Seahawks vs Broncos: Seattle's Biggest Winners & Losers from Preseason Week 2

Seattle will undoubtedly look at its practice sessions to help determine who their starting quarterback will be when the season starts.

They are also going to look at game film, and the contest against the Broncos will help set the tone for which quarterback is in line to get the majority of the work with the first-team offense going into the third preseason game.

The upcoming week is an important one for the quarterbacks. The third game is traditionally used as a dress rehearsal, with the expected starters getting extended playing time. This helps them iron out a few bugs and, hopefully, prepares them to start the regular season playing as a unit.

Coach Carroll is far from traditional, though, so that plan could be out the window when the team travels to Kansas City. He may even let the two quarterbacks split time with the starters and the second unit.

The Broncos have a solid defense with a very good pass rush. They applied frequent pressure on Flynn and Russell Wilson.

This played right into the biggest advantage Wilson currently holds over Flynn—scrambling ability.

Wilson is quicker and able to pick up first downs with his feet. Granted, Flynn also had a first-down run on Saturday, but he looked nothing like Wilson while on the move.

The part of Wilson's scrambles that were most impressive, though, was he would still look downfield and attempt to throw the ball before committing to the run. When he did run he was effective, gaining 33 yards on six rushes.

Wilson also had a few passing yards on the night. It is hard to ignore 155 of them in just under a half of play, but it is also dangerous to read too much into the production.

Seattle fans have often fallen under the "Mike Teel Effect." A quarterback puts up some impressive preseason numbers and fans believe he's the next great NFL thrower.

It happened last season with Charlie Whitehurst and Josh Portis. While Portis is still an intriguing player, Whitehurst provided great evidence of just how different life is in the regular season vs. the preseason against players who will be selling cars or working at Footlocker in the near future.

But Wilson is showing poise and great playmaking ability. Perhaps his best play was the third-down completion to Tuinei that he released just prior to hitting the ground.

He's certainly making life hard on the coaches as they try to dole out first-team reps in practice and the final two preseason games. If there was a clear leader headed into Saturday's game, Wilson likely bridged the gap.

Loser: Terrell Owens, WR

Since he had only been in camp a few days, Terrell Owens sat out the Seahawks' opening game

So he needs to take full advantage of every opportunity to impress and earn a roster spot. Doing so not only means his contract is fully guaranteed, it also takes away a roster spot from a young player who could be part of the long-term plans in Seattle.

In his first game activity, Owens did enough to stay below the line on Seattle's cut list.

It was clear Seattle wanted to get the ball to Owens. He was targeted early and often in the first half, but the first several attempts showed he wasn't on the same page with his quarterback.

Flynn threw behind Owens on a slant and a crossing route, and expected Owens to come back on a third attempt.

Those issues are understandable, even forgivable given the few opportunities they've had together. 

Seattle then asked Owens to go deep and he demonstrated his ability to fly and get separation on defensive backs. Flynn showed beautiful touch, dropping the ball in Owens' hands at the goal line (shown above).

Then the ball fell to the ground.

Dropping a touchdown pass is not the way for a bubble player to make this football team. Dropping a ball, period, especially considering the tacky gloves worn by receivers, isn't the way to get in Pete Carroll's good graces.

Owens will be given another opportunity to show that his less-than-stellar first NFL action in almost two years was because he was shaking off some rust. For now, though, the Owens reclamation project isn't going well.

Winner: Greg Scruggs and Jay Howard, DL

The Seahawks have active competition for final spots at defensive tackle and defensive end. If they can find a player that offers help at both positions, it's a bonus.

Greg Scruggs and Jaye Howard are both versatile enough to offer help inside and out. Both had a solid game against the Tennessee Titans and needed a good showing in Denver to help their push for roster spots.

Both were disruptive in their own way, with Scruggs making more noise on the stat sheet with a sack.

Seattle has several players who missed 2011 with injuries, including Dexter Davis and Pep Levingston. They were hoping to crack the roster in 2012 and make their mark, but Howard and Scruggs will make it difficult.

Seattle is likely considering its needs in 2013 as it looks at the final few roster spots for the defensive line. Jason Jones and Alan Branch will both be free agents and will be looking for a nice payday.

Seattle will likely keep just one of the two (my money is on Jones) and expect a rookie from the 2012 class to step in and take more reps. Howard and Scruggs are both making a positive impression on Carroll and Gus Bradley.

Loser: Frank Omiyale, OL

Perhaps it isn't fair to single out any of the offensive linemen, as the Bronco pass rush gave most of them issues. Almost every player battling for a roster spot could make this slide, with the possible exception being J.R. Sweezy.

But Frank Omiyale was making rookie mistakes and missing blocks and assignments. At one point while playing left tackle, he missed a rushing linebacker...both the block and the fact that he was coming.

He at least looked to help inside. But as soon as he did, he was beaten outside.

He was flat-footed too often and didn't show the hustle one would expect of a player fighting to win a roster spot.

Mark Barron wasn't much better but showed a little more promise as the backup tackle.

Winner: Phil Bates, WR

There is a logjam at wide receiver for the Seahawks. While this is a good thing from a competition perspective, the inability of receivers to clearly separate themselves from the pack is an issue for Darrell Bevell, Seattle's offensive coordinator.

Sidney Rice, Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate are all guaranteed roster spots. Rice hasn't been healthy yet, but he is a superstar talent on the rare occasions that he is. 

Baldwin secured his place on the team with a record-setting rookie year, and Tate has looked like the receiver Carroll was hoping to see when he drafted him in the second round in 2010.

This leaves 10 players competing for three or possibly four positions.

Seattle will likely keep six wide receivers on the opening day roster, but it might opt for seven. The Seahawks could decide to carry just eight offensive linemen plus James Carpenter on the PUP list, gambling that he'll be able to return to action before anyone else is lost due to injury.

Another option is carrying two quarterbacks on the active roster and hoping Josh Portis clears waivers and can be signed to the practice squad.

Regardless, something has to give at wide receiver.

Phil Bates didn't have a huge game, but he is progressing in his transition from college quarterback to NFL wide receiver. That he saw some first-half action and played most of the second half was enough to show the team is seriously considering him for a roster position.

Bates looked solid in his routes and was impressive in special teams. He was down the field quickly in punt coverage, helping the Seahawks pin the Broncos on their own half-yard-line following a muffed punt.

Bates had a great opportunity in the fourth quarter. He got behind the secondary and Wilson put the ball out in front of him. 

It seemed as though Bates didn't hit his top gear until after the ball was thrown. This was likely intentional, as the initial lull in his speed pulled the corner into tighter coverage. The burst gave him separation but came too late to allow him to get to the ball.

Winner: Jermaine Kearse and Lavasier Tuinei, WR

Kearse has been well behind in the race to gain a roster spot. He's struggled with dropped balls in practice and hasn't been given as many opportunities to make plays.

Seattle gave him an opportunity on an end-around, which he parlayed into a nice gain. His encore was a jumping reception from Russell Wilson down the middle of the Bronco defense.

Lavasier Tuinei made the surprise reception on the night. When Wilson was about to be sacked, he threw the ball from his side to the sideline, looking as though he was just trying to throw the ball away. The television producer thought as much, staying with the camera shot of Wilson being tackled.

To everyone's surprise except perhaps Wilson, Tuinei was there to convert on third down. While it was just one play, it was a big one.

"

Great throw and catch from Wilson to former Dawg Jermaine Kearse. Good for Jermaine. Good kid.

— Dave Softy Mahler (@Softykjr) August 19, 2012"

Loser: Tarvaris Jackson, QB

How bad of a day is it for a player who didn't even play to make the list as a loser?

The Seahawks have opted to give the game situations to their new quarterbacks, stating the team already knows what they have in Tarvaris Jackson. While Carroll isn't stating if that is a good or bad thing, his track record is pretty clear.

Jackson is better than a lot of fans view him, but he hasn't proven to be a good starting quarterback.

Jackson's only hope of getting back into the conversation as a potential starting quarterback and off of the trade talk was for Matt Flynn and Russell Wilson to both struggle in Denver.

It didn't happen.

To make matters worse, Josh Portis was brought into the game for the Seahawks' final possession.

If the Philadelphia Eagles learned anything last season, it should have been that Michael Vick isn't going to play all 16 games in a season and the team needs a backup that can step in and manage the offense in his absence. Mike Kafka isn't that guy, at least not yet, but Jackson could be.

If the Eagles haven't already started to discuss trade options, expect it to happen. Jackson's contract is the biggest sticking point in a trade, as few teams are willing to spent $4 million on a player they hope sits on the bench for an entire season.

Green Bay is another option. The Packers don't have an established backup on their roster. Teams with playoff aspirations need to have two quarterbacks capable of playing in the NFL.

Jackson might provide improved QB play in Miami and Arizona, but it's a bit late to bring in someone to compete for the starting gig. With that in mind, the odds of him being under consideration in Seattle also seem very low.

Winner: Deon Butler, WR

The biggest winner at wide receiver was Deon Butler. He was given reps with the first-team offense and reminded coaches and fans why he was a big part of the Seahawk offense prior to his leg injury.

He had three catches and ran solid routes while showing his ability to create separation. 

It has been easy for some to cast Butler aside when predicting the Seahawks' final roster, but Butler isn't going quietly.

Loser: Charly Martin and Kris Durham, WR

Another player who was given an opportunity for a lot of snaps is Charly Martin. He came up short on two catchable passes sent his direction, in part because he isn't as crisp and quick in his cuts as he needs to be.

Martin is a third-year player who had an outside shot at grabbing a roster spot. He was given the opportunity to stake his claim in Denver but failed to do so.

Kris Durham didn't make an appearance on the field, which is an even bigger issue. Either the Seahawks are comfortable with him making the roster and they don't feel he needs time to get comfortable with his new quarterback, or he's fallen down the depth chart.

Winner: Jeron Johnson, Loser: Winston Guy

Jeron Johnson has been one of my favorite sleeper prospects since the 2011 draft. He's a player I felt Seattle should have drafted but was able to sign as an undrafted free agent.

Johnson didn't have many opportunities last season as Atari Bigby was signed to fill Seattle's third-safety role. 

Seattle drafted Winston Guy in April to compete with Johnson. So far in game action, the scales are tipped toward Johnson.

Guy struggled on special teams, missing blocks on Jon Ryan's first two punts. The first was blocked, with the second being lightly tipped. The bigger issue was this play also opened up Ryan to taking a hard hit.

Johnson's big plays came on defense. He stripped the ball-carrier early in the game, giving the Seahawks great field possession. 

Later in the second quarter, Johnson had good position and intercepted a pass from Peyton Manning.

Winner: Russell Wilson, QB

Seattle will undoubtedly look at its practice sessions to help determine who their starting quarterback will be when the season starts.

They are also going to look at game film, and the contest against the Broncos will help set the tone for which quarterback is in line to get the majority of the work with the first-team offense going into the third preseason game.

The upcoming week is an important one for the quarterbacks. The third game is traditionally used as a dress rehearsal, with the expected starters getting extended playing time. This helps them iron out a few bugs and, hopefully, prepares them to start the regular season playing as a unit.

Coach Carroll is far from traditional, though, so that plan could be out the window when the team travels to Kansas City. He may even let the two quarterbacks split time with the starters and the second unit.

The Broncos have a solid defense with a very good pass rush. They applied frequent pressure on Flynn and Russell Wilson.

This played right into the biggest advantage Wilson currently holds over Flynn—scrambling ability.

Wilson is quicker and able to pick up first downs with his feet. Granted, Flynn also had a first-down run on Saturday, but he looked nothing like Wilson while on the move.

The part of Wilson's scrambles that were most impressive, though, was he would still look downfield and attempt to throw the ball before committing to the run. When he did run he was effective, gaining 33 yards on six rushes.

Wilson also had a few passing yards on the night. It is hard to ignore 155 of them in just under a half of play, but it is also dangerous to read too much into the production.

Seattle fans have often fallen under the "Mike Teel Effect." A quarterback puts up some impressive preseason numbers and fans believe he's the next great NFL thrower.

It happened last season with Charlie Whitehurst and Josh Portis. While Portis is still an intriguing player, Whitehurst provided great evidence of just how different life is in the regular season vs. the preseason against players who will be selling cars or working at Footlocker in the near future.

But Wilson is showing poise and great playmaking ability. Perhaps his best play was the third-down completion to Tuinei that he released just prior to hitting the ground.

He's certainly making life hard on the coaches as they try to dole out first-team reps in practice and the final two preseason games. If there was a clear leader headed into Saturday's game, Wilson likely bridged the gap.