocked them out of the playoff race for now, several players still starred on both sides of the football. Here's a look at my top five grades and other notable performances in Week 12:
Tyler Lockett
Overall Grade: 87.0 (Receiving 90, Run Blocking 77*)
*Weighted for 15 run blocking reps
While Sunday wasn't the most efficient or eye-popping performance of Lockett's illustrious career with three receptions for 68 yards on seven targets, he served as a catalyst for two of Seattle's touchdown drives with explosive plays on the outside. Shortly after Las Vegas extended its lead to eight points on a Josh Jacobs touchdown run midway through the second quarter, the savvy veteran receiver found a way to create last second separation against cornerback Rock Ya-Sin running a fade down the sideline and Geno Smith dropped a perfect throw into the bucket for a 35-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to one point. With his team trailing by four at halftime, he went back to work on Seattle's opening possession of the third quarter, taking a quick dump off from Smith and accelerating his way outside to get behind a block from tight end Noah Fant. Turning up the sideline, he racked up 23 yards after the catch for a 28-yard reception, setting up Ken Walker III's second touchdown run moments later to retake the lead. On top of his receiving, Lockett chipped in with several quality blocks on the outside.
Quandre Diggs
Overall Grade: 85.0 (Coverage 89, Tackling 82, Run Defense 83)
Somehow without an interception in Seattle's first 10 games, Diggs quickly ended his drought on the first play from scrimmage by making a diving, full extension pick against Derek Carr, whose pass sailed out of the reach of Davante Adams, and returning the ball inside the Raiders 15-yard line. Two plays later, Walker was in the end zone with the turnover helping create an early 7-0 advantage less than 30 seconds into the game. Two possessions later, Diggs showed off his elite ball-hawking ability once again, this time snagging a deflection off the hands of linebacker Cody Barton and returning the pick deep into Raiders territory to set up a Jason Myers field goal. Though he did allow reserve running back Ameer Abdullah to score on an 18-yard wheel route between those interceptions and also missed a tackle, he did contribute several big hits in the run game and the two-time Pro Bowler easily turned in his best performance of the season generating 10 points of instant offense through his interceptions.
Marquise Goodwin
Overall Grade: 84.0 (Receiving 90, Rushing 85, Run Blocking 65*)
*Weighted for five run blocking reps
Continuing to thrive as Seattle's tertiary option behind Lockett and DK Metcalf, Goodwin bounced back from a quiet, reception-less first half to provide key contributions as a wideout and runner in the second half. He caught all three targets thrown his direction from Geno Smith, including a 21-yard reception that moved the Seahawks into the red zone early in the third quarter and set up Walker's second touchdown on the ensuing play. His other 21-yard reception to open the fourth quarter wound up being all for naught when Smith botched a handoff attempt to Walker near the red zone for a critical turnover, but the speedy wideout turned on the jets on a seven-yard sweep on the very next drive before Travis Homer caught a dump off in the flats for an 18-yard touchdown. With limited chances, the former U.S. Olympian keeps coming through and earning Smith's trust as a reliable target.
Poona Ford
Overall Grade: 83.0 (Pass Rush 85, Tackling 86, Run Defense 78)
Like the rest of Seattle's defensive line, Ford seemed to run out of gas late in regulation and into overtime, getting sealed by blocks to spring Jacobs for a couple of big runs. But he was easily the most disruptive interior defender in the game for the Seahawks, providing three quarterback pressures and his third sack of the season while also doing a steady job in the trenches, even if it didn't always lead to successful plays for his team. Helping force a three-and-out late in the first quarter, the fifth-year veteran used an explosive first step and a powerful rip move to shoot past guard Alex Bars, quickly collapsing on Carr and bringing him down for the Seahawks only sack of the game. On an earlier drive, he also blasted Carr on a second down pass that nearly was intercepted by safety Ryan Neal in the end zone. Consistency remains an issue for him as a pass rusher, but he has shown signs over the past month of breaking out and did a nice job getting after Carr with other teammates failing to do so.
Ken Walker III
Overall Grade: 81.0 (Rushing 80, Receiving 76, Pass Blocking 85*)
*Weighted for six pass protection reps
Statistically, Walker failed to hit 30 rushing yards for the second consecutive week with the Raiders constantly hitting him in the backfield and preventing him from finding any rhythm. With that said, the majority of the plays where he got stuffed were due to penetration allowed by a struggling offensive line and when he did have space to operate, he turned in two highlight reel-worthy touchdown runs. Showcasing elite vision on his first score less than 30 seconds into the game, he bounced an inside zone designed to go to the left back to his right all the way to the sideline, diving inside the pylon with the help of a late block from Lockett. Later in the third quarter, the former Doak Walker Award winner proved he never misses leg day, working in tandem with fellow rookie Abraham Lucas and a host of other teammates to push the pile from four yards out to power past the goal line and give the Seahawks a 27-24 lead early in the second half. On top of those two outstanding touchdown runs, Walker took a major step forward as a pass protector, chopping down a blitzing linebacker to allow Smith time to connect with Lockett for a touchdown. Stats don't do Walker's performance justice given the poor blocking in front of him all afternoon.
Other Notable Performances
Just missing out on the top five due to an ugly interception and a lost fumble, Geno Smith still scored an 80.5 overall after completing 72 percent of his passes for 328 yards and a pair of touchdowns while being under consistent duress. DK Metcalf had a productive day with 11 receptions, but he averaged under 10 yards per catch and didn't generate any explosive plays, earning a solid 78.0 grade. None of Seattle's offensive linemen enjoyed a quality start, as Lucas and Charles Cross each surrendered six quarterback pressures and failed to create much push in the run game for 68.0 and 66.5 grades respectively. Center Austin Blythe endured his worst start of the season with Raiders defensive tackle Andrew Billings stealing his lunch and hitting him over the helmet with it, receiving a 45.0 overall mark with a sack allowed and two run plays with missed blocks that resulted in tackles for loss. It was generally a quiet day for Seattle's tight ends as well, with Noah Fant being the only player to earn above a 70.0 overall grade with three receptions for 34 yards. A bad drop and inconsistent day blocking lowered Will Dissly's grade to a season-low 67.5, while Colby Parkinson was a non-factor in the passing game and missed multiple blocks.
Defensively, Ryan Neal narrowly missed out on his third top-five score of the season, coming through with a pair of run stops that resulted in two or less yards and allowing no receptions in coverage. A missed tackle and dropped interception lowered his grade to 79.0 overall, however. Tariq Woolen didn't have many chances to make plays in coverage with Carr avoiding him like the plague and he did miss a tackle on Jacobs that would have potentially forced a punt, but allowing just one catch for 20 yards nets a 78.0 grade. Across from him, Mike Jackson got picked on in coverage allowing eight receptions for 120 yards, receiving a 66.0 grade. Barton battled issues getting off blocks, including on Jacobs' game-winning 86-yard touchdown, but he still had four tackles netting two or fewer yards for the opponent. Among those, he registered a key fourth down tackle for loss in the fourth quarter. Adding in his pass deflection that was picked off by Diggs, he received a quality 78.5 mark. Though he allowed a touchdown and missed a pair of tackles, Jordyn Brooks wasn't far behind him, racking up 16 tackles and recording a pass breakup in coverage for a 77.0 grade. The Seahawks received minimal contributions from their edge rushers, with Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe, and Bruce Irvin combining for five pressures and two quarterback hits. None of them earned above a 73.0, with Irvin pacing the group thanks to two run stops. In the middle, Al Woods and Shelby Harris missed key tackles on Jacobs first touchdown run and didn't chip in as pass rushers, dropping their grades to 71.0 and 68.5 respectively.
Hey, 12s! Get your Seahawks Tickets from SI Tickets ... HERE!
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.
