Gameday grades: Seahawks vs Colts

The Seahawks got back on track by dismantling the Colts on Sunday Night Football. The victory proved to be just what the doctor ordered for a team that is still looking for its footing now one month into the 2017 season.

Check out this week’s grades:

Offensive Line: (B-)

I’ve got to give the offensive line some credit this week. They had their struggles, but overall the group was able to put together a respectable game. Russell was sacked three times, but a couple of those were a result of Wilson holding the ball a little longer to try and make plays.

It appeared Russell Wilson had a half second longer to get throws off in this game. Part of that was good play calling, but the line definitely fought hard on Sunday night and gave the offense opportunities to make plays.

Quarterback: (B+)

Russell Wilson played at an extremely high level for most of the game. The only reason he didn’t earn an A was because of his first interception and not getting rid of the ball early enough to avoid a safety. I don’t even count his second interception because it bounced right off of Jimmy Graham’s hands.

Wilson finished the night with 295 yards and two touchdowns through the air. The 5th year captain made some absolutely incredible throws on the run, with none being grater than the ball he threw 50 yards downfield to Tyler Lockett while rolling to his left. There are few QB’s in the league who could deliver a throw like that with such accuracy.

Russell seems to be finding his form and I’m looking forward to seeing him build on this performance.

Running Backs (B+)

It was a very encouraging night for the running game as the Seahawks rushed for 194 yards against the Colts. Russell Wilson and Tyler Lockett contributed to that total, but the backs hit the holes hard every play and made the most out of the creases they were given.

Eddie Lacy and JD Mckissic both seized their opportunities rushing for a combined 90 yards on fifteen carries. Mckissic burst on to the scene on Sunday. The receiver turned running back had a beautiful 30 yard touchdown run, but that was the less impressive of his two scores. He also made a fantastic catch between two defenders to secure his second touchdown of the evening. With CJ Prosise’s track record of health look for Mckissic to continue to make plays while filling the hybrid running back/receiver role for the Seahawks.

Obviously the worst part of Sunday night’s game was seeing Chris Carson’s gruesome ankle injury. I feel terrible for the guy. He was once again running  with ferocity and determination. Carson was seemingly getting better every week, so to see his rookie season cut short so soon is a real bummer. I hope he is able to fight back from this and be fully healthy next year. It’s an unbelievably tough situation for Carson and the Seahawks ground game.

Receivers/Tight Ends (B)

It was a very productive night in the passing game. Wilson spread the ball around to eight different teammates seemingly beating the Colts secondary every way imaginable. The receivers did a nice job of getting open throughout the night and were again effective in scramble drill situations.

It’s tough to single him out because he bounced back and had a good game, but Jimmy Graham once again let a few balls get through his hands, including one that resulted in an interception. But as I said, I respected the way Jimmy bounced back and made some big plays down the stretch.

Defensive Line (B+)

The defensive line looked pretty stout against the Colts beat up line. They held Indianapolis under 100 yards rushing and made Brissett uncomfortable on several occasions. I still would’ve liked to see more sacks, but hopefully those will come.

Marcus Smith deserves a shout out for his play after being thrust into action following Cliff Avril’s injury. The Fourth year pro registered 1.5 sacks and forced a fumble.

Linebackers (A)

The linebackers were all over the field making all sorts of plays, Sunday. Again the effort against the run was valiant. They were also strong defending the pass. The linebackers were a big part of why life was so difficult for Jacoby Brissett as the game wore on.

The highlight of the game( in my opinion) was Bobby Wagner insane scoop and score. I can’t believe he was able to not only field that loose ball cleanly, but also turn into a running back and house it. He refused to be tackled and that absolutely sent the team into a frenzy. You’d be hard pressed to find a more athletic play than Bobby’s touchdown rumble.

Defensive Backs (A)

The DB’s get an A for last night’s performance. Though they weren’t facing the most prolific passing attack in the world, they played very sound football and didn’t make anything easy for the Colts. Shaquille Griffin got picked on a little but, but continues to fight hard and is going to improve every week.

The story of the night for the secondary was Justin Coleman grabbing his first interception and taking it back for six.

Special Teams (C)

I’d like to see more out of the Seahawks third phase. Tyler Lockett hasn’t had much of an opportunity to pop a long return this year other than at Green Bay. I’d like to see the blockers give him more of a chance to be a game changer in that aspect.

I’m also a little concerned with Blair Walsh’s accuracy. As was highlighted on the broadcast last night, Walsh was really struggling. He was having trouble connecting in pre game and then ended up missing a 35 harder just before half. He than came out to warm up at halftime and missed 6 straight kicks. Though he was good on all of his PAT’s and has only missed one field goal, i’m really hoping this doesn’t become a trend for Walsh.

Related Story: How will Carson's injury affect the Seahawks?

Overall, special teams could do more to positively impact games. I’m looking for this group to take the next step as the season rolls on.