The Seahawks came out of Arizona with a second-half surge, and a few roster battles and role questions sharpened because of it.
Seattle was locked in a 7-7 tie at halftime before the offense finally found its footing after the break, putting up 24 points in the second half behind the kind of adjustments that changed the feel of the game. The win also spread the impact around the roster, with some players boosting their stock and others leaving a little less certain heading into Week 3 at the Washington Commanders.
One of the bigger surprises came up front, where right guard Anthony Bardford was out in Week 2. Seattle handled the absence by splitting the first-string right guard work between Christian Haynes and rookie Beau Stephens.
Stephens held up fine, but Haynes stood out more, especially in pass protection. Pro Football Focus credited Haynes with a 76.6 grade as a pass protector, the third-best mark on the team, and he didn’t give up a quarterback hurry or hit.
On the other hand, rookie running back Jadarian Price did not give the Seahawks the spark they wanted. An injury and a fumbling issue defined his day. Seattle still managed to lean on Emanuel Wilson to help wear down Arizona, and Wilson finished with 92 yards on 21 carries.
There’s also a clear upward trend for safety Julian Love, even if “rising” may undersell what he’s doing. Love keeps looking more like an All-Pro every week, and against the Cardinals he added three total tackles, two pass breakups and an interception that jumped off the page.
At receiver, Rashid Shaeed still hasn’t delivered the kind of dependable No. 2 production the Seahawks need after the injury to quarterback Sam Darnold. He caught three passes on six targets for 35 yards, and his decision to take more chances on returns nearly backfired when he fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half.
Price’s struggles also left the door open for George Holani, but he couldn’t take advantage. Holani ran for just 13 yards on four carries and was used only in pass protection. His role is sliding, and it may disappear by the time Zach Charbonnet returns from his ACL injury.
Defensively, Seattle had a clean day almost across the board. The Seahawks allowed just 151 total yards and didn’t surrender more than nine yards on any passing play. Safety Rodney Thomas II didn’t have a major impact and hurt himself with a pass interference call, though he remains in the mix to start if Ty Okada stays sidelined.
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For Seahawks fans, the interesting part is not just Whites production, but how quickly he has become part of a broader Raiders trend. Head coach Klint Kubiak has brought in multiple former Seattle players, and Whites recent two-touchdown game is the kind of performance that tends to keep a players name circulating well beyond one Sunday. The bigger question is how much of this is a one-week surge, and how much is the start of a larger role. [Read more 🡒]
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The issue never became a formal scandal because the Seahawks pushed back and were prepared to respond legally, and Payton ultimately backed off. Even so, the episode adds another layer to the leagues long memory of sign-stealing disputes, and it shows how something as ordinary as publicly accessible practice footage can still set off a tense standoff between two veteran coaching staffs. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Suddenly Have A QB Decision Fans Didn't Expect
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Mike Macdonald left the door open for Darnold to play if the week goes well, but Drew Lock has made the conversation more complicated. In two games filling in, Lock has completed 35 of 48 passes with four touchdowns and no turnovers, giving Seattle reason to believe it can keep rolling even as the team weighs how soon to turn back to its starter. [Read more 🡒]