The Seahawks’ offensive line came out of Week 1 with some ugly numbers attached to it, and the picture they paint is pretty hard to spin.
Seattle made a point of keeping the group together this offseason, choosing continuity over a possible upgrade or two up front. With the money tied into the tackle duo and a first-round pick now at left guard, the expectation level for this unit is naturally high. That’s why the opening-night performance landed so badly.
According to Pro Football Focus, Seahawks quarterbacks were pressured on 14 of 27 dropbacks. The site also charged Seattle with 15 total pressures on the night, since one snap can generate more than one.
Football Insights was even harsher, assigning the line a pass block grade of 7 out of 100. Only the Baltimore Ravens and Green Bay Packers graded worse.
None of the linemen stood out in a good way in pass protection.
There was one stat that looked more encouraging: Football Insights had Seattle around league average in Pass Block Win Rate for Week 1, at about 66 on a 1-to-100 scale. The gap between that and the brutal overall grade may have something to do with penalties, and the Seahawks’ offensive line was flagged five times.
The matchup also came with a built-in complication. Seattle was working with its backup quarterback all night, and that likely affected timing, cadence, snap count and pocket feel. With a week and a half of prep before the next game, the line should be more synchronized with Lock’s style.
Still, the larger concern is that this level of pass protection came against the New England Patriots without Harold Landry. The pass rushes Seattle will face later this year figure to be a lot more dangerous. Christian Barmore and Milton Williams are a strong interior pairing, but the only NFL-caliber edge rusher the Seahawks saw last week was Dre’Mont Jones.
Seattle fans know Jones from his time with the team, and he’s solid enough. He just shouldn’t have been in the backfield as often as he was Wednesday, especially with edge players like Elijah Ponder and rookie Gabe Jacas around him. If this line is going to justify the investment, it has to be much better than that.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Have A Surprise Week 2 Spark Fans Will Love
Sam Darnolds hip and glute issue has opened the door for a different look under center in Week 2, with Drew Lock expected to start for Seattle. It also puts Jalen Milroe in position as the backup, and that alone gives the Seahawks a little extra intrigue heading into the matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Dan Graziano of ESPN noted that Milroe could be sprinkled in for gadget or trick plays, which makes sense given the value his running ability can add to an offense looking for an edge. Even if he is not taking over the game plan, the possibility of Milroe popping up in a key spot gives Seattle a wrinkle worth watching as it tries to create opportunities against Arizona. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A Week 2 Availability Problem Against Arizona
Tory Hortons return to full practice was one of the brighter notes in Seattles build toward its Week 2 meeting with Arizona, a welcome sign after he spent much of his recovery away from the field following a tibia fracture. After missing so much time since last season, simply getting Horton back into a full session matters for a team trying to settle into the early part of the schedule.
The injury report, though, was hardly clean. Sam Darnold was held out with a glute injury, Nick Emmanwori was limited by ankle and hip issues, and Ty Okada and Cooper Kupp were among the other players who were limited or did not participate. For a Seahawks team trying to sort out its availability picture before facing the Cardinals, the bigger question now is how many of those names will be ready when the game arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Macdonalds Defense Is Changing How Fans See These Seahawks
Mike Macdonalds defense is starting to change the way people look at these Seahawks, and Sunday offered another reminder of why. Seattles unit came up big late, turning the fourth quarter into a showcase with three interceptions and three sacks, the kind of closing stretch that can flip the mood around a team in a hurry. Macdonald credited both his coaching staff and his players for the way they adapted and carried out the defensive plan, which has become a defining feature of this group.
The bigger picture is just as striking. Seattle has now gone 29 straight games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, a run that speaks to how consistently this defense has controlled the ground game. And with uncertainty still hanging over the return of starting quarterback Sam Darnold, the Seahawks may need that edge on defense even more as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]