Seattle Seahawks Week 1 MVPs (yes, there were a couple)

After one of the more disappointing Seattle Seahawks games in a while, it can be hard to remember any positives from the season opener. Despite the gloomy overlook, there were a few bright spots to look at on both sides of the ball. Seriously.

DK Metcalf had an impressive route on the first touchdown of the season, (Though he later had a bad penalty.) Boye Mafe started and had some flashes, and overall the run defense was very good which is a huge step up from last year.

So because we have to name MVPs for Seattle each week - win or lose - I am offering the guys below. Please don't blast me on social media, however. What follows is an attempt to find any kind of positivity from an awful game.

Seahawks Week 1 defensive MVP - Linebacker Bobby Wagner

A huge part of Seattle's ability to stop the run Sunday was due to the return of future Hall of Famer, Bobby Wagner. Wagner flew around, racking up a whopping 19 tackles - which was 5 away from the record by the way, one of them being for a loss and 9 of them being solo tackles. In addition to that, he also didn't miss a tackle on all 19 of them.

The Wagner and Jordyn Brooks duo seems to be doing wonders for how well the Seahawks can stop the run. Seattle held the Rams to just 92 yards rushing, which was tied for 13th in the NFL this weekend. Which as mentioned earlier, is a massive jump from last year when they allowed 152 rushing yards a game, which was good for 30th in the NFL.

Seahawks Week 1 offensive MVP - Running back Kenneth Walker III

Sunday featured one of the most frustrating offensive performances we've seen in the Shane Waldron era here in Seattle. One of the most frustrating things about it was how quick they were to abandon the run game after how well they were running it in the first half.

A big contributor to this was Kenneth Walker, who looked very good Sunday afternoon. Walker played 63 percent of all offensive snaps, getting 12 attempts for 64 yards which comes out to 5.33 yards per carry. He'd also contribute 4 catches but for only 3 yards. The big guys up front got it done as well, most of the runs Walker had were well-designed and well-blocked so they deserve their flowers for their run blocking as well.

To wrap it all up, the Seahawks loss Sunday was one they'd obviously like to forget sooner rather than later. Matthew Stafford had a fantastic day, picking the Seattle defense apart thanks to the lack of pressure they were able to force up front. They attacked the middle of the field directly, and really put out the blueprint on how to beat the Seahawks offensively. It's something they'll need to address heading into week two against the Lions, who feature one of the best slot receivers in the game, Amon-Ra St. Brown.

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