In a gritty, old-school battle at Lumen Field, the Seattle Seahawks edged out the Indianapolis Colts, 18-16, in a game that felt more like a chess match than a shootout. No touchdowns for Seattle, six field goals from Jason Myers, and one unsung hero behind the scenes who helped guide the Seahawks through a slugfest: Director of Football Analysis and Special Situations, Brian Eayrs.
Let’s start with the headline moment. Myers drilled a 56-yard field goal as time expired to seal the win - his sixth of the game - and it wasn’t just a clutch kick.
It was the culmination of a game plan that leaned heavily on situational awareness, defensive grit, and smart time management. That’s where Eayrs came in.
Head coach Mike Macdonald didn’t hesitate to credit Eayrs in his postgame comments, even awarding him a game ball in the locker room. That’s not something you see every week, and it speaks volumes about how critical Eayrs’ guidance was - particularly in the final minute.
“He was really decisive,” Macdonald said. “I give him a lot of credit. He put us in a position to still have a chance to win the game.”
With 47 seconds left and the Colts holding the ball, Eayrs advised Macdonald to burn all three of Seattle’s remaining timeouts on defense - a move that preserved just enough clock for Myers to get his shot. It was a calculated risk, especially since the Colts had just taken the lead on a monster 60-yard field goal by Blake Grupe, a career-long and deeper than the Seahawks had anticipated.
“It was actually deeper than we anticipated,” Macdonald admitted. “The guy made a heck of a kick. We thought he was beyond his line.”
Still, the Seahawks stuck to their plan, and it paid off.
The Colts, who turned to veteran Philip Rivers after a string of injuries at quarterback, brought a conservative game plan to Seattle. Rivers did manage to connect with Josh Downs for a touchdown - his first since returning - but the offense was otherwise kept in check. Indianapolis totaled just 215 yards, and while they dragged the Seahawks into a trench-style game, Seattle’s defense was more than up to the task.
That’s what made the difference. The Seahawks didn’t light up the scoreboard, but they controlled the tempo, won the field position battle, and leaned on Myers’ leg to do the rest. It marked just the fourth time in franchise history that Seattle won a game without scoring a touchdown - a testament to how dialed in the coaching staff and special teams were.
This wasn’t a pretty win, but it was a smart one. And in a league where every inch matters, having someone like Brian Eayrs in your ear can be the difference between walking off the field with a win or wondering what went wrong.
In a game where points were scarce and every possession mattered, the Seahawks leaned on their defense, their kicker, and their analytics - and came out on top.