Seattle Defense Steps Up Against Russell

The Seattle Seahawks were written off this offseason. By fans and analysts alike. But tonight, they made a huge statement by sending Russel Willson back to Denver with a big L. The game was close but it wasn’t a nail-biter. Seattle lead from wire to wire and sent Russel packing.

First Quarter For Seattle Against Russell

Geno Smith was treated as if he was inept all off-season. He came out on fire. He definitely felt he had something to prove. On the first drive of the game, he made two accurate throws under pressure. He worked the pocket efficiently and kept his eyes on his receivers.

The offensive line was not great to start. They allowed Geno to be pressured and had a false start penalty as well. This might have been because of how loud it was at Lumen Field. The fans were excited and rowdy, as is to be expected from the passionate Seattle fanbase.

Russell Wilson got booed as he ran onto the field before the game, as well as when he came out for his first drive. I hated it. I’m a seahawks fan myself. We are better than that. We are more classy and mature than that. One of Seattle’s most recognizable fans is ESPN analyst Mina Kimes. Her mom was not happy with the booing and said so on Twitter. It made the entire fanbase look immature and ungrateful.

The boos were not necessary, what was more effective throughout the game was to cheer when Russell messed up. He was not sharp at all in the first quarter. He looked as though he had no chemistry with his new receivers.

In addition to Russell looking bad, Seattle’s offense looked excellent. Very efficient and balanced. They also spread the ball around quite a bit.

Second Quarter For Seattle Against Russell

Early in the second quarter, Jamal Adams was carted off with a leg injury. The look on his face and the frustration he showed on the sideline made it obvious that the injury is serious.

After that, Russell threw an interceptable pass to Jerry Jeudy. However, instead of an interception, the pass turned into a touchdown for Denver. Rookie defensive back Coby Bryant was matched up on Jerry Jeudy. Jeudy beat him off the line badly. Bryant recovered, and the ball was underthrown by Russell. It should have been intercepted. However, Coby doesn’t yet have the ball skills nor the awareness to make that play. 

Geno Smith started the game spectacularly and Seattle was playing clean football as a team. Only two penalties on Seattle in the first half. Geno’s first incompletion was at the four-minute mark of the second quarter. before that, he was 13 for 13.

Additionally, Geno was great at avoiding pressure ad looking to throw the ball rather than run. The few times that he did run, he worried me deeply. He put his body in harm’s way and he’s not a young guy anymore. Seattle cannot afford to have him hurt with how well he managed the offense.

With a clean pocket, Geno Smith threw a touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson with great touch. The playcalling in the first half was excellent. It was old-school Seattle football. It was Pete proving that his system works.

With 40 seconds left in the half, Russell threw a pass to the endzone that should have been intercepted by Quandre Diggs. It was another big mistake by Russell that Seattle failed to take advantage of. This game should not have been as close as it was.

Third Quarter In Seattle Against Russell

Seattle’s special teams played excellently. Special teams are an important but often overlooked aspect of the game. Good special teams play is, of course, a reflection of good coaching. By contrast, Denver looked sloppy. They committed over ten penalties. They weren’t even flagged for some of their holds on offense.

In the third quarter, I noticed Russell had the ear holes of his helmet filled in. He knew exactly where he was going, and he knew the Seattle fans were eager to give him an ear full of noise.

The Seattle defense shined in the second half. The open-field tackling was excellent. Seattle has a defensive back named Michael Jackson and I couldn’t get enough of hearing his name called. He recovered two fumbles after two incredible goal-line stands by the Seattle defense. Michael Jackson told the Russell and the Denver offense to beat it.

The Seahawk’s offense had their first and really their only major miscue at the five-minute mark of the third quarter. Denver brought pressure and it was picked up beautifully by the Seattle offensive line. this gave Geno Smith time to find DK Metcalf. However, DK fumbled on the play, and Denver recovered the ball.

Russell targeted Courtland Sutton frequently but rookie Tariq Woolen had the big receiver blanketed. Woolen was penalized for grabbing at Sutton’s jersey twice but the grabs were unnecessary. Woolen just panicked at times and grabbed, even though he was in a good position. He’ll grow out of that bad habit.

Fourth Quarter In Seattle Against Russell

Seattle’s pair of rookie tackles held their own in this game. Seattle ran the ball well in the first half. The offensive line made big holes for Rashaad Penny to run through and he took full advantage. However, in the fourth quarter, the run game shriveled up and Charles Cross started to get beat by Bradley Chubb. Chubb forced a fumble on one play where he beat Cross, but Cross recovered the loose ball.

Mid-fourth quarter, Tariq Woolen left the field holding his shoulder but it looked to be a non-serious injury. he would return later. the defense was led by the menace Jordyn Brooks with nine tackles. Brooks is stepping into the Bobby Wagner role and doing it well.

Throughout the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson was taking forever to get the Denver offense set. they were consistently looking at short play clocks and were close to delay of game penalties multiple times.

The Seattle defense took on the identity of a ‘bend don’t break defense’. They gave up a ton of yards to Russell and the Denver offense, but they tightened up inside the RedZone. They had a heroic goal-line stand in the fourth quarter to force a field goal and prevent Denver from taking the lead.

One Thing That I must address is Pete Carroll’s quick trigger finger with his challenge flag. He challenged the spot on a Denver first down that was clearly past the sticks to anybody with eyes. this cost Seattle a timeout and their other challenge. In a one-point game, you cannot afford that. this proved to be a bad decision when two Seattle defenders went down on the same drive with injuries, costing them another timeout.

Final Takeaways From Russells Return to Seattle

Russell struggled. He was inaccurate throughout the game. I’ve never seen Russell throw an inaccurate deep ball, but he consistently underthrew receivers. He couldn’t get his guys lined up in time and rushed the snap a lot. He was clearly nervous.

Russell had an opportunity to go win this game like he had so many times in Seattle. To be fair, he did give his kicker a chance. However, a 60+ yard field goal to win the game is a lot to ask of your kicker. Russell couldn’t get it done in the clutch against Seattle.

What does this mean for Seattle and the 12s? It means we’re all alone in first place atop the NFC west.

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