Gameday grades for the Seahawks versus the Jaguars.

Every so often while taking in a sporting event I find myself mumbling, “what did I just watch?” Yesterday’s Seahawks, Jaguars game left me in that strange state. There were flying flags and no calls, moments of brilliance and mental lapses, unbelievable highs, and confidence shaking lows. In the end, the game concluded with dissapointing a 30-24 loss. So what should we make of it all?When assigning this week’s grades I tried my best to digest the strange event.

Defensive Line: (C)

I would’ve liked to see the defensive line generate more pressure on Blake Bortles. He had time to sit in the pocket and make downfield throws throughout the game. The lack of pass rush was a big reason why the game got away from the Seahawks and also the reason Blake Bortles looked like more than an average quarterback.

Linebackers:(B)

It was a pretty good day for these guys, but the biggest concern for the linebackers is health. Both Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright were injured in Jacksonville and were unable to finish the game. It sounds like Wright has a good chance to make it back for Sunday’s showdown against the Rams, but Wagner is more of a question mark with a lingering hamstring injury. The team can’t afford to be missing these guys if they want any shot at a playoff run.

Defensive Backs:(C)

The defensive backs weren’t good enough on Sunday. They were also part of the equation that made Bortles look much better than he is. It was frustrating to see the secondary look seemingly lost at times. I understand Sherman and Chancellor are gone, but this group is capable of being better than what they showed on Sunday.

*Quick note about the defense– I don’t care who is on the field, it is unacceptable to give up a run for a first down on third and ten. I watched the Seahawks allow that twice on Sunday, including on the final drive that iced the game for Jacksonville. When it’s third and ten, there is no way an NFL defense should surrender a first down on the ground. That was unbearable to watch.

Offensive Line:(B-)

The offensive line actually held up better than I thought they would against a dominate Jaguars defensive front. I think this group is good enough up front to at least give the offense a chance to be successful. That is encouraging and an improvement from the last two seasons.

The exception to my previous statement would be Germain Ifedi. It is unbelievable that he still finds his way on to the field at this point. Not only is he a liability with his play between the whistles, he has drawn more penalties than any player in the league. There has to be someone on the roster who can do a better job than Ifedi. I don’t even care if he can’t block. The biggest issue continues to be his drive killing penalties. Enough!

Quarterback:(C+)

Russell Wilson threw three interceptions against the Jaguars. Many of his throws looked just a little off. However, I will say he needs his receivers to help him out a little. I was surprised by the lack of fight by guys to go knock the ball away from the defensive backs. Still, three interceptions does not make it easy to win football games, especially on the road. The silver lining? Wilson was once again phenomenal in the fourth quarter.

Russell needs to have monster games each of the next three weeks if this team wants to sniff the postseason.

Running Backs:(B-)

Mike Davis showed flashes of brilliance in this game. His 21 yard effort was by far the most exciting. Still, Davis finished with just 66 yards. Nonetheless, it looks like Davis is clearly the teams best option at this point and I believe he’s only going to get better with each game.

Receivers/Tight Ends:(C+)

I didn’t think this group was very sharp on Sunday. There were some big, flashy plays, but overall I didn’t like the game I saw from the receivers. As I mentioned before, I thought they could have done a better job of competing for balls that were intercepted. I hope they will be more focused for Sunday’s game.

Also, it’s worth noting that Doug Baldwin’s decision to duck out of bounds on the final drive was a costly error. There was plenty of time on the clock, two timeouts and the two minute warning. Baldwin is one of the smartest players I’ve ever watched, so he gets a pass on that one. But he was clearly unaware of the situation at a crucial point in the game.

Special Teams:(D)

It was not a good outing for special teams. Another missed field goal by Blair Walsh has me wondering if the Seahawks shouldn’t just go for it from here on out. I’m obviously kidding, but won’t be if I see too many more misses.

Another huge turning point was the Seahawks giving up a massive punt return that placed the Jaguars all the way down on the one yard line. That was a back breaker.

I don’t want to talk about this game anymore.

BEAT THE RAMS!

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Gameday grades: Week 14 Seahawks versus Jaguars

By Andy Larkin | Dec 14, 2017