The Seattle Seahawks bounce back in week two against the Detroit Lions, securing their first win of the season.
The Seattle Seahawks took the field against the Detroit Lions in week two and it turned out to be yet another classic between the two teams.
After an abysmal loss in week one to the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks came out this week and beat Detroit in overtime, 37-31.Though it didn’t stack up to the 93 combined points from the teams’ 2022 matchup, it was still enough to tie for the highest-scoring game this week.
In a game where the Seahawks were 4.5 point underdogs — and without Jamal Adams, Boye Mafe, Devin Bush, Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas (recently placed on the injured reserve list) — the Seahawks proved why last season was never a fluke.
Nonetheless, the NFL should surely consider making the Seahawks and Lions a yearly prime-time game. Fortunately for the Seahawks, they have been the victors of six straight games against the Lions dating back to 2017.
On the first drive, the Seahawks took the ball 75 yards for the game’s first touchdown on a Kenneth Walker III one-yard rush.
Not long after, the Lions matched with their own 75-yard drive led by former Bear, Jared Goff. The rest of the first half left opportunities out on the field. Kicker Jason Myers, who only missed three field goals all of last season,made it three missed field goals in two games after shanking two against Detroit.
The Seahawks also faced more injuries in the first half as sophomore cornerback Tariq Woolen went down with a chest injury early in the game and never returned. This set up Tre Brown to fill in as the outside corner after a forgettable week one. Wide receiver DK Metcalf suffered a rib injury, something to monitor throughout the week, but returned shortly after.
I look at head coach Pete Carroll and sometimes question his decision making. I don’t quite understand the lack of risk-taking in short fourth-down situations in plus territory. He sometimes has me scratching my head.
Regardless, the Seahawks’ offense in the second half took a complete 180 from last week. Geno Smith was making the right reads downfield. He was showing elite pocket presence behind an offensive line that held its own all game long.
Though he wasn’t the most efficient, Walker was running hard, finding ways to stay ahead of the line of scrimmage and scoring two touchdowns. The involvement of receivers was also a job well done by Smith, who threw to nine different targets. It is worth mentioning the improvement of Metcalf’s route running.
My offensive MVP for week two goes to Smith. He threw for 328 yards with two touchdowns on 78% accuracy. Both touchdowns were thrown to Tyler Lockett, who led the team in targets (10) and catches (eight). This is the best I have seen Smith play since week 12 of last season — proving why he was deserving of an extension.
The defense did its job, making timely plays, beginning with a forced fumble by Uchenna Nwosu to start the second half. Brown followed it up later with a pick six as he recorded his first career interception.We also got to see much needed action in the backfield as the Seahawks racked up two sacks and six tackles for loss.
Rookie Devon Witherspoon also looked good in coverage, breaking up crucial fourth-down passes. However, his aggressive nature got the best of him as he let a wide receiver get behind him on a trick play.
My defensive MVP goes to Brown. After a poor week one performance, Brown lost his starting job to Witherspoon, but a Woolen injury forced Brown back to outside corner and he ran with his opportunity, finishing with four tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and two passes defended.
Nonetheless, the Seahawks scored on the first drive of overtime after a controversial non-call on the game’s final play and returned home at 1-1 as they look to build a winning streak against the Carolina Panthers.
Contact Eric Hayrapetian at Eric.hayrapetian@gmail.com
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