The Seattle Seahawks started off the regular season at home for the first time since 2016 and treated the 12th Man to a nail-biter. Seattle was 9.5-point favorites over Cincinnati, but someone forgot to tell the Bengals that as they gave the Seahawks all they could handle.
The Bengals were in control of the game much longer than the Seahawks ever were, and if it weren’t for some costly mistakes — such as a missed field goal and three critical fumbles — then Cincinnati might have run away with a huge upset victory.
However, the Bengals were unable to make the plays while the Seahawks did, which is why they were able to walk away 1-0 after Week 1. As a result of the narrow win, here are three studs and two duds.
No. 1 Stud – D.K. Metcalf
Easily the most highly anticipated of Seattle’s rookies from the 2019 NFL draft, Metcalf was finally getting real playing time after very limited action in the preseason. There was excitement but plenty of questions surrounding him, such as wondering if he would be able to make an immediate impact or not.
Metcalf answered this resoundingly as he led the Seahawks with six receptions for 89 yards. His 89 yards is a Seahawks record for a rookie receiver’s debut, breaking Steve Largent’s mark of 86 yards from 1976.
Metcalf always seemed to come up when the Seahawks offense needed him most, with his biggest plays coming on scoring drives. If Week 1 is a preview of what is to come, Metcalf will be turning a lot of heads this season.
No. 1 Dud – Tedric Thompson and the secondary
This was a rough start to 2019 for the new-look Legion of Boom, specifically for starting safety Tedric Thompson. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was coming back from a hand injury which ended his 2018 campaign prematurely, and he absolutely carved Seattle up.
Dalton torched the Seahawks with 418 yards on 35-of-55 passing, finding former Washington Husky standout John Ross early and often. Ross was allowed to haul in seven receptions for 158 yards and two scores, including a 55-yard bomb right before halftime.
With Seattle taking a narrow 14-10 lead, the Seahawks were hoping to go into halftime on top. Instead, Thompson was out of position, missed an easy interception, and gave Ross a massive score.
No. 2 Stud – Quinton Jefferson
Jefferson certainly turned plenty of heads on Sunday afternoon. With all the buzz surrounding recently acquired defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, it would have been understandable to overlook other members of Seattle’s defensive line. However, Jefferson had other plans.
The fourth-year pro easily had his best day as a Seattle Seahawk to date, and it was a major factor in the victory. Jefferson had a statistic in just about every category on the box score, as he recorded six total tackles, two sacks for 14 yards, three total quarterback hits, two tackles for losses, and two pass deflections.
The Seahawks will be hoping Jefferson can duplicate similar levels of production, especially with other defenders like L.J. Collier and Ezekiel Ansah missing time.
No. 2 Duds – The offensive line
It seems like almost too easy a target to pick on when critiquing the Seahawks, but once more the offensive line gave ample reasoning to include them on the duds list.
Seattle’s offensive line was bullied right from the get-go and put the Seahawks offense in very difficult positions. Quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked four times and Seahawks running backs were tackled for losses six times as Bengals defenders were practically living in the backfield.
In all fairness, the Bengals have an underrated defensive front and certainly aren’t weak opponents to start the season with. But needless to say, the line must improve in the coming weeks.
No. 3 Stud – Chris Carson
Another Seahawk who didn’t get much attention in the preseason was running back Chris Carson, but he certainly didn’t look rusty.
Carson seemingly picked up where he left off last year with his bruising running style, especially along the goal line where he scored Seattle’s first touchdown of 2019. Carson also showed off his elusiveness and soft hands as he caught another touchdown to close out the half.
His 15 carries for only 46 yards might not pop off the stat sheet, but Carson’s impact was definitely felt in a positive way.
The Seahawks will look to go 2-0 for the first time since 2013 next Sunday in Pittsburgh against the Steelers, who were dealt a humiliating 33-3 loss to the Patriots on Sunday night.
