Snap Count Synopsis: Quinton Dunbar Logs Extensive Playing Time in Win Over Falcons

Coach Pete Carroll indicated Dunbar and Tre Flowers would each see action in Sunday's opener, and while both did log snaps on defense, it was telling that the majority went to the former in his first game with the Seahawks.

Erasing years of sluggish starts, particularly on the road, the Seahawks jumped on the Falcons quickly at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and pulled away after halftime, opening the season with a dominant 38-25 victory.

Checking out Seattle's snap counts from Sunday's contest, here are several takeaways from the most convincing Week 1 win of the Pete Carroll era.

• Last week, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer told reporters he hoped to get every running back involved on offense. While rookie DeeJay Dallas was a healthy scratch and didn't play, he was able to accomplish that goal by giving the trio of Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, and Travis Homer at least 13 snaps apiece. Carson only ran the ball six times on his 28 snaps, but he reeled in six receptions and scored two touchdowns with that minimal workload. Playing 21 snaps, Hyde carried the rock seven times and also found the end zone for the first time as a Seahawk. Homer didn't do much with his opportunities, but was used extensively as a third down back.
• There weren't many surprises at receiver, as Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf played more than 90 percent of Seattle's 62 snaps. Behind them, David Moore stepped up in Phillip Dorsett's absence and played 33 snaps, catching three passes for 28 yards. Rookie Freddie Swain logged 16 snaps in his NFL debut and finished with one reception. As for the tight end spot, Greg Olsen saw the most action of the group, playing 66 percent of Seattle's snaps. In his first game since rupturing his Achilles tendon, Will Dissly played 25 snaps, good for 40 percent of the Seahawks offensive plays, while Jacob Hollister was on the field for 11 plays.
• At a few position groups on Sunday, Carroll and his staff rotated players to keep them fresh, including left guard. Mike Iupati earned the start and saw most of the action there, playing 49 of Seattle's 62 snaps. On a few possessions, third-year guard Jordan Simmons replaced him to give him a breather. Unsurprisingly, the other four offensive linemen played every single snap.
• Though L.J. Collier earned his first career NFL start and had three quarterback pressures, he and Rasheem Green both played 30 snaps on Sunday, or just 38 percent of Seattle's defensive plays. Why did the duo receive such minimal playing time? The Seahawks spent a lot of time in nickel and dime packages with extra defensive backs on the field, so Bruce Irvin rushed a lot off the edge and played 85 percent of the defensive snaps overall. Benson Mayowa also played 71 snaps, good for 90 percent of Seattle's defensive plays.
• Another player who was impacted to an extent by Seattle's reliance on nickel and dime sets on Sunday was K.J. Wright, who only played 56 percent of the defensive snaps in the opener. Seattle often subbed in Lano Hill as a sixth defensive back and Wright checked out of the game. The 10th year veteran also lost a handful of snaps to rookie Jordyn Brooks, who was on the field for seven plays in his NFL debut and finished with one tackle.
• While Carroll was correct the Seahawks would play both Quinton Dunbar and Tre Flowers on Sunday, the former received the bulk of the workload. Playing in his first game as a Seahawk, Dunbar was on the field for 68 out of 79 defensive snaps, good for 86 percent. He wrapped up with six tackles and a pass defensed that should have been intercepted. Flowers logged just 10 snaps on defense and was primarily relegated to special teams duty, finishing with one tackle.
• Playing a big role on Seattle's defense as expected, Blair played on 70 percent of the team's defensive snaps in his first game as the primary nickel cornerback. He produced seven tackles and a crucial forced fumble on a fake punt attempt by Atlanta during the second half, setting up Russell Wilson with prime field position. Even with two different times where he had to be tended to by trainers, Hill saw more action than expected, playing 37 percent of the Seahawks snaps and recording five tackles.