Seattle Seahawks studs & duds from epic shootout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Seattle Seahawks got started on the wrong foot today against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, falling behind 13-0. However, they found their rhythm late in the first half and thus began a back and forth battle with the Bucs that qualifies as one of the best QB duels we've ever seen. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold traded blow after blow until finally in the end Tampa came out on top, 38-35.

While it was a disappointing ending, it's clear that this team is ready to hang with the best the NFC has to offer again. Here are our studs and duds for the Seahawks this week.

Stud: QB Sam Darnold

We can officially put the Geno Smith-Sam Darnold debate to rest because Darnold is blowing him out of the water, right now. He's also blowing away any previous high the Seahawks have gotten from a quarterback in franchise history, up to and including Russell Wilson at his very best. Darnold's unlucky throw off of a helmet to set up the Bucs' game-winning field goal does nothing to diminish what was an incredible game. He finished with a sensational line of 28/34 for 341 yards, four touchdowns, one pick and a 135.4 passer rating.

Stud: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Once again, JSN led the way for Seattle's receivers - making several absurd highlight-reel worthy catches against tight coverage. Smith-Njigba got the Seahawks on the board with their first touchdown at the end of the first half, and continued making big plays up until the final drive. He ended with a team-high eight catches for 132 yards and a TD.

Stud: RB Kenneth Walker III

The first half was rough sledding for Walker, but once he got going there was no stopping him. Walker was slippery, explosive and had plenty of room to work with, resulting in a highly-efficient day on the ground. By the time it was over, Walker had racked up 86 yards on just 10 carries. They probably should have fed him the ball more, in retrospect.

Stud: TE AJ Barner

There are a lot of bigger names on this offense, but Barner is quietly becoming a major contributor, and arguably their most consistent outside of JSN. Barner isn't just a dink-and-dunk weapon, either. He scored two more touchdowns against Tampa, bringing his season total to four. Barner is now a legitimate threat in the red zone that teams have to account for.

Dud: QB Jalen Milroe

This specific package of plays for Jalen Milroe sounded like a fun idea during the offseason, but in practice it's been a disaster. The latest adventure for the Seahawks' rookie QB involved a triple option run, that ended with an embarrassing lost fumble for a turnover at a key point in the game. It's time to abandon this random Milroe package and put him back in the oven to develop for a later date.

Stud: WR/KR Dareke Young

For the first time in a long while, Seattle's super athletic seventh-round draft pick Dareke Young made a big impact. He made more than one, too. Young's 43-yard kick return helped set things up for the Seahawks' first touchdown. Later he made a remarkable catch on a 36-yard jump ball from Sam Darnold, then pulled off another huge return for 50 yards.

Stud: Seahawks run defense

While they did allow their first rushing touchdowns to an opponent this season, the Seahawks were still very much difficult to run on. With Tampa's starter Bucky Irving out they had to contend with the bigger, more athletic Rachaad White, who they managed to hold to just 2.9 yards per carry. It may not feel like it, but as a team the Bucs managed just 56 yards on the ground.

Dud: Seahawks pass rush

One thing they didn't do well defensively was get to the quarterback. Mayfield was completely unmolested in the first half and was free to carve up Seattle's short-handed secondary at his leisure. It was so bad that in the second half head coach Mike Macdonald actually resorted to occasional blitzing, which he'd practically refused to do the entire season up until now. While they got more pressures, they finished with only one sack on Mayfield after the half.

Oct 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws downfield against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images