Seahawks dominate Colts with a complete team performance

The Seahawks entered Indianapolis and played their most complete game against a good team in some time and defeated the Colts 28-16. The offense was good enough to win on their own but so was the defense. Unlike 2020 when, at the start of the season, the offense had to win the games and in the second half of the year the defense did, all facets of the team played well. This was an extremely promising start.

The only real issue may have been offensive ineptitude in their third quarter when the team produced little. But this didn’t seem like the scheme or play calling as in recent seasons but more botched individual plays and is correctable going into future games. This was also the new offense with Shane Waldron as the offensive coordinator got to face live action against another team.

In fact, the game was not as close as the final score actually and the statistics were far closer than one would expect had they watched the game but didn’t know the stats. But make no mistake from Russell Wilson’s 4 touchdown passes and 152.3 pass rating to the defense’s 10 quarterback hits that Seattle dominated the game.

Seahawks dominate Colts in week one

Tyler Lockett and Chris Carson were the stars in the first half (besides, of course, Wilson). Lockett had 2 touchdown receptions, one where he torched the Colts secondary for a 69-yard touchdown reception on a beautifully thrown pass from Wilson. Carson was averaging nearly 6 yards a rush from the beginning of the game and ended up with 91 yards on 16 carries.

This was all done without a single D.K. Metcalf catch and shows the depth of the Seahawks receiving group. Metcalf did end up with 4 catches and a touchdown but he didn’t need to change the game on his own. Neither did Lockett.

Because as promised, Seattle used its tight ends well. Gerald Everett and Will Dissly combined for 5 catches and 57 yards and touchdown (by Everett) which includes catching every one of their targets. This offseason is a complete one unlike what we saw in 2020 when Seattle threw the ball 60 percent of the time.

The defense finished with 3 sacks, those 10 quarterback hits and gave up just 3.8 yards per rush. Overall the Colts averaged just 4.7 yards a play. That number would have ranked second in the NFL in 2020. Last year Seattle allowed 5.5 yards per play.

How great was it to see Rasheem Green play at a Pro Bowl level with two passes defended, a sack, 2 quarterback hits and a tackle for loss as well as Darrell Taylor in his first NFL game be extremely active and also get a sack, 2 quarterback hits and a tackle for loss?

This was not against a bad offensive line or bad skill players for Indy. Jonathan Taylor is a good running back and Indy had one of the best offensive lines in the league last season. If the defense continues to play as it did in week one and there’s no reason to think they can’t be close to that, then this year’s Seahawks is a Super Bowl-worthy team.