Seahawks vs. Chiefs: What to Watch for in Preseason Week 3

The first two weeks of the preseason have been smooth sailing for head coach Pete Carroll. They haven't had any major injuries and they've shown the ability to win both at home and on the road. 

Offensively, Seattle couldn't be more pleased with the production they've gotten up to this point. Last week they rushed for over 200 yards on the ground and in both Weeks 1 and 2 they won the turnover battle—an area they excelled in last year.

Additionally, things on the defensive side of the ball don't have a high stock value like the offense. This is mainly because of the front four's lack of pass rushing ability right now, but with Carroll being a defensive-minded coach, he will find a way to dial up the pressure.  

This week, Russell Wilson will be given the opportunity to showcase his ability, as he will be starting the game with the first-team offense. Coach Carroll is adamant that the quarterback competition is ongoing, so it will be interesting to see how things play out over the next couple weeks.

Outside of the quarterback battle, let's take a look at which five things you should be watching for as the Seahawks travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs.   

Russell Wilson

The buzz is definitely in the air right now for rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. After two sensational performances in Week 1 and 2 of the preseason, he is finally getting his shot with the first-team offense. 

So, is it his job to lose? Some people say yes, and others like me don't believe he is ready to be the opening day starter. Sure, he has done a nice job of tearing up third and fourth stringers, but is he ready to go against first-team defenses? 

The Chiefs are coming off a game where Sam Bradford gave them an absolute beat down. Kansas City's defense gave up almost 400 yards of total offense, so you know they will be out to redeem themselves against the Seahawks. 

Wilson's stat-line for the preseason looks like this: He has completed 68 percent of his passes, thrown for 279 yards and hurled three touchdown passes. Very good numbers, yet once again I remind you that these are against players who may not even make the 53-man roster. 

However, if he goes out and has himself a half and replicates those type of numbers against the Chiefs' first-team defense, now we have a discussion. Here is a little something I tweeted out earlier today; it sums things up from my perspective. 

"

To add to @nfldraftscout’s tweets, Russell Wilson is not better than Matt Flynn right now. 2 years from now probably, but right now, NO.

— Tyson Langland(@TysonNFL) August 23, 2012"

Matt Flynn is a veteran who they brought him in to be the starting quarterback. I don't care how unorthodox Pete Carroll is, there's no way Wilson wins the job unless he throws for 250 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. And if that's the case, he deserves the starting gig. 

T.O.

While the stat sheet from last week's game would beg to differ, I thought T.O. actually had a pretty good game. He ran some nice routes, showed he can still get separation and, most importantly, he looked quick in and out of his breaks. 

However, the biggest failure in the passing game was Owens' and Flynn's inability to get on the same page. The tandem left a good two or three throws on the field due to Owens running the wrong route or Matt Flynn misfiring. 

Danny Kelly of FieldGulls.com tweeted me his thoughts on T.O.'s targets:

"

@tysonnfl I think two of the screwups (targets 1 and 3) were option routes that Owens didn't adjust.

— Danny Kelly (@FieldGulls) August 21, 2012"

"

@tysonnfl I know for a fact that Target 1 shouldve been a sight adjusted route (pressure coming from the R side) that TO didn't pick up on.

— Danny Kelly (@FieldGulls) August 21, 2012"

And, yes, Owens had the big drop in the endzone, but some are chalking it up to a great play by cornerback Chris Harris. A number of people are believing that Harris reached around and punched the ball out from behind while Owens was making the catch.

As for Friday night I won't be gauging him by the number of receptions he has or even by the amount of yards he records. I just want to see him build some continuity and get on the same page as both quarterbacks. 

J.R. Sweezy

The seventh-round draft selection out of North Carolina State has had quite the impressive training camp and preseason up until this point. Just ask head coach Pete Carroll, who randomly responded to a fan's tweet on August 21st:

"

OL J.R. Sweezy “@chawkpositivity: @petecarroll Who is someone 'under the media radar' that is having a TREMENDOUS camp?”

— Pete Carroll (@PeteCarroll) August 21, 2012"

Sweezy played defensive tackle for the Wolfpack and did a fine job of it. In his senior season he recorded two sacks, four quarterback hurries, four tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Impressive numbers for an interior defensive lineman. 

The last time Sweezy played along the offensive line before making the switch was as an eight-year-old. Seattle had been contemplating the switch for him even in the pre-draft process. The Seahawks were the only team that wanted to draft him, and if he wouldn't have wanted to make the switch, they would have never drafted him. 

Offensive line coach Tom Cable saw something in Sweezy that he really liked and wasn't about to let him get away:

"

For me, what kind of pushed it all over the top was just how quick and athletic he was, that jumped out at me. You put that with those other characteristics and you’re thinking, ‘OK.’ 

"

All of the positive talk has been backed up by positive play, but will a project like Sweezy make the final 53?

Sidney Rice

After finally ditching the no contact jersey last week in practice, Sidney Rice is looking to take things even one step further by making his preseason debut against the Chiefs. 

Rice has been plagued by the injury bug often throughout his career, with this past season and offseason being no different. During the offseason he had surgery on both shoulders, which led general manager John Schneider to believe Rice is the healthiest he has ever been in his career. 

While that's encouraging and all, he should be fully healthy, as he's been on injured reserve since Week 12 of last season. With that being said, he is still Seattle's most talented receiver and offers a dimension to their passing game that is sorely missed when he's not on the field.

Against Kansas City it's safe to assume Rice will be on a snap count that will limit him to just a couple of drives. Apparently, he has already taken a couple of good shots from the first-team defense in practice. Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor have laid a couple big blows on him, but so far he has popped back up.

Can Rice finally make it through a full season unscathed, or will the injury bug creep its way in once again?   

Pass Rush

I'm fully aware that it's preseason and it wouldn't be smart to show too much on defense, yet it is a little concerning that the Seahawks aren't getting more pressure from their front four. 

Bruce Irvin had a couple of nice pressures Week 1 against the Titans and Chris Clemons is not one to worry about, but I do wonder who will step up as that third or fourth rusher? Tony Hargrove was about the only one outside of Clemons who applied consistent pressure on the quarterback last year. 

The play of the front four also affects the Seahawks' top defensive unit, their secondary. Seattle's secondary is big and physical, and they don't have a problem letting you know that they are. And the sooner the front four gets into the backfield the shorter amount of time the defensive backs have to be in coverage. 

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times echoes my same concerns and says the pass rush isn't quite fixed yet:

"

You can't proclaim Seattle's pass rush fixed. At least not yet. The Seahawks had a single sack for the second consecutive exhibition game, and for all the playing time rookie Bruce Irvin got, he didn't spend all that much time near the quarterback. He did get one clear pressure, knocking the quarterback down, and he showed his speed in chasing plays down from behind. He didn't show much in terms of getting around blockers, though. 

"

The Rams took advantage of the Chiefs' weak offensive line play last week, so this might be just the week the Seahawks pass rush needs to get back on track.

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