For the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday’s preseason game against the Vikings was much less encouraging to fans than the previous week’s contest, as the team dropped to 1-1 with a 25-19 loss in Minnesota.
THE GOOD
Poona Ford: The talented second-year tackle terrorized the Vikings’ offensive unit, consistently stuffing Minnesota’s rushing attempts and making a number of big hits, including what appeared to be a forced fumble on running back Alexander Matthison until the officials ruled it as a stoppage of forward progress. The call still left Ford with a tackle for loss, making him one of the lone bright spots of the game for Seattle.
DeShawn Shead: Just a few plays after failing to wrap up the Vikings’ Irv Smith, Jr., Shead picked off a pass from Sean Mannion and returned it 88 yards for the Seahawks’ lone touchdown, giving Seattle their first lead of the game with 5:48 left in the second quarter. Shead, a member of the “Legion of Boom” defense, returned to the Seahawks just three weeks ago after a one-year stint with Detroit.
THE BAD
The offense: Receivers Jaron Brown (2-3, 52 yards) and Tyler Lockett (3-4, 27 yards) both had decent showings, showcasing a consistent ability to get separation, but the offense as a whole only posted 221 total yards without a single touchdown to their name. They had difficulty keeping themselves on the field, with a possession time of 21:50 to the Vikings’ 38:10, and were just 4-12 on third downs. Wide receiver Jazz Ferguson struggled after his impressive outing last week, fumbling the ball late in the third quarter and later having a pass from quarterback Paxton Lynch bounce off his hands.
Penalties: Once again, penalties racked up for Seattle this week as the Seahawks drew nine flags for 105 yards. Cornerback Tre Flowers was responsible for two of those flags – a costly 45-yard pass interference call while defending a pass to receiver Adam Thielen, and an offensive hold during a David Moore punt return.
THE UGLY
Injuries: Two Seahawks rookies were carted off the field in the second half: safety Marquise Blair (back) and offensive lineman Demetrius Knox (quad). Blair, who has shined in training camp after being drafted out of Utah in the second round, figures to be a key player in Seattle’s defense; his injury was described as “back spasms” after the game. Knox, who went undrafted after suffering a Lisfranc injury in his final year at Ohio State, has a longer road ahead of him to make the roster.
The most prominent story of the night, however, was the massive helmet-to-helmet hit taken by Paxton Lynch, who was absolutely rocked by Vikings cornerback Holton Hill late in the fourth quarter. Hill was ejected, and Lynch ended up leaving the game entirely, handing the reins over to J.T. Barrett for the last few minutes.
Rashaad Penny: Although the Seahawks hope to use Penny with Chris Carson as a “one-two punch” in the backfield, Penny made no case for himself on Sunday as the former first-rounder posted a terribly underwhelming performance. He ended up with just eight total yards, his two receptions overshadowed by his final rushing line of negative-two yards on six carries. Penny looked hesitant when faced with a lack of space, while his competition in rookie Travis Homer demonstrated a willingness to create his own holes to run through and finished with 16 yards.
