What an ugly Sunday for the Seahawks. On a typical rainy October afternoon in Seattle, the Baltimore Ravens came into CenturyLink Field and stuck it to them by a score of 30-16.
This was truly a tale of two halves for the Seahawks and Ravens. For the most part, Seattle had a solid first two quarters. The defense was playing well, and other than a brutal pick-six thrown by Russell Wilson, the offense was moving the ball on a decent Ravens defense. The two squads went into the half tied at 13-13.
Then the floodgates opened and the Ravens poured it on. The Seahawks were bullied at home and as a result, fell to 5-2 on the year, firmly cementing their second-place standing in the NFC West. Here are 4 Duds and 1 Dud from Seattle’s loss to Baltimore.
No. 1 Dud – Russell Wilson
Wilson is having an amazing year and has received plenty of rightfully-earned credit. But this Sunday, he needs to take his fair share of the blame.
Wilson had an afternoon he’d like to forget. The MVP-front runner had a tough go of it against the Ravens, completing only 20 of 41 pass attempts for 241 yards, one touchdown and a passer rating of 65.2 – his first game below 100 all year.
Wilson also threw his first interception of the year and it was an ugly one right to recently-acquired Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters, who returned it 67 yards for a score. The Seahawks were up 10-6 and looking to extend their lead, instead, the pick-six proved to be the turning point as Seattle lost almost all momentum afterward.
No. 1 Stud – Marquise Blair
The NFL is a league where it is all about the next man up. Injuries happen to every team, and it’s about who is able to step up when an opportunity comes knocking.
For rookie safety Marquise Blair, he might have just opened the door himself. With Bradley McDougald and Delano Hill both inactive, the former Utah Ute made his debut. Blair had an immediate impact with six total tackles and a critical pass deflection on third down. Blair also had a tackle on a special teams return as well.
On a day where not much seemed to go right for the Seahawks defense, Blair was one of the lone bright spots. If there is a silver lining, it’s his prospect moving forward.
No. 2 Dud – DK Metcalf
Wilson isn’t the only Seahawk on offense who will wish he could forget Sunday afternoon. Rookie receiver DK Metcalf had a particularly atrocious game himself.
Metcalf has shined thus far in his rookie season but there wasn’t much from the loss to Baltimore that will make his highlight reel. Metcalf only hauled in four passes out of nine total targets for 53 yards. He had a number of easy catches that turned into bad drops.
The final sin came with 3:37 remaining in the game. With Seattle trailing 23-13, any slim hopes of an improbable comeback were immediately snuffed out when Metcalf fumbled the ball and saw it returned for an 18-yard touchdown to end the day.
No. 3 Dud – Anyone trying to stop Lamar Jackson
It’s not often a team is able to win by 14 points on the road when their quarterback completes 9 of 20 passes for 143 yards.
However, it’s also not often the same quarterback is able to rush the ball 14 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. Lamar Jackson was simply untouchable. Yet again, the Seahawks pass rush failed to make anything resembling an impact and Jackson made them pay for it.
The biggest play of the game for Baltimore was a 30 yard rush by Jackson on third-and-10. The Seahawks should’ve had Jackson dead to rights, but instead, he slipped through their grasps, as he did all game long.
No. 4 Dud – Home field advantage
CenturyLink Field is often considered one of the toughest places in the NFL to play, and historically has been, especially under Pete Carroll.
This year, the tables are turned. The Seahawks are dominant on the road at 3-0, but are only 2-2 at home. Their two wins are by a combined two points, whereas their two losses are by 20 combined points. Both losses the Seahawks were pounded in the second half and unable to mount a viable attack late.
While it is a pleasant surprise this year the Seahawks are able to win away from Seattle, it’s equally concerning CenturyLink Field doesn’t seem to be the fortress it once was.
