The Seattle Seahawks began the pursuit of their next championship with a tough win against a tough opponent in the Patriots. Hey, I'm in line with head coach Mike Macdonald. This is a new team, and this will be a new Super Bowl title. To achieve it, they need to trust the process and the players.
With all the injuries they faced coming into the game, Seattle had to rely on their concept of the full 70-man roster. Famously, Macdonald and GM John Schneider refer to the 17-man group as the ready squad. Well, they were ready, and man, did that trust ever pay off in Week 1.
That trust will continue to play out during each week of this season. Not much can be as devastating as losing your starting quarterback on the first series of the year. Not unless you're starting Deshaun Watson. But Seattle trusted in their backup plan. Notably, that trust was well-placed, and at many more positions than QB.
- How the Seattle Seahawks' trust index works
- The alphas
- The mainstays
- The fast risers
- The proving ground
- The slipping grip
- The afterthoughts
How the Seattle Seahawks' trust index works
So what is the trust index? Simple. It lists the players we can trust most when the game is on the line. Here's the first edition of the trust index. We all know that if I listed every alpha on this team, there would be 15 or 16 guys there. Elsewhere, look for some movers as the season continues. On this team, expect a crowded bunch up top.
The alphas
Ernest Jones, LB
Just another day at the office for the man who wears the green dot for Aden Durde's defense. You do know Mike Macdonald doesn't do it all by himself, right? Jones was on the field for every snap, as usual, directing the defense that held New England to just 10 points and 3.5 yards per carry.
Oh, and there's that little matter of three sacks and three interceptions. Make no mistake, it all starts with number 13.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR
On a team filled with defensive stars, it's hard to say that there's anyone more deserving of the alpha title than JSN. He shredded the Patriots in the rematch of the Super Bowl, accounting for 43 percent of the Seahawks' offense. For a slow guy, he's pretty good. For those three or four dopes who thought last season was just a fluke- ya burnt. Just like the Pats.
Julian Love, S
Seattle's hard-nosed safety had two tackles for a loss, broke up one pass, and hauled in the second interception of the day for the Seahawks. Oh, and he delivered this love tap to Patriots TE Hunter Henry. Shades of the Enforcer himself. Love remains the most underrated safety in the league. Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranks him second, and frankly, that's not good enough.
The mainstays
Cooper Kupp, WR
Three targets and two catches, and yet I have this guy ranked as a mainstay. Well, consider that both of those catches resulted in critical first downs. Kupp also had a touchdown catch called back because of illegal motion by the Seahawks.
And then there's this whole thing where Kupp sits in on the quarterback room meetings; how many wide receivers have enough knowledge of the offense to give meaningful input there? Yes, has a $17 million contract, but he's worth every cent.
Leonard Williams, DT
To think that this magnificent player was thinking of retirement. But when you remember he was stuck on the Giants - yuck. Does the Big Cat belong with the alphas? Well, duh. But he had a quiet game in Week 1. Well, quiet for him. He "only" had one tackle for a loss, one QB hit, and one sack.
Add four tackles in all, and he played his usual lethally disruptive game. Don't worry, he'll be in that top category soon enough.
Josh Jobe, CB
I don't know, gang. Based on that toe-tapping pick that sealed the game, maybe the former Eagles castoff belongs with the alphas. He played well enough last season to convince the Seahawks to let Tariq Woolen go, ironically to Philadelphia.
It wasn't just that spectacular pick, though. He also broke up another pass, had a tackle for a loss, and had six combined tackles. But as I said, I'm not listing 16 guys as alphas. Well, not this week, anyway.
The 12s
Pat yourselves on the back, folks; you came through when your team needed you most. Understandably, the stadium wasn't quite as raucous as normal after Sam Darnold went down on the fifth play of the game. But when the Seahawks needed that 12th man, it got loud.
Obviously, the relentless defensive pressure and smothering coverage had a lot to do with it, but I don't think Drake Maye turns into Cooper Rush without the 12s drowning out his own thoughts. Or, ya know, maybe he really is that overrated.
The fast risers
Jadarian Price, RB
I'd guess that 52 yards rushing probably wasn't what you envisioned for Seattle's first-round pick, amiright? But considering that he only got 10 carries, Jadarian Price had a solid debut. That 5.2-yard average, along with a solid performance in pass-blocking, is just the beginning.
In case you were wondering, in his Seattle debut, Kenneth Walker III had 10 yards on four carries, while Shaun Alexander had five yards on two attempts. So Price is off to a pretty good start.
Rodney Thomas II, S
Oh man, that tip drill sure paid off. Pritchett is getting the lion's share of the credit. And he did show great awareness to snatch the ball out of the air. But man, did Thomas ever get up in the air for that ball. Julian Love received the second-highest grade for safeties from PFF for Week 1, but Thomas was ranked 12th himself.
Not too bad for a guy the Colts decided they didn't need. If it weren't for the injuries to Ty Okada and Nick Emmanwori, he wouldn't have been active for the game. Rodney Thomas put the ready squad into practice, and then some.
Nehemiah Pritchett, CB
We've written about the Seahawks' latest ballhawk quite a bit. But I'm not sure that it's enough. I, for one, had already written him off this season. I'm happy to report that I was wrong. It wasn't just that spectacular interception he made off Thomas's perfectly tipped ball.
He allowed just two catches on four targets for 11 yards, breaking up the other two. He was strong against the run as well. He looks like a Seahawks corner now, and we all know how dangerous that is.
The proving ground
Drew Lock, QB
The guy goes 16 for 22 with no turnovers, marches his team down the field three times to overcome a 10-0 deficit, and posts a passing rating of 113.3. Yet I have the temerity to say Drew Lock is still on the proving ground? Really? Well, yes.
In his first stint with the Seahawks, he went 1-1 as a starter, losing to the Niners when he threw two picks. He did beat the Eagles, mainly by taking care of the ball. Now, with a full week of practice with the first team, I believe Lock will have an excellent game versus the Cardinals. But he's still gotta prove it.
Starting Offensive Line
Seattle's starting five: Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford, and Abraham Lucas played every snap when the Seahawks had the ball.
They did the same thing in last season's opener, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise, especially as the team needed that continuity after losing starting quarterback Sam Darnold on the first series. Darnold went down on a sack by Dre'Mont Jones, and Lock was sacked once as well.
Jason Myers, K
A lot of 12s were nervous after Seattle's record-setting kicker looked like anything but the NFL's all-time single-season scorer in the preseason. As it turns out, Jason Myers was just goofin'. In a game where every point counted, he nailed both of his field goals and his only extra-point attempt. But his longest kick was only 30 yards. We'll have to see how he does when faced with a kick over 50.
The slipping grip
Emanuel Wilson, RB
Wilson was supposed to be the power guy who could step in for the injured Zach Charbonnet. He looked more like that other guy Seattle got from Green Bay. You know the one. Wilson was about as effective as a cheesehead.
He gained three yards on two carries and was dropped in his tracks on first contact both times. Right now, he's more butterball than wrecking ball. Okay, he's not Eddie Lacy, but he needs to show more than this.
Chazz Surratt, LB
Wow, that was one bad penalty. Do I really need to say anything else? I think not.
Dante Fowler, Edge
These may have been the quietest 16 snaps ever seen on Lumen Field. Fowler was signed as a pass-rushing specialist to help pick up the slack from the loss of Boye Mafe. Well, he is taking a roster spot; I'll give him that. He recorded no stats, not even a single pressure.
Yes, it was his first game under Seattle's system, and I'd love for him to show out this coming week with a pair of sacks. But until then...
The afterthoughts
Beau Stephens, G
He was pegged as the heir apparent at right guard after John Schneider traded up to get him in the fourth round. Not so fast, as he was a healthy scratch in Week 1. Yes, Anthony Bradford still struggled in pass sets against the Patriots, and yes, that could be a problem as the season goes on. But after all, Stephens is a rookie, so he's got plenty of time to develop and move up.
Mike Morris, DE
Morris was a healthy scratch too. Unlike Stephens, he's no rookie. The former fifth-round pick is in his fourth season with Seattle. While he's played in 32 games over the past two seasons, he's had zero starts.
Last year was his most productive, but he was only in for less than 15 percent of defensive snaps. He recorded just two tackles for a loss, two QB hits, and zero sacks in 165 plays. Production like that will keep him on the bench.
Elijah Arroyo, TE
Arroyo was active in Week 1, but he might as well have been in the locker room for all he brought to the field. After all the flash he showed in training camp, Arroyo saw just 11 snaps last week, only one more than blocking specialist Eric Saubert.
Granted, the tight ends saw little use against the Patriots, but Arroyo didn't get a single target. I know, he can't catch anything if they don't throw to him. But fullback Brady Russell did haul in both of his targets, as did A.J. Barner. Is it a trust issue with Arroyo? We may find out this week.
I know, I know. What gives? No Devon Witherspoon, no Byron Murphy, no Chris Stoll? As I said, if I were going to list every important Seahawks player, I'd just publish the 53-man roster and throw in the 17-man ready squad while I was at it. You can rest assured they'll make their way onto the next report.
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