The Seattle Seahawks’ secondary, long the team’s biggest strength, was a weakness in their narrow Week 1 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Free safety Tedric Thompson drew criticism for mistiming his jump on a 55-yard touchdown reception by John Ross, Tre Flowers committed costly penalties on the right side, and the team barely ran their nickel package in part because they didn’t seem to have confidence in the guys at that position.
Shaquill Griffin, however, was one of Seattle’s biggest bright spots after Sunday’s game. The third-year corner is looking to shake off a tough 2018 campaign, where he admitted he put too much pressure on himself.
So far so good in 2019, as Griffin finished with three combined tackles and two passes defended in what was a very well-rounded performance.
“I thought he played really well,” coach Pete Carroll commented on Monday. “Yeah, I thought he played a really good football game, tackling well also. I thought he was on it, aggressive and confident. It’s as good as we’ve seen him. I think it was a great start for him.”
Griffin made a few highlight reel deflections that were reminiscent of his former teammate, Richard Sherman.
For the Seahawks to have success in the secondary this year, Griffin will need to step up as a leader and playmaker, like he did on Sunday.
This unit will have their ups and downs, especially with so many young players in the fold, but if Griffin’s mindset is squared away he has the potential to be a breakout star.
