The Seattle Seahawks improved to 2-0 on Sunday with a nail-biting 28-26 victory over their AFC rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Seattle had a sloppy first half filled with an abundance of bad penalties and missed opportunities. The Seahawks were outplaying the Steelers but trailed 10-7 at the break.
Fortunately for Seattle, the team made the requisite adjustments after the intermission to take charge and close out the game by scoring 21 of their 28 total points in the second half. The Seahawks overcame their self-inflicted miscues and an impressive performance from Steelers backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, who relieved Ben Roethlisberger who left with an injury in the second quarter.
Seattle is now 2-0 for the first time since 2013 – their Super Bowl XLVIII season – and is enjoying a second straight win due to some excellent efforts from several critical players. As a result, here are 5 Studs against only 2 Duds.
No. 1 Stud – QB Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson has been quietly having an exceptional start to 2019, and his spectacular play against the Steelers has earned him his first appearance on the Studs list for the season.
Wilson completed 29 of 35 passes for an even 300 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of 131. He was as precise and decisive as ever, delivering scorchers across the field to eight different receivers. Wilson also showed off his mobility as well with six rushing attempts for 22 yards. While those numbers aren’t jumping off the box score, several of those attempts came in the fourth quarter as the Seahawks were attempting to ice the game.
Not for nothing, Wilson also showed off his skills as a lead blocker on running back Rashaad Penny’s 37-yard touchdown.
No. 1 Dud – RB Chris Carson
Although Carson did earn himself a little redemption by powering his way through the stout Steelers defensive front on 4th and 1 to seal the victory, it was not a great day for Seattle’s starting running back . . . a title he may not have for much longer.
It doesn’t take an expert mathematician to deduce that three fumbles in two games don’t make for a positive equation. Carson lost control of the ball twice on Sunday, leading to 14 points from the Steelers. His second fumble nearly cost the Seahawks the win.
With a 28-19 lead and a little over five minutes left, the Seahawks were trying to run out the clock when Carson fumbled on his first carry of the drive. Pittsburgh was given a goal-line possession which they immediately capitalized on with a touchdown to cut the lead to only two points.
Carson had improve on protecting the football better, or he will lose more and more carries to Rashaad Penny.
No. 2 Stud – WR Tyler Lockett
After only getting two total targets against the Bengals in Week 1, it was clear the Seahawks were making a concerted effort to get their No. 1 receiver more involved against the Steelers. It clearly worked as Tyler Lockett hauled in 10 passes on 12 targets for 79 yards to lead all Seattle wideouts on Sunday.
Lockett quietly amassed these stats and picked up several critical first downs to keep the chains moving for the Seahawks.
While he did not find the end zone this week, there is no doubt who Wilson’s go-to receiver is without Doug Baldwin.
No. 2 Dud – Seahawks offensive line
Another week and the Seahawks offensive line finds themselves collectively back on the Dud list. This unit followed up a disastrous season opening outing with an even worse performance against the Steelers.
The offensive line allowed four more sacks of Russell Wilson, giving him eight on the year through two weeks. Three of the allowed sacks came in the first quarter, and two were on third down. Not to mention even more mindless holding penalties to put the offense in precarious positions, especially on the final drive of the game.
They were completely overwhelmed by the stout Pittsburgh defensive front in just about every phase of the game, and it won’t get any easier next week against the New Orleans Saints.
No. 3 Stud – Tight end Will Dissly
Welcome back, Will Dissly. The second-year pro out of the University of Washington who had flashes of brilliance before going down with an injury last season seemingly picked up where he left off.
Dissly caught all five passes thrown his way for 50 yards and two crucial touchdowns. Interestingly enough, due to the lack of total playtime he’s had, Dissly has 14 career receptions and 4 scores, meaning nearly over a quarter of his receptions go for touchdowns.
No. 4 Stud – D.K. Metcalf
What a start to D.K. Metcalf’s career. After breaking a Seahawks rookie receiving record that has stood since 1976 – the franchise’s inaugural season – Metcalf once again shined for Seattle.
Although he was only able to haul in three passes out of seven total targets due to hard-fought battles with Pittsburgh’s veteran corners, Metcalf made the most of what he caught. He finished the game with three receptions for 61 yards and his first career touchdown to give the Seahawks an insurmountable lead late.
The young rookie is certainly giving the Seahawks and the 12th Man plenty of justification for their excitement drafting the Ole Miss standout.
No. 5 Stud – Brian Schottenheimer
Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer definitively deserves some credit for Seattle’s victory. Schottenheimer is often critiqued by the media and Seahawks fans alike for being too conservative at times, and not fully utilizing the talents of his elite quarterback.
Schottenheimer’s critics will have to take a week off as he called one of the better games of his tenure as Seattle’s offensive coordinator. After seeing his offensive line abused by the Steelers in the first half, Schottenheimer made the adjustments to have Wilson throw more quick hitters to get him in a rhythm and not give the Steelers enough time to sack him.
Schottenheimer also let Wilson completely loose to do his thing as the Seahawks were refreshingly aggressive, especially on the final drive to win the game.
The Seahawks will be back in action next Sunday at CenturyLink Field when they host the reigning NFC South Champions, the New Orleans Saints.
