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Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 30-13 Loss to Packers

The Seahawks weren't able to muster near enough offense to compete with the Packers, but several players still shined amid defeat.
Corbin Smith|
Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) celebrates after a defensive play against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Dec 15, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) celebrates after a defensive play against the Green Bay Packers during the second half at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

Failing to seize their latest opportunity to grab control of the NFC West, the Seattle Seahawks fell behind big early and couldn't rally back in a 31-10 prime time loss to the Green Bay Packers, dropping into second place in the division.

Coupling a rough start on defense allowing back-to-back touchdown drives to open the game and an uninspired offensive performance with Geno Smith going down to a knee injury, the Seahawks didn't look the part of a contender as they took several punches on their own home turf. After reviewing All-22 film and advanced statistics, here are my top five grades for Week 15:

Leonard Williams

Overall Grade: 85.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 86, Pass Rush 80)

Like the rest of Seattle's defense, Williams had a quiet first quarter as Josh Jacobs carved up the unit on back-to-back touchdown drives. But once the group settled down, "Big Cat" once again played a big part in slowing down the talented back for the rest of the game, including limiting him to just 21 rushing yards after halftime. On consecutive plays early in the third quarter, he blew up Jacobs for a one-yard gain and a three-yard loss, penetrating the backfield untouched on the latter stop to force Green Bay to punt.

Then in the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks trailing by 10 and still within striking distance, Williams paired up with Dre'Mont Jones to stone wall Jacobs on a 4th and 2 conversion attempt, bringing him down at the line of scrimmage for a turnover on downs. He would later add a fourth run stop netting one or fewer yards, capping off a dominant performance against the run. In addition, he generated a pair of pressures on Jordan Love and delivered a quarterback hit in the first half that helped stall a Packers drive to hold them to a field goal, continuing to play at an All-Pro level.

Dre'Mont Jones

Overall Grade: 85.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 90, Pass Rush 76)

Flashing throughout Sunday's loss, Jones quietly turned in one of his best efforts of the season, playing aggressive off the edge and finding his way into the backfield on several occasions. Like Williams, most of his damage came in the second half as the Seahawks tightened things up on defense, starting with a fantastic effort where he flew between the right tackle and tight end and crashed down on Jacobs for a three-yard tackle for loss in the third quarter.

Jones' best play came midway through the fourth quarter, however, as he exploded down the line of scrimmage in backside pursuit to meet Jacobs on a crucial 4th and 2 run, meeting the ball carrier at the same time as Williams to bring him down for no gain and turn the ball back over to the offense. Making the most of his 25 snaps, he finished with three run stops netting two or fewer yards and also added a quarterback pressure, helping limit Green Bay to 10 points in the final two quarters and keep the game somewhat close down the stretch.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Overall Grade: 84.0 (Receiving 88, Run Blocking 70*)

*Weighted for 12 run blocking reps

The Packers generally did a good job of bottling up the Seahawks' passing attack, but Smith-Njigba continued his stellar play leading the team in receptions and receiving yards once again. The second-year wideout got off to a quick start, coming open on a corner route from the slot and catching a 25-yard reception along with a nine-yard catch on Seattle's second offensive series, helping set up a Jason Myers field goal. Later in the quarter, he came open again on an out route off play action and Geno Smith hooked up with him for an 18-yard gain.

After Smith exited with an injury, Smith-Njigba wasn't as productive in part due to accuracy struggles for backup quarterback Sam Howell. Still, he reeled in a 12-yard reception to move the chains on Seattle's lone touchdown drive of the game, advancing the team deeper into Green Bay territory before Zach Charbonnet broke loose for six points on a long run. He wrapped up the night with 10 catches for 83 yards, seeing the latter number shrink with two quick screens getting blown up quickly, but nonetheless moved the chains with four first downs and a pair of explosive receptions.

Jalen Sundell

Overall Grade: 82.0 (Pass Blocking 86, Run Blocking 78)

Thrust into action for the first time aside from a handful of snaps as a sixth lineman or a glorified full back, Sundell replaced an injured Olu Oluwatimi early in the second quarter and while he was far from perfect, he put far more quality snaps on film than poor ones. In pass protection, even when Green Bay's defenders beat him with power off the snap, he consistently set a firm anchor to prevent him from being blocked back into Smith or Howell in the pocket and his prior tackle background was evident mirroring well in the interior, allowing zero pressures on 35 pass blocking reps.

At 6-5, Sundell struggled at times winning the leverage battle in the run game with defensive linemen getting underneath his pads and standing him up, particularly in the first half after he checked into the game. But his athleticism showed up on a handful of runs in the final two quarters, including as a puller on Charbonnet's buck sweep touchdown. Swinging his hips after snapping the ball to Howell and sprinting down the line, he turned upfield and put the finishing touches on the scoring run by making a clean driving block on safety Xavier McKinney nearly 20 yards downfield.

Zach Charbonnet

Overall Grade: 81.0 (Rushing 90, Receiving 70, Pass Blocking 55*)

*Weighted for three pass blocking reps

Compared to his breakout performance one week earlier, Charbonnet wasn't quite as electric, in part due to far fewer opportunities in a game that got out of hand quickly with Green Bay racing out to a 14-point lead. He only received eight carries, a third of his total from the week prior, but made those plays count by rushing for 54 yards and almost seven yards per carry. In the first half, he rushed four times for 19 yards with most of that yardage coming on a 16-yard tote in the first quarter.

Most of Charbonnet's production came after halftime with 35 rushing yards on four carries, headlined by his latest explosive touchdown run. Taking the buck sweep handoff from Howell, he sprinted out wide before turning upfield behind the blocks of Sundell and guard Sataoa Laumea, making a cut off of Sundell's block towards the sideline and racing to the end zone on a 24-yard score. He turned eight carries into two 10-plus yard runs and three first downs, and while he whiffed on a couple of blitz pickups, his running contributions made a big difference on a night where little else went right on offense.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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