Seattle Seahawks Preseason Week 2 – Post Game Notes And Observations
By Keith Myers
Aug 17, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate (81) eludes a tackle by Denver Broncos tight end Virgil Green (85) on a punt return during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Seattle dominated Denver in a meaningless game tonight, but don’t let anyone fool you. The Seahawks were the better team, whether it was the 1st team, the 2nd team or the 3rd stringers. The fact that the game doesn’t count in the standings doesn’t mean that the Seahawks shouldn’t feel very good about this win.
Getting meaningful notes from the live broadcast was more difficult that usual. That means I don’t have as much for you as I usually do after the games. I’m sorry about that. The 2 returns for TDs meant that the offense wasn’t on the field for 42 straight minutes at one point, and all the flag really broke up the flow of the game. I’ll be re-watching the tape this game on Monday to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
On to my notes:
The list of significant players who didn’t play includes: Rice, Harvin, Miller, Michael, Irvin, Avril, McDaniel, Clemons, and (except for 3 plays) Lynch. This about all that talent was wasn’t out there, then think about how good the Seahawks looked. This is what real depth looks like.
Jermaine Kearse looks like a completely different player this year. The tape from last season suggested that he would never be more than a special teams player, but suddenly he’s learned how to run routes and catch the ball. Everyone is excited about his kickoff return, but to me, the fact that he can be useful on offense is more important right now.
Benson Mayowa showed that he might just be another training camp story and not a legitimate “find.” After getting pressure on the first play of the game, He never once got close to Peyton Manning at any other point in the first half. He started showing again once the Osweiller and the backups came in. He looked good a week ago against backups, but if he can’t get pressure against starters then there’s no point in getting too excited.
Alvin Bailey, who was the offensive line star at LT a week ago, played LG this week. He wasn’t as dominating there. Still looked good, but he was better at blocking the smaller DEs than the 300+ lb DTs. That’s something to watch with him going forward.
Michael Bowie, who’s currently the #2 RT, also spent some time at LG. The absence of James Carpenter in the OG rotation is allowing Cable to get guys some extra reps at other positions.
Phil Bates, who’s converting from WR to FB, got all of 1 play (a catch for 4 yards) before hurting his ankle. At this point I’d bet he lands on the practice squad so he can continue to bulk up and learn the position.
Other than Bates, there were no other injuries reported for Seattle. Denver had a scary injury, when Wolfe had to leave the field in an ambulance with concerns about a spinal injury. Luckily, it appears to be nothing, as John Fox said in his post game interview that Wolfe is expected to get released and fly back with the team.
Robert Turbin was impressive this week with the starters. Good patience to let block develop and the exploded through the hole. That’s the type of thing that you need to run behind a zone blocking scheme.
Ware was the #3 RB in this game (really the #2, since Lynch only played 3 plays), but he was out there with the 1s in passing situations. He’s got great hands, runs solid routes, and can pass block. He’ll make a great 3rd down back. He’s also an impressive runner. The Seahawks have 4 guys on the roster right now that can carry a team to wins.
Having Bobby Wagner back made a huge difference in the run defense. I know everyone was excited about all the tackles Bradford had a week ago, but Wagner demonstrated tonight that not all tackles are created equal. His ability to get upfield and make tackles near the line of scrimmage is a huge asset.