Those Seahawks kids can play some ball, can’t they?
The Seahawks game against the Colts didn’t produce a win, but it did give us what matters. That’s a great first look at the Seahawks future.
One of the most true sayings in sports is one simple word; “Scoreboard”. Happily it doesn’t apply to preseason football, as the scoreboard showed the Colts beat the Seahawks 19-17. The score was meaningless. The real meaning was in the standout performance of some key players for Seattle. In particular, some young players really stood out.
Shaquem Griffin. There’s been a lot of hype about this young man. I’ve been one of those hundreds of writers singing his praises even before he was drafted. After his first game action, it seems all the praise was right on target. He didn’t dominate the game by any means, and he has plenty to work on, such as coverage. But leading the Seahawks with nine tackles does prove he belongs in the NFL. He was as fast as advertised, whether he has 4.38 speed or not. One hand or not, Griffin proved he isn’t on the team as an inspirational story. He’s a football player, one we’ll see in Seattle for years to come.
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Rasheem Green. Turns out the Seahawks have an answer to those pass rush concerns after all. Green had one and a half sacks and three more hits on the quarterback. He also tossed in seven combined tackles and assists. Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. have to be thrilled with his performance. As stated in this closer look at Green, Dion Jordan may find himself in a backup role by the time he gets back in the lineup.
Michael Dickson. He’s another Seahawks rookie who’s gotten his fair share of hype from us. Like Griffin, he showed that he’s worth every superlative. While Seattle’s long time punter Jon Ryan played well Thursday night, Dickson was even better. Dickson kicks long, high punts with weird spin that make them tough to handle. We’ve written this before, and this game confirmed it: a punter will be one of the best weapons in the league this year.
Related Story. What we learned after the first preseason game. light
Not everyone had a great game against the Colts, however. We’ll get to the downside of Thursday’s tilt later. For now, 12s should bask in the happy glow of the early promise these players showed. At least for now, that promise shows every sign of coming into full bloom.