The Seahawks didn’t just survive last week’s season opener without a few key pieces. They kept rolling.
That was the clearest takeaway from Seattle’s 13-10 win over the New England Patriots, a game that showed how much the roster can absorb and keep functioning. Drew Lock stepped in after Sam Darnold left with an injury on the opening series and helped steer three second-half scoring drives.
Rodney Thomas II, up from the practice squad for a fill-in start, came through with a pass breakup that led to an interception. And the defense, missing injured starting safeties Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada, still held New England to 277 total yards and 4.1 yards per play.
The front seven made the depth story even louder. Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, Uchenna Nwosu, Derick Hall and Rylie Mills all logged a tackle for loss. Together, they piled up 16 pressures and helped bottle up the Patriots to 2.8 yards per carry.
“That was one of those deals where you could watch it from the sideline and just see the line of scrimmage get reset,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. “There was just so much knockback there. And Murphy looks like he’s taken it to another level.
“I mean, it’s somewhat of an embarrassment of riches there.”
Jeremiah said that kind of depth is the biggest separator between Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams.
On paper, the Rams can stack up star names. Jeremiah pointed to reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford, reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, former three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua.
But he said Seattle’s overall roster is deeper, and that edge matters. He also tied that depth to the Seahawks’ Super Bowl run last season, especially on special teams. Seattle finished No. 2 in special teams DVOA last year, while the Rams were 26th, according to FTN Fantasy.
With Garrett now on injured reserve and set to have knee surgery, that issue is going to show up immediately for Los Angeles.
“We had the discussion in the offseason about the Seahawks versus the Rams,” Jeremiah said. “We can have the discussion on the starters.
That’s a fair one there, on the defense. I would lean toward Seattle there.
“But when you get into the depth, it’s not close. And you saw no drop-off when that next group (of Seahawks defensive linemen) came in there.
“And that’s what’s won the last two Super Bowls,” Jeremiah added, pointing to the 2024 Philadelphia Eagles and last year’s Seahawks. “It’s the number of guys you can roll through there.”
In Other News...
Mike Macdonald's New Edge Already Has Rams Fans Talking
The Seahawks have spent the week drawing attention for reasons that go beyond the usual divisional buildup, with coach Mike Macdonald leaning into modern preparation tools as Seattle gets ready for another round with the Rams. Macdonald has said AI tools such as Copilot are becoming part of the teams strategy, a sign that the Seahawks are trying to find any edge they can as the NFC West race keeps tightening.
Kelly Staffords Instagram story added a little extra spice to the matchup, since the Rams quarterbacks wife made clear she was uneasy with Seattles use of AI in preparation. With the teams still staring at another meeting ahead and both clubs coming off recent stretches that have given their fans plenty to evaluate, the conversation around this matchup has widened well beyond the usual injury reports and game plans. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Macdonald Opened Up About A Seahawks Struggle Fans Never Saw
Mike Macdonalds first season guiding the Seahawks came with more than the usual rookie-coach turbulence. In an interview with Graham Bensinger, he talked openly about how the demands of leadership in 2024 affected him, describing a difficult stretch in which he felt pressure to live up to his own standards while trying to steer a team through the grind of an NFL season.
Macdonald said those challenges reached beyond the sideline and into his own well-being, touching on depression and the mental strain that came with the job. Seattles improvement the following season only sharpened the spotlight on how much his self-awareness and recovery mattered, even if the full story of how he worked through that period still leaves one important piece to be told. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Face Two Key Week 2 Injury Questions Against Arizona
The Seahawks head into their Week 2 matchup with Arizona already dealing with a trimmed-down depth chart, with quarterback Sam Darnold and safety Ty Okada ruled out because of injuries. Those absences force Seattle to shuffle both a key spot on offense and an important piece of the secondary, while the team waits to see how the rest of the roster holds up through the final stages before kickoff.
Nick Emmanwori and right guard Anthony Bradford are both listed as questionable, leaving two more spots in flux as Seattle works through its game-day decisions. If either player can go, it could soften the blow of the early injury news, but the Seahawks are still in a spot where lineup changes may continue right up until they face the Cardinals. [Read more 🡒]