Seahawks vs. Chargers: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Seattle
It hasn't been Russell Wilson. It hasn't been Jimmy Graham, Marshawn Lynch, Doug Baldwin or Jermaine Kearse.
No, the most potent performer on the Seattle Seahawks roster this preseason has been a 5'10", 182-pound fourth-round draft pick from Kansas State.
Tyler Lockett, along with punter Jon Ryan and kicker Steven Hauschka, starred for Seattle in the Seahawks 16-15 win over San Diego in what is generally considered to be the most vital of the four preseason games.
Lockett once again conjured images of Devin Hester, while Hauschka's golden boot thwarted San Diego with a 60-yard field goal in the game's waning minutes, but the rookie's dazzling 67-yard punt return touchdown, coupled with the game-winning field goal, served only to mask Seattle's offensive tribulations.
Lockett's bobbing, weaving, sideline-to-sideline romp featuring stop-on-a-dime cutbacks and vanquished defenders was the highlight of the game; on the contrary, the plays worth highlighting on Seattle's offense are the missed opportunities, off-target passes and stalled red-zone drives.
Maybe it's time to worry. At the very least, if you're a Seattle Seahawks fan, maybe it's time to brace yourself for a more difficult ascension to the NFL's summit.
Head coach Pete Carroll stuck with his first-team offense for the entire first half, plus the first drive of the second half. The results: 151 yards and two promising drives into the red zone that ended in two field goals.
Points should never be shunned, but these were wasted opportunities. Six should have been 12. Seattle didn't march into enemy territory to settle; they came to conquer but never capitalized.
It should also be noted that Wilson led Seattle's starters against San Diego's second- and third-team defensive units in his one second-half drive, which essentially negates any goodwill that second field goal might have earned him and the starters.
Looking at the game, one can see how Seattle's final drive of the first half perfectly encapsulates the whole of its preseason woes.
Finally, things had started to move. After more than 29 in-game minutes of offensive ineptitude resulting in four punts on four drives, the Seattle Seahawks offense finally found a spark; positive momentum appeared to be taking hold.
Wilson guided Seattle down to the Chargers 21-yard line with some playground style scrambles and evasive maneuvers. With just 10 seconds left in the half, the two-time Pro Bowl selection dropped back and found his newest weapon, Jimmy Graham, open on a crossing route approximately 10 yards in front of him.
Wilson stepped up to sling it, except his mark was off, as were, for a split second, Graham's eyes. Seattle's most prominent offseason acquisition let the ball, and the drive, slip out of his massive, multimillion dollar hands.
Hauschka drilled a 40-yard field goal following the drop, technically making the drive a success, but Wilson and Graham's third-down failure left the first-team offense without a touchdown. Again.
It didn't get better when R.J. Archer and the rest of the second- and third-string offense entered the game on the Seahawks' next offensive drive.
For the second week in a row, Seattle failed to score an offensive touchdown, leaving the Seahawks with three times as many special teams and defensive touchdowns (three) as offensive touchdowns (one) through the preseason's first three games.
The defense, which was spectacular against Denver in Week 1 and Kansas City in Week 2, suffered a bit of a drop off against quarterback Philip Rivers and the San Diego offense.
Much like he did last year against Seattle, Rivers found the going easy against the Seahawks' typically intimidating defense. Rivers played the entire first half, completing 13-of-19 passes for 140 yards.
Rivers was sacked twice, but San Diego generally did an excellent job in picking up Seattle's blitzes, particularly those that came from the nickel package.
Rivers utilized the speed and quickness of Stevie Johnson (4 receptions, 63 yards), Keenan Allen (2 receptions, 27 yards) and Danny Woodhead (3 receptions, 19 yards) against Seattle's revamped secondary, now featuring the returning Richard Sherman and Will Blackmon.
Rivers used dump-offs and quick-hit crossing routes to get the Seahawks defense reeling, which also served to prevent pass rushers from having enough time to reach him. Seattle was able to keep Rivers and the Chargers out of the end zone, but San Diego was able to reveal a potential vulnerability in this Seattle defense.
The second half saw the Chargers offense start to get going against Seattle's second- and third-unit defensive players.
Rivers' replacement, Kellen Clemens (4/6, 90 yards, 1 TD), turned in the best offensive play of the game when he connected on a short dump-off to running back Branden Oliver that turned into a 70-yard touchdown scamper.
With Seahawks converging all around him, Clemens stepped up in the pocket to find a wide open Oliver—who initially stayed back as a blocker—in the flat. Oliver turned, saw a clear field and began to churn his legs with such ferocity that when rookie free safety Ryan Murphy caught him, the San Diego back flicked him off with ease.
Archer and Seattle's offense didn't have much of an answer for the Chargers until their last drive of the game.
Down 15-13 and starting at their own 14-yard line, Archer marched Seattle to the San Diego 42 on 10 plays. It wasn't exactly Elwaysian, but it at least put Seattle in a position to win the game.
Hauschka, who had come up just short on a 58-yard field goal earlier, was pure with his strike, sending it over the crossbar from 60 yards out.
Carroll raised his hands to the heavens and jumped for joy, but I expect he'll be anything but overjoyed after looking at game tape.
San Diego outgained Seattle 386-222. The Chargers also dominated the time of possession battle, holding the ball for nearly 37 minutes, compared to just over 23 for Seattle.
The victory will deliver some smiles and good feelings, but it won't fool the Seahawks into believing this was a great performance.
Position Grades for Seattle
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | C- |
| RB | B |
| WR | C |
| TE | C+ |
| OL | B |
| DL | B+ |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | C+ |
| Special Teams | A+ |
| Coaching | B |
As has been the norm for Seattle this preseason, the special teams and defense once again vastly outperformed the offense.
Led by the fleet feet of Lockett and the mighty legs of punter Ryan and kicker Hauschka, the Seahawks special teams unit was by far the most integral to Seattle's success Saturday night.
Ryan consistently pinned down San Diego with poor field position. His seven punts averaged 47.9 yards, with a long of 62, and three were downed inside the Chargers 20-yard line.
Hauschka knocked in three of his four field goal attempts, shorting his 58-yard attempt by a yard or two, but nailing the 60-yard game-winner. He also helped hold San Diego to an 8.0 yard average per kick return.
Rising star Lockett was the only Seahawk to earn his way into the end zone, with his 67-yard mad dash the sole reason Seattle was even in position to win this game.
The offense was arrhythmic yet again. Neither Wilson nor Archer found a comfortable groove, with Wilson notably missing on several passes. He was particularly ineffective in the red zone, over- or under-throwing his receivers several times.
Archer did lead Seattle down the field and set up the game-winning field goal, but it wasn't exactly an easy spot to put his kicker in.
The offensive line, with starting left tackle Russell Okung out, was inconsistent once again. The run blocking was much improved this week, but it struggled as a pass-blocking unit—particularly Alvin Bailey, who got the start for Okung.
Bailey was left in Kyle Emanuel's wake several times, with one instance leading to a sack of Wilson. The others performed a bit better, with Gary Gilliam playing all the way into the fourth quarter.
The defense gave up nearly 400 yards, but it was mostly able to hold San Diego to field goals.
As expected, Sherman wasn't tested, and Blackmon looked strong starting in the nickel. Dion Bailey was involved in seemingly every play when he was out on the field; it looks like that starting strong safety job could be his.
Cary Williams was notably burned several times by Johnson and Allen, having to chase them down from behind, which is a major reason why he finished second on the team with five tackles.
The starting linebackers again looked terrific. Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright and Bruce Irvin routinely penetrated the Charger backfield, chasing down running backs and putting pressure on Rivers to rid himself of the ball before incurring their wrath.
On the defensive line, Frank Clark and Jordan Hill made some terrific plays. Clark looks like he'll be able to play a prominent role for the Seattle defense this year. Cassius Marsh was a bit erratic, with his aggression causing him to overplay some possessions a bit, but his passion is contagious.
The coaching staff ran plenty of tricky blitz packages, sending multiple rushers to hamper Rivers and the rest of the Chargers quarterbacks. It didn't always pay off, with Rivers releasing the ball quickly, but it provided a nice glimpse of what we might see in the regular season.
Offensively, the game plan seemed uninspired. There isn't much reason for risk taking in the preseason, especially with the first-team offense, but the red-zone play-calling seemed a bit conservative.
Overall, there were a few defensive standouts and plenty of offensive duds, but for another week, it was the special teams that ruled the day.
Important Note No. 1: Offensive Line Still a Work in Progress
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The plan for the offensive line this week was to start the same combination of players used in Week 2.
Alas, the best-laid plans often go awry, especially when it comes to the sports world.
Carroll and Tom Cable had hoped to roll with Gilliam at right tackle, Justin Britt at left guard, Drew Nowa, Okung at left tackle and J.R. Sweezy at right guard.
But prior to the game, it was revealed that Okung would sit with a minor shoulder ailment, according to a report from the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta.
The good news, especially after Alvin Bailey's poor fill-in performance, is that Seattle will have Okung for the regular-season opener. The bad news is that the rest of the offensive line still looks to have some issues.
The line was seldom able to string together two or three consecutive plays of tight blocking. Wilson was sacked just once, but the pocket collapsed several times. Wilson's evasive nature and speed were the only reasons he avoided more impacts.
The run blocking seemed like a big improvement, though. Seattle rushed for 117 yards on 28 carries, with Christine Michael and Robert Turbin able to find a bit more open field than in previous contests.
Drew Nowak in particular did a fine job of opening up lanes and holding his assignment.
Prior to the game, Nowak expressed his growing comfort at the center position, per Seahawks.com: “I feel like my comfort at the position is on another level compared to when I started. I was a fish out of water when I first started in OTAs, but every day I feel like I can pick it up quicker, see things faster and direct faster."
He looks to have a solid edge over Lemuel Jeanpierre for the starting role, but with one preseason game left, the line's overall fate is still hanging in the air without a solid landing pad.
In the post game press conference, Carroll responded somewhat cryptically when asked what exactly is happening with the offensive line, saying, "I don't know. Have to look at the film."
Important Note No. 2: Injury Updates
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Once again, Seattle was able to avoid any major in-game injuries.
Okung was held out of the game with a sore shoulder. Carroll noted that the tackle could have played and would have if this been a regular-season contest, but the team was being precautionary with one of their two entrenched offensive linemen, per ESPN's Liz Matthews.
Carroll noted that Wright's shoulder was "banged pretty good" by San Diego's Brobdingnagian left tackle, King Dunlap (6'9", 330 lbs.). Wright exited the game and was escorted to the locker room by a team physician but returned shortly after.
Carroll did not reinsert him into the game, choosing to be cautious with one of his premier defensive playmakers.
Also injured: linebacker Mike Morgan with a "tweaked hamstring" and safety Dion Bailey, who suffered from back spasms. Neither is considered serious.
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Important Note No. 3: Dion Bailey Impresses, Could Be Chancellor's Replacement
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With Kam Chancellor's holdout now approaching the one-month threshold, Carroll and the Seahawks staff have to deal with the possibility that they may be starting someone else opposite Earl Thomas for several weeks.
Dion Bailey exhibited good tackling ability during the first two exhibition games, a trend he continued against the Chargers.
The 23-year-old led the Seahawks with six total tackles, four of which were of the solo variety.
He began the game with two strong open-field tackles, and his hard-hitting influence was apparent whenever he was in.
Bailey has been receiving some tips from Chancellor, which makes sense considering the way he's been playing.
“I talk to Kam often, especially after games,” Bailey said, per Seahawks.com. “He has been a huge supporter in my corner ever since I was granted this opportunity. I support him in what he’s trying to do, and he’s supporting me in trying to make my dreams come true."
Bailey still has a ways to go in improving his coverage ability, something he hoped to put work in on during this game, per the Seattle Times' Bob Condotta.
Bailey is still young and developing, but he couldn't have found a better place to hone his skills than in Seattle.
Should Kam remain steadfast in his demands, Bailey could serve as a suitable replacement. Anyone who isn't Chancellor will be a downgrade at the position, but Bailey at least provides some positive hope during Kam's extended absence.
Quote No. 1: Lockett's Rising Star
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Special teams have undeniably been the star of the Seahawks preseason.
"I'm really fired up about how hard we're playing," Carrol said during the postgame press conference. "Special teams have been a great factor."
As noted before, Ryan and Hauschka have been brilliant, especially against San Diego, but the rising supernova is Lockett.
"I feel like I've always exceeded everyone's expectations ... I don't think about that," Lockett said following the game, per the News Tribune's Gregg Bell.
Lockett finished the game with two kick returns for 57 yards (28.5 average) and, of course, that 67-yard punt return touchdown.
Lockett has been to the end zone two more times than any of the Seahawks' offensive starters. Obviously, that's not a recipe for sustainable regular-season success, but it makes Seattle's special teams unit one of the most dangerous in football.
Quote No. 2: Don't Expect Another Beast Mode Cameo
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Marshawn Lynch is essentially around during the preseason so he won't get fined.
Lynch, like most other NFL veterans on aging legs, doesn't feel it necessary to expose himself to more bodily harm than necessary. It makes perfect sense: Why risk an injury to someone whose skill and talent level you're fully aware of and comfortable with?
Lynch played his first snaps of the preseason against San Diego, taking two carries for six yards and catching one ball for three yards on Seattle's first drive of the game. It was a three and out not only for Seattle, but also for Marshawn.
Those three snaps are all anyone will see of him in a preseason game this year.
"It was good to see Marshawn. But that's it. Don't hold your breath seeing if he's playing next week," Carroll said during the postgame press conference.
There won't be too many starters in action for Seattle's final preseason game, so none of this comes as any surprise at all.
Quote No. 3: Wilson Pumps Up Hauschka
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The coming 2015 NFL season will be Hauschka's eighth.
He ranks ninth in field goal accuracy (85.43 percent) among all NFL kickers past and present, and he's finished fifth in total field goals made over the past two seasons, per Pro-Football-Focus.
Such a pro doesn't necessarily need a pep talk, but when it's a 60-yard field goal, despite it being the preseason, a little extra encouragement is always helpful for the mind and the body.
Prior to marching out to the field to attempt a kick he had never made in a game before, Wilson felt the urge to tell him something.
"I told him 'hey, you're going to win the game,'" Wilson recounted during the postgame press conference.
And win the game he did.
Wilson was far from his best self on the field in this game, but he still found a way to make his presence helpful.
All statistics courtesy of ESPN.com, unless otherwise noted. All quotes courtesy of Seahawks.com, unless otherwise noted.
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