Seahawks: 5 things Seattle did right and wrong vs. Atlanta Falcons

Russell Wilson and Jamal Adams carried the Seahawks to a victory over the Atlanta Falcons on their respective sides of the ball.

I’m sure there was a lot of stress headed into the season, especially with concerns over the pandemic. But Seahawks players can rest a little easy now knowing their season opener ended in a big 38-25 win, especially on the road.

There were things Seattle did right and there were things Seattle did wrong. We’re going to highly a few of those that need focus going into week two against the New England Patriots at home.

Right: Letting Russ Cook

Seahawks fans have pushed the “Let Russ Cook” movement for quite some time now after the realization that the offense does better in Russell Wilson’s control. Now, the coaches have finally listened. Seattle is typically known for its notorious “run-run-pass” philosophy on offense but shocked fans by starting out with three pass attempts (the first resulted in a sack) on their starting drive against Atlanta.

Wilson ended up completing 31 out of 35 pass attempts for 322 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions in the 38-25 win.

Wrong: Pass rush

Seattle has been lacking a pass rush for some time now and it’s evident that it’s going to continue to be an issue until a big change is made. Losing Jadeveon Clowney certainly didn’t help and in response, they added veterans Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa to help solve that issue.

While Irvin and Mayowa both managed to disrupt the pocket at times, the pass rush essentially wasn’t there. Matt Ryan managed to finish with 450 passing yards and two touchdowns. A defense cannot afford to give up that many yards.

Last season, the Seahawks tied for second-worst in the league for defensive sacks at 28. They are going to need to find a way to step it up and let’s hope the two sacks this game are a start.

Right: Entrust in Chris Carson

Chris Carson made a terrific comeback against Atlanta after suffering a fractured hip that cut his season short last year. He immediately became an X-factor for Seattle’s offense, primarily in the passing game. He caught six passes for 45 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 7.5 yards per catch.

It’s incredible to think of how a former seventh-round draft pick has become this prominent of an NFL running back. Carson’s contract is in fact up at the end of the season and is certainly proving his case for a contract extension.

Wrong: Cornerback shuffle

Seattle switched often between Quinton Dunbar and Tre Flowers at right cornerback. On the left side, Shaquill Griffin had a bit of a rough day but started to pick up the pace towards the end of the game. Dunbar finished with six total tackles and a near interception, while Griffin finished with seven total tackle and Flowers one.

The secondary was partly responsible for the large chunk of yardage allowed in the passing game. The corners are really going to have to take a step up in the coming weeks if they want the defense to come together as a whole and somehow resemble that Super Bowl-winning D a few years ago.

Right: Jamal Adams trade

Jamal Adams immediately became an impact player for Seattle the second he stepped out onto the field for his first game with the Seahawks. Adams proved his former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams wrong that he would become bored on Seattle’s defense, finishing the game with 12 combined tackles, two tackles for loss, two QB hits, and a sack.

Seattle also unusually used Adams in blitz packages, rushing the passer 11 times, which isn’t a common site for safeties in Seattle. You could say that Seattle easily won this trade.