The Seattle Seahawks successfully defended their home turf against the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a thrilling 40-34 overtime victory on Sunday.
Seattle outlasted their nemesis, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, and handed him his second-ever loss at CenturyLink Field. It was touch-and-go for the Seahawks, as Tampa Bay started hot right out of the gates with an opening drive touchdown and a 14-point lead in the first half.
History repeated itself in a sense. The last time the Buccaneers came to Seattle, in 2013, they built a 24-7 lead and it took overtime for the Seahawks to come out on top. On Sunday, Tampa led 21-7 early and still fell in overtime.
Seahawks vs. Buccaneers turned out to be as good as it gets in the NFL in terms of thrills and elevated heart rates. Here are 5 Studs and 2 Duds from the Week 9 contest.
No. 1 Stud – Russell Wilson
Can anyone say MVP? Because Wilson put forth another impressive outing toward his candidacy for the NFL’s top individual award on Sunday.
Wilson was in peak form and simply unstoppable. The Buccaneers field one of the worst pass defenses in the league and the Seahawks unleashed Wilson from the start. He completed 29 of 43 passes for 378 yards, a passer rating of 133.7, and five touchdown passes, including the game-winner.
On a day when Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey — Wilson’s top competitor for MVP — had another dominant game, Wilson needed a memorable day of his own, and he delivered an instant classic.
No. 1 Dud – Jason Myers
Who else? Wilson and the Seahawks offense were humming, and there was only one notable weak link: kicking.
Myers missed a total of three kicks on Sunday – two field goals and a point-after attempt. Two misses came in the first half, leaving the Seahawks down 21-13 instead of being within four points at 21-17. The ultimate sin came at the end of regulation when Myers missed a 40-yarder with the game tied at 34-34.
Myers was a Pro Bowler with the Jets last year, but one could easily mistake him now for a different kicker. In 2019, Myers has missed five field-goal attempts and two PATs. He is fortunate there aren’t many serviceable free agent kickers, or else he might be looking at unemployment.
No. 2 Stud – Tyler Lockett
It is no longer debatable whether Lockett is one of the best receivers in the NFL; now it’s determining where he ranks among the best. Lockett has unshakable chemistry with Wilson, and it is evident every week.
Against Tampa’s leaky secondary, Lockett was targeted an astonishing 18 times and was able to haul in a career-high 13 receptions for 152 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks passing attack was on point, and the receivers were playing very well overall, yet Lockett still stood out as unquestionably the best.
Lockett signed a three-year, $30 million extension over the 2018 offseason. It could now be argued the Seahawks got a bargain.
No. 2 Dud – The entire defense
The Seahawks defense has struggled this year, and Sunday against the Buccaneers was the worst performance from that side of the ball in 2019.
Following Matt Schaub’s 460-yard performance in Week 8, another lower-tier quarterback torched the Seahawks. Jameis Winston had 335 yards through the air and two touchdowns, while wide receiver Mike Evans enjoyed a 12-catch day for 180 yards.
Winston is notorious for turning the ball over, and while he did fumble once, it was not because of the defense’s play, as Winston simply lost control of the ball.
No. 3 Stud – DK Metcalf
It’s been a two week stretch of important firsts for the rookie. Last week against Atlanta, Metcalf had the first multiple-touchdown game of his career.
Against Tampa Bay, Metcalf enjoyed his first 100-yard receiving game. It’s not often a six-catch day for 123 yards and a touchdown isn’t the best performance of the game, but if it weren’t for Lockett’s dominant afternoon, there would be plenty of say about Metcalf’s outing, including this 53-yard reception to put the Seahawks up 34-27 late.
However, the biggest catch of the day was in overtime, when Metcalf helped set up Wilson’s game-winning touchdown pass.
No. 4 Stud – Jacob Hollister
When Will Dissly was lost for the year, there was justifiable concern at the tight end position for the Seahawks. While Dissly will still be missed this year, Seattle might not be at red alert for tight ends.
Third-year pro Jacob Hollister has been active for only four games this year. Before Sunday, he had never even found the end zone. This changed in a big way as Hollister had two scores, including the winner in overtime. Hollister certainly picked a good time to showcase his receiving talents.
No. 5 Stud – Chris Carson
Bad news: Carson’s fumble issues resurfaced after a five-week hiatus. Good news: He did more than enough with his strong play to offset his two fumbles.
The Buccaneers entered Week 9 with the league’s best run defense, allowing only roughly 60 yards a game. Carson became the first running back to rush for over 100 yards against the Bucs. The running back to have the second-best performance was Derrick Henry with only 75 yards.
