IT’s going to take even the most diehard 12 out there to think of a worse home opener for the Seattle Seahawks than what happened Sunday afternoon. The 2021 opener where they blew a 24-9 halftime lead to the Titans is up there, but at least the game went to overtime where Seattle had a chance to win it.
Not this time. Once the second half hit, the Seahawks were practically dead on arrival, being outscored by a preposterous 23-0 margin.
Buy Seahawks TicketsBeing blown out at home to start the season is about as bad as it gets, and trust me, the Duds list will reflect it as such. But even among the disaster, there were still nuggets of positivity. However, not enough to help the Seahawks in a meaningful way.
No. 1 Stud - Bobby Wagner
Bobby Wagner made his triumphant return to Lumen Field as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. When Wagner entered the field, the 12th Man gave him the loudest pregame ovation I believe I have ever heard in this stadium.
“It was cool,” Wagner stated when asked what the fan reaction meant to him. “It’s always been love from the moment I left… it was something that was really special. Unfortunately, we couldn’t give them the win.”
Although the Seahawks did not prevail, Wagner was not apart of the losing equation. The future Hall of Famer recorded 19 total tackles, including the very first one on the first play of the game.
No. 1 Dud - 3rd down offense AND defense
If it seems like we’re doubling down on the third down criticism, it’s because we are. The story of the game boiled down to which team capitalized, and which team did not.
Head coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Geno Smith, and linebacker Bobby Wagner all took time during their press conferences to highlight the struggles on third down. The Seahawks on offense were a paltry 2-for-9, while defensively they allowed the Rams to convert 11 of their 17 third down opportunities.
Even when Seattle managed to get stops, the Rams were always within field goal range. You know, an opportunity to score more points. Los Angeles had their way with the Seahawks on Sunday, and third down was the defining battlefield.
No. 2 Stud - Jarran Reed
Welcome back to Seattle, Jarran Reed. After two short stints in Green Bay and Kansas City away from the Seahawks, Reed is back in the fold. The veteran defensive lineman wasted little time making an immediate impact for his new/former team.
Reed finished the day with three tackles, and recorded one of Seattle’s only two quarterback hits. But the biggest play came when he blocked a Rams field goal attempt to prevent them from cutting the score to 13-10.
Unfortunately, that was the last good moment for the Seahawks, as they missed a field goal of their own on the ensuing drive, then were blown out later in the game.
No. 2 Dud - DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf was actually one of the bright spots on offense for the Seahawks. He caught Seattle’s only touchdown of the game to give them a 10-7 lead early in the first half. Metcalf hauled in three passes for 47 yards, which led the team.
What lands Metcalf on the Duds list was his egregious taunting penalty. Trailing 27-13 with just under five minutes to play, the Seahawks needed to get something going fast. On 2nd-and-2, Metcalf was flagged for an unsportsmanlike like penalty, taunting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon. Now it was 2nd-and-17, where Geno Smith was promptly sacked to make it 3rd-and-26, which quickly turned into 4th-and-34 thanks to another sack.
Metcalf is now a fifth year veteran in this league. Yes, he is only 25, and yes, his passion is what helps fire him up, but this “hothead” act is wearing very thin at this point. Especially when it costs the Seahawks dearly.
No. 3 Dud - Second half offense
The Seahawks offense gave the 12th Man the worst possible tribute, as they only recorded 12 total yards of offense in the second half.
Let me repeat that: the Seahawks only had 12 yards of offense through two quarters of play. I don’t think we can truly appreciate how abysmal such a statistic that is.
After scoring on three of their four first half drives, and the one they didn’t was a missed field goal, Seattle had four straight punts. The only drive of theirs that did not end in a punt was the final one of the game where the clock expired in defeat.
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