Instant Reaction: Drew Lock Erratic as Seahawks Falter Late in 27-26 Loss to Cowboys
Despite holding the lead for most of the night into the fourth quarter, the Seahawks failed to end the preseason on a winning note, losing their final dress rehearsal to the Cowboys 27-26 at AT&T Stadium.
Earning his third straight start, Geno Smith completed three out of six passes for 43 yards and led a field goal drive in limited action. Playing most of the game, Drew Lock endured a roller coaster of a game, completing 13 out of 24 passes for 171 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions as Seattle wrapped up exhibition season with an 0-3 record.
Here are five instant takeaways from the Seahawks latest loss in Dallas:
1. Decision making at the forefront, Smith looks to have the starting quarterback job in the bag.
After missing last week's loss to the Bears with COVID-19, Lock had a prime opportunity to make up for lost time playing the majority of Friday's contest and seeing snap with the first-team offense. But while he flashed his immense arm talent at times, including on a beautiful 35-yard touchdown to Hart, late throws coupled with poor decisions with the football prevented him from fully capitalizing on the situation. On his second throw of the game, Israel Mukuamu jumped a curl route by Dee Eskridge for an easy interception. On the drive after Lock's touchdown pass, he failed to recognize trap coverage on the outside and telegraphed an ugly interception to Nashone Wright. His third pick wasn't his fault, as Aaron Fuller let a ball on the numbers bounce off his hands and Markquese Bell hauled in the deflection deep in Seahawks territory.
Smith didn't light the world on fire in his lone possession, but rookie receiver Dareke Young failed to bring in two of his three incompletions and a holding penalty against Phil Haynes wiped out a long run by Travis Homer that would have advanced Seattle to the one-yard line. Two crisp completions to Tyler Lockett nearly moved the team into the red zone, including a 17-yard strike on 3rd and 11. Such plays further illustrate why the incumbent has been able to fend off Lock and he didn't do anything on Friday to lose the starting job.
2. Finishing off an outstanding preseason, DeeJay Dallas puts his entire improved skill set on display.
Arriving to training camp lighter and exhibiting improved eye discipline, Dallas has been one of Seattle's best players on either side of the football throughout training camp and the preseason. He's been a persistent standout running the ball, his prior receiver background has been evident snagging balls out of the backfield and out wide, and he's been a factor on special teams in numerous ways.
Putting a bow on top of his fantastic August, Dallas rushed for 75 yards on 13 carries on Friday night, including ripping off a 27-yard run to open Seattle's first drive of the third quarter. On that possession, he touched the ball 10 times for 74 yards before plowing into the end zone for a one-yard score, earning himself a much deserved visit with an oxygen tank. On the same drive, he also displayed improved proficiency in pass protection, recovering to block a blitzing linebacker into the turf and allowing Lock to slide out of the pocket. With Ken Walker III potentially unavailable in Week 1, the third-year back has set himself up for a larger role behind Rashaad Penny and should see plenty of snaps on offense and special teams.
3. Rookies Abraham Lucas and Tariq Woolen cemented their standing as starters on both sides of the football.
Left tackle Charles Cross, the No. 9 overall pick in April's draft, has been penned in as a starter since he walked up to the podium in Las Vegas. But barring a major surprise, he won't be the only incoming rookie who will start in Week 1 against the Broncos, as Lucas and Woolen both played well enough on Friday to solidify their respective placements in the lineup.
In the trenches, Lucas continued serving up delicious pancakes, driving two defenders in to the ground on separate run plays, while also holding his own protecting Smith and Lock throughout the first half. Progressing throughout his first camp and preseason, he looks to have won the competition against Jake Curhan, who will settle into a swing tackle/guard role. As for Woolen, he appeared to be wrongly flagged for defensive pass interference on his only "negative" play of the night early in the second quarter and had outstanding coverage on a fourth down incompletion on Dallas' opening possession, continuing to stake his claim to the right cornerback gig.
4. Myles Adams put an exclamation point on a fantastic preseason with a dynamic performance.
Like Dallas, Adams ended an outstanding month by sending an emphatic message to the coaching staff that he belongs on Seattle's Week 1 roster. Building off strong performances in his first two NFL games a year ago, the third-year defensive tackle has been a wrecking ball throughout camp and the preseason, producing a sack in each of the first two exhibition games and proving equally disruptive on the practice field.
Picking up where he left off in the finale, Adams smacked quarterback Cooper Rush on the game's opening possession to force a fourth down conversion attempt. On the very next possession, he rocketed into the backfield and forced Rush to step up in the pocket, allowing teammate Joshua Onujiogu to wrap him up for a second down sack. Getting in on the sack action himself, he and Alton Robinson joined forces on Dallas' third drive for a punt-forcing sack on Will Grier. Playing into the second half, he stuffed the stat sheet racking up four pressures, two quarterback hits, a sack, and a tackle for loss. His emergence should guarantee a roster spot at this point, putting former first rounder L.J. Collier's status in serious jeopardy.
5. Linebacker depth remains a serious area of concern heading towards final roster cuts.
Unlike last week's debacle at Lumen Field, there weren't as many glaring negatives in Friday's contest. But as has been the case since camp opened last month, razor-thin depth in the middle of the defense should have coach Pete Carroll and his staff nervous at minimum. With Jordyn Brooks not playing and Cody Barton only playing a handful of series, Tanner Muse, Lakiem Williams, and Joel Dublanko saw the majority of the snaps at linebacker with mostly underwhelming results.
From a positive standpoint, Dublanko did record 11 tackles and a nice pass breakup. But he also left several tackles on the field, including a crucial miss on the Cowboys final touchdown that allowed tight end Peyton Huntershot to find the end zone. Williams finished with seven tackles and a partial sack, but he got bullied in the run game several times and was exposed in coverage allowing a touchdown to Brandon Smith, who made a remarkable catch toe-tapping along the sideline. Muse had six tackles on his own accord and played fairly well aside from a few shaky pursuit angles defending the run. Overall, the performance was better than a week ago, but nobody surfaced as a viable backup for Brooks and Barton and the Seahawks will likely be on the hunt for players from other rosters heading towards Tuesday's deadline.
