That’s all folks. With Seattle’s 17-15 victory over the Oakland Raiders, the Seahawks have officially wrapped up the 2019 preseason and will be moving on to meaningful football.
While the Seahawks may have won a low-scoring, two-point affair, the game didn’t feel nearly as close as the score might indicate. The Raiders never truly threatened to walk out of Seattle with a win, and despite only 17 points, the Seahawks enjoyed several standout performances.
Here are three Studs and two Duds from Seattle’s preseason finale.
No. 1 Studs: Ben Burr-Kirven and the reserve linebackers
Desperate for a strong outing to make the final cut, linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven delivered just what was needed. Burr-Kirven was the nation’s leading college tackler in 2018 with 176 tackles, and he showed his talent for finding the ball carrier on Thursday night.
The former Washington Husky led the Seahawks with 12 total tackles, two tackles for a loss, one quarterback hit, one tipped pass which spared Seattle a pass interference penalty, and a goal-line sack on fourth down to keep Oakland off the board.
Burr-Kirven wasn’t the only backup linebacker to enjoy a strong performance, as Austin Calitro and Cody Barton both made cases for roster spots. Calitro logged seven total tackles, one sack, and two tackles for a loss, while Barton had six more tackles of his own.
No. 1 Dud – Paxton Lynch
For a second time this summer, the former first-round pick from 2016 finds himself on the Dud list. Lynch’s incredible performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 1 of the preseason seems like a distant memory, as he followed that game with a weak outing in Minnesota and was sidelined in Los Angeles due to injury.
Lynch completed only a single pass out of seven total attempts which resulted in four measly yards. The incredible thing is his night could have been even worse. Lynch had a pass which should have been intercepted but was dropped, and on the next series, he fumbled the snap, which he recovered.
It is safe to say Lynch has lost the backup quarterback battle. However, one man’s loss is another man’s gain.
No. 2 Stud – Geno Smith
Geno Smith all but wrapped up the backup quarterback competition and will most likely be behind Russell Wilson in 2019. Smith continued his solid play from last week into Thursday night and it should be more than enough to earn him a coveted roster spot.
Smith played nearly the entire first half, before going out with a slight knee injury before the end of the second quarter. He looked poised and decisive, a stark contrast to his Week 1 performance. Smith completed four of seven passes for 107 yards and Seattle’s only two touchdowns of the night.
No. 2 Dud – Gary Jennings
Once more, rookie receiver Gary Jennings makes the Dud list. Jennings has easily been the most disappointing rookie for the Seahawks this year and the former Mountaineer might be playing on a different team by the start of the regular season.
Jennings received no targets until the fourth quarter, which resulted in a brutal incompletion due to miscommunication between him and Lynch. Jennings went for a short route, while Lynch threw it deep to the end zone for no one.
To make matters worse, Jennings tried to duplicate fellow rookie Ugo Amadi’s expert tackle on a punt return but instead hit the returner too early causing a penalty.
No. 3 Studs – C.J. Prosise and Travis Homer
After battling many injuries throughout the majority of his career, C.J. Prosise may have earned himself one final shot with the Seahawks due to his solid preseason. Prosise showed off his elite quickness and speed as he gained 42 yards on only six carries.
Prosise also had an impressive 30-yard rush, which was the longest run of any Seahawk this summer.
Rookie running back Travis Homer also had a strong night, accounting for 42 yards as well on six carries. Homer enjoyed a long run himself as he gashed Oakland for a 27-yard burst of his own.
With strong performances from Prosise and Homer, the Seahawks will have very difficult decisions to make when it comes to this position and 53-man cuts.
