For the first time in a month, the Seattle Seahawks finally looked like the team we all know. You know, defense, a running game, big plays through the air. As always, it takes studs to pull out a win like this. Surprisingly, some of these players were not the usual cast of Hawks heroes.
It's pretty great to finally be able to celebrate a Seahawks win after a month of oh-my-god-not-another one of those games, isn't it, 12s? It took the Hawks a while to get going - and by a while, I mean 58 minutes and 36 seconds. But what matters is that they did get it going. They pulled out the win with huge plays on both sides of the ball. Hopefully, it won't be the biggest win of the season, not with three games left. But it was certainly the most thrilling win of the year.
The win came about in no small part with some big names out of the game for Seattle. No Devon Witherspoon, a top candidate for defensive Rookie of the Year. No Jamal Adams, and for the most part, no Riq Woolen. Most notably, the Seahawks took the field without starting quarterback Geno Smith for the second straight week. Surprisingly, their replacements were largely responsible for the Seattle win.
The Seattle Seahawks got big plays from backups across the board
No need to be coy here. Drew Lock came up big when the team needed him the most. I will say I'm not very comfortable proclaiming him as a stud, though. Yes, he made some fine plays on the final drive. But as Bob Condotta wrote in his grades for the game, Lock's play looked forgettable for most of the night. I'll emphasize that Condotta also wrote that "Lock was at his best when Seattle needed it most." Yes, he engineered what will known heretofore as The Drive if the Hawks make the playoffs. He was also 5 of 10 on the drive, and was saved on two of those five completions by miraculous catches by a gentleman I'll get to later.
Oh, I agree, the winning touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba was a thing of rare beauty - at least, for Drew Lock. That inconsistency has been the issue with Lock and Geno Smith as well. Let's not overlook the fact that Lock had just 116 yards passing for the game until that final drive.
Take a close look at some of the receptions made on that drive. Lock dialed the degree of difficulty up to 11 on a few of those balls, and it was because he was off-target. He deserves the credit for putting the ball in the air, absolutely. But he was bailed out by great catches. He made big plays, but don't overlook the fantastic job by the players on the receiving end of those not-so-guided missiles.
The Seahawks running game returns with authority - and a healthy K-9
Kenneth Walker III is a bit of a difference-maker, huh? For once, the Hawks supposed run-heavy offense actually stuck with the run, and it paid serious dividends. Walker was kept in check by the Eagles defense in the first half, as he had just 19 yards rushing on seven carries at the break.
As he got a few more opportunities, and a few more looks in the second half, he was able to burst through the line for big gains. More often, he'd make two or three cuts, shed a tackle or three, and move the chains again. K-9 added 67 yards in the second half, highlighted by an impressive 23-yard touchdown run. Hey, more credit to Lock, as he threw a decent block on the play.
The running game wasn't the only part of the Seahawks offense that came back to life in the second half. Late in the game, the broadcast team lamented that DK Metcalf had been a virtual no-show for nearly the entire contest. Until the fourth quarter, Metcalf had pulled in one pass for eight yards. That's when DK went to work. The game-winning drive was less a showcase for Lock's passing than for his receivers' hands. On second and five, Metcalf caught a ball with one hand and his hip. Then he reeled in a 34-yard pass that hung just a bit too long. Good thing DK is 6 foot 20 and can jump.
I do want to point out an error in Lee Vowell's prediction of this game. Okay, he was right that Metcalf would have two splash plays. Kenneth Walker did have a long run, and I suppose if you add his receiving yards, okay, he had a 100-yard game. But Seattle did not pull off a late 21-20 victory, so there! Hah, who looks like an idiot now?
Oh, yeah, me. Okay, so back to the stuff that matters. JSN all night and every night. He caught all four of his targets, none bigger than his fingertip 31-yard game-winning touchdown. Just as impressive was the route he ran to get open. That was a stud play, indeed.
The Seahawks can play defense after all
As I mentioned at the start, Jamal Adams was out for the game, and Riq Woolen was in for just a bit over a fourth of the defensive snaps. Frank Clark and Darrell Taylor, a pair of seriously underperforming players, had a total of 17 snaps. The Hawks seemed to play addition by subtraction, and it worked. No, I'm not suggesting that Seattle's defense was better without Devon Witherspoon. If he'd been on the field, the Hawks would have played even better. No, it was another substitute who came up big in this game.
I suppose it isn't exactly accurate to call Julian Love a backup. He did have well over 600 snaps on defense coming into the game, after all. And he had played strong safety in every game that Jamal Adams had missed earlier in the season, too. I like Adams - well, I like how he plays - but Love is clearly better in coverage.
He proved that with two huge interceptions in the fourth quarter. His game-clinching pick is the one that will be remembered, and rightfully so. Apparently, Tyler Lockett has been giving Love lessons in ballet, because the dude was en pointe. We shouldn't overlook Love's earlier pick in the Seattle end zone that stopped Philadelphia from taking a two-score lead. Nine tackles, two pass breakups, and those two picks. Yeah, Julian Love was a stud, alright.
And I can't leave out the man who's been one of the Seahawks' best defenders since he arrived in Seattle six weeks ago. Leonard Williams has been everything the Hawks expected he would be, and more. No, he didn't add to his three sacks, but he did have two big tackles for a loss that helped shut down two of the Eagles' drives. With every game, it becomes even more clear that Seattle needs to make this man a serious offer to keep him on the team next season and beyond. Yes, Lee Vowell already said that, too. Can I help it that he's the Nostradamus of football?