12s have come to expect this Seattle Seahawks cornerback to play poorly in run support. But now the one-time rookie sensation isn't even playing decent pass coverage. We'll all be watching closely to see if Riq Woolen can bounce back in Week 2.
That won't be the only question we'd like to see answered. Per head coach Mike Macdonald, we can't even be sure if Woolen will be starting when the Seahawks go on the road against the Steelers.
Considering that the fourth-year corner played about as poorly as possible in the loss to the 49ers, I'd be surprised to see him get the starting nod. Josh Jobe surrendered just one completion on five targets. You tell me who you'd trust.
Seattle Seahawks' Riq Woolen needs to get his mojo back
Add that Pittsburgh's 10,000-year-old man, Aaron Rodgers, rolled the calendar back about 10 years, and the Steelers' passing attack suddenly looks more potent than it has in....well, about 10 years.
Former Seahawks wideout DK Metcalf will definitely be amped up for a revenge game, as he has taken some serious shots at the Seahawks' defense since his departure. Hopefully, Woolen will step up to that challenge.
The question is, which version of Woolen will the 12s see this coming Sunday in Pittsburgh? Will it be the phenomenal rookie, Tariq Woolen? That would be kinda nice. He pulled down six interceptions, broke up 16 passes, and only allowed a passer rating of 48.7.
That's basically a full season of Bailey Zappe, and yes, you're going to win a lot of games against that guy. Woolen was a fearless defender against the run, too.
While he's only missed three games due to injuries, he's seemed very skittish about taking on ballcarriers since a shoulder injury in 2023. While his drop in performance has been exaggerated at times, he hasn't been great, either. He has five picks in the two seasons since his breakout rookie year. That's good, but not great.
Woolen allowed nine scores in that same span, and his passer rating allowed is right about 78.4. That's Atlanta's Michael Penix last year. Not a world-beater, but not an automatic win, either. Personally, I prefer the Tariq Woolen of 2022 to the Riq Woolen we got in 2023. He appears to have truncated his game along with his name.
Whether Woolen starts in Week 2 or not is almost irrelevant. The Seahawks are still going to need him on the field for a significant number of snaps. I say "almost" because who knows how benching him, if even for one snap, will affect his attitude? Hopefully, it will snap him out of whatever funk he was in against the Niners. No one can afford that mess again.