Seahawks PFF grades: Ken Walker & Leonard Williams lead, Riq Woolen bombs again

On Sunday the Seattle Seahawks went into Acrisure Stadium and upset the PIttsburgh Steelers, coming out on top 31-17 after being labeled underdogs going in. They did it in large part because the got a great performance on the ground from Kenneth Walker III, who bounced back from a bad season opener. Sam Darnold also rebounded after a tough first half.

The defense was the real star of the show in this one, though. Head coach Mike Macdonald called a great gameplan and got several excellent performances from his defensive front-seven. Let's review the best and worst PFF grades this week for the Seahawks.

Ken Walker, Sam Darnold top offense

The top grade on the team this week went to star running back Kenneth Walker III, who had one of the best games of his career. Walker wound up posting 105 rushing yards on just 13 carries (over eight yards per attempt) and scored the clinching touchdown from 20 yards out. For his efforts he earned a 91.0 overall grade.

Starting quarterback Sam Darnold didn't have a good first half, but he was brilliant after the break and earned an 81.7 overall grade from PFF, the second-highest mark for Seattle's offense. Darnold's two interceptions hurt his numbers, but he still ended up with a respectable line of 22/33 for 295 yards and a 46.8 QBR.

Zach Charbonnet, Grey Zabel at the bottom

At the other end of PFF's grades for Seattle's offense was their other running back, Zach Charbonnet. While he looked great Week 1 he wasn't able to get anything going against Pittsburgh' defensive line, totaling just 15 yards on 10 carries. His 47.7 overall grade was the lowest for the Seahawks offense.

Left guard Grey Zabel made some big blocks to spring Walker loose along the way, but PFF didn't seem to be impressed. They gave him just a 54.3 run blocking grade and a 30.3 in pass protection, bringing his overall grade down to 48.7 overall - second-lowest on offense.

Defensive line shines

On the other side of the ball the story was the Seahawks' dominance at the line of scrimmage. Star defensive end Leonard Williams didn't make much of a difference in the box score, but watching the tape it's easy to see the impact he had. Williams earned an 82.5 overall grade, the best on defense.

Second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II was equally disruptive and earned the team's second-highest grade on defense this week. Murphy posted 1.5 sacks and three quarterback hits, amounting to a breakout game as a pass rusher.

Edge rushers Boye Mafe (71.6 overall) and Derick Hall (69.7 overall) rounded out the top five.

Riq Woolen struggles again

The lowest grades on defense went to practice squad elevations Shaq Griffin and Brandon PIli, but they only played a handful of snaps. Among starters cornerback Riq Woolen was once again the team's worst performer. He earned a putrid 27.5 tackling grade, a 49.9 in coverage and a 40.0 in run defense, earning him a 47.2 overall mark.

As Josh Jobe (59.6 overall) continues to outplay Woolen, there's a growing case for Macdonald to bench the Pro Bowler for the third time in his career.

Sep 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) catches a pass over Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Ken Walker, Sam Darnold top offense

Zach Charbonnet, Grey Zabel at the bottom

Defensive line shines

Riq Woolen struggles again

More Seahawks on SI stories