Seahawks' sophomore class absolutely exploded in Week 3 victory

The Seahawks did what they were supposed to do on Sunday. They took care of business against a backup quarterback en route to a 24-3 win to remain undefeated in the young season. Miami was crippled without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion), but Seattle was also without some key players.

Running back Kenneth Walker III missed his second straight game with an oblique injury. OLB Uchenna Nwosu remained inactive after suffering an injury in the preseason. Starting offensive tackle Abraham Lucas has still yet to make his 2024 debut and even his backup, George Fant, was out with injury. Linebacker Jerome Baker was also inactive with a hamstring injury.

The coaches changed, but the mantra still remains for the Seahawks: Next man up. With so many key players out, Seattle had to rely on their depth to make plays on Sunday. A few of them were second-year players who needed to take a step up, and ultimately rose to the occasion.

Seahawks' second-year players appear ready to help lead long-term success

OLB Derick Hall

The recipient of Mike Macdonald's "game ball," Derick Hall was a game-wrecker for Seattle's defense on Sunday. A second-round pick in 2023, Hall had a ton of hype as a rookie last year, but only saw limited action behind guys like Nwosu and former Seahawk Darrell Taylor. Hall needed to make a big jump in 2024 to justify his high selection.

So far, he has answered the call -- especially on Sunday. If you watched the game, you saw big number 58 all over the field. Hall is a unique blend of size, strength, and incredible athleticism that was on full display on Sunday. Hall delivered a dominant performance opposite fellow pass rusher Boye Mafe and is making a serious case for significant playing time even when Nwosu returns.

Hall finished Sunday's game with five total tackles, one tackle for loss, four quarterback hits, and a career-high two sacks.

RB Zach Charbonnet

With Ken Walker remaining sidelined as a result of a week one oblique injury, Zach Charbonnet made his second straight start for Seattle. Charbonnet's first start, last week at New England, was underwhelming. He couldn't get anything on the ground, only mustering 38 yards on 14 carries, a measly 2.7 yards per carry.

Sunday was a different story. Charbonnet looked more explosive, decisive, powerful, and most importantly, more comfortable. Another second-round pick in last year's draft, Charbonnet needed a game like this to justify his early selection and, more importantly, build his confidence back up. The final scoring drive for Seattle, which put the final dagger in the game, was the Zach Charbonnet drive.

Charbonnet rushed for 42 yards on the offensive series that ended the game. To put that into perspective, that's four more yards than he gained all of last Sunday. That drive was capped off with a 10-yard touchdown run for Charbonnet, who bounced off tacklers and churned his powerful legs all the way across the goal line. Charbonnet finished Sunday's game with 91 rushing yards on 18 carries, good for five yards per carry, and two touchdowns for Seattle.

DL Mike Morris

A fifth-round pick out of the University of Michigan in 2023, Mike Morris missed most of his rookie season last year due to injury. In 2024, Morris bulked up and earned a roster spot as a depth piece for the defensive line. And with both Leonard WIlliams and Byron Murphy exiting the game early with injury on Sunday, Morris's number was called to step up.

The box score doesn't really do Morris any justice, as he is only credited with two tackles. The second-year man came in rotationally in the second quarter after Murphy left the game with an injury. Morris mainly played in base running downs on the edge of the defensive line. On film, Morris was double-teamed fairly often, and that ability to swallow up blockers allowed for others, such as Hall, Mafe, and Jarran Reed to reap the benefits.

While Morris didn't stuff the stat sheets, he was efficient in doing what he was schemed to do. Eat up blocks and opens up opportunities for his teammates around him. One great example of this is when Morris lined up in the 5-technique on third and two in the third quarter, and took on a double team from both the left guard and left tackle of Miami, allowing Tyrel Dodson to fly through an open gap for a monster sack. It's nice to have someone like Morris able to do their job when needed in the event of injuries, which are becoming all too common.

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