NFL Week 1 thoughts: Seahawks pick on Brock Purdy but can’t stick the landing

If Week 1 was made for overreactions, then the Seattle Seahawks opener was made for Week 1.

Mike Macdonald trusts his protection an excessive amount of. Kyle Shanahan is cooked after the opening script. Sam Darnold received’t lose you video games, nor will he win you any. Brock Purdy bought paid and promptly turned again right into a pumpkin. Regardless of all of the expertise, Riq Woolen is an area cadet. The OL nonetheless can’t do its job, not when it issues. Niners stay snakebit for well being. Will Seattle ever be capable to run the ball within the crimson zone? Ought to’ve paid Geno. Possibly DK too. House-field benefit, schmadvantage. Hearth John Schneider.

I’m joking, or largely joking; okay it’s right-down-the-middle joking now that I reread the paragraph. Nonetheless, at all times good to chuckle a little bit as a result of so far as protection mechanisms go, humor stays undefeated.

One other protection mechanism? The scheme Macdonald unleashed on a hamstrung 49ers offense. Nicely, not less than after the opening drive ended, a cruel 95-yard affair that culminated in a too-too-easy George Kittle quick-out TD on the objective line that felt as fated as any rating ever. I s’pose that in a single sense, the Seahawks protection delivered on its promise of 2024, by handing over an three-hour microcosm of final season. Began it off with vital bother on third downs (test), dedicated pricey penalties (test once more), failed to supply turnovers in bunches or in any respect (triple test) — then largely solved each drawback of their very own creation the remainder of the best way.

Backside line, the protection did sufficient to win Week 1. They held the 49ers in impartial at 10 factors for 40 consecutive minutes of sport play. They picked the previously charmed QB twice. They even ran Purdy from hash to hash on the eventual game-winning landing, which was solely preventable and doubtless falls incomplete 4 out of 5 occasions. They put themselves and their teammates ready to win. They had been 2011 Felix Hernandez, roughed up for 2 unfortunate runs within the first, then dominant till a late solo shot, placing in seven sturdy innings however saddled with the ugly 3-1 loss.

Drives two by way of eight for the Niners went: punt, punt, missed FG, decide, blocked FG, FG, decide. That’s referred to as handing the ball (trace trace, Klint) to your offense with directions to place the sport away. As a substitute, the Seahawks turned these six alternatives to run all of 33 performs, rating all of three factors, and provides the ball away as soon as themselves.

It was, to use all of the bluntness deserved, fairly the stretch of unwatchable soccer.

Nonetheless, at halftime, not all was bleak: Seattle’s cross rushers had been profitable on the line of scrimmage, and profitable massive. Per the printed, the Seahawks pressured Purdy on 13 of 18 dropbacks within the first half, the best fee of Brocky’s profession. And whereas the harassment didn’t end result instantly in a turnover, it felt like solely a matter of time. Or occasions.

Sure, occasions. “Unwatchable” is a bit unfair, as a result of Julian Love, Ernest Jones, and Josh Jobe made it actual watchable on three events.

Playmakers make performs. Jobe is barely 10 begins into his professional profession after minimal enjoying time with the Eagles. However that’s two interceptions now in Seattle for a dude with surprisingly dependable arms. Love is Love, at all times across the ball, swooping in with a virtuosic violence that his smoothness and beauty masks. Jones is the fulcrum, the no-longer-missing piece of the defensive puzzle. He’s grow to be as irreplaceable a Seahawk as Spoon or JSN.

Anyway, moribund offense and opportunistic protection set the stage for a 10-10 standoff late. Seattle ended up with possession after Jobe’s leaping snag at 7:06 of the fourth and commenced what teased everybody to consider in a game-clinching drive. Kenneth Walker for eight yards instantly, Darnold to the sideline for 5 extra, new set of downs. Walker eats up 5, Charbonnet powers for seven, new set of downs. Walker stymied within the backfield, brief acquire, Cooper Kupp (keep in mind him?) for six, NOT new set of downs. Fourth and one on the SF 19. Certain didn’t take the brand new season very lengthy at hand MM a call that might engender and nourish a complete week of debate.

I preferred the kick resolution effectively sufficient. However when a rival provides you an opportunity to primarily put the sport away by changing 4th and 1 within the crimson zone, you must try this factor. I might’ve gone for it myself however it’s not my job on the road. And there are as many causes in favor of kicking as in opposition.

It didn’t work out that means.

Woolen slowed up protecting Ricky Pearsall two performs later for causes unknown, and the Niners had their largest explosive of the afternoon on the worst potential time. Improbably, on the following third down, third-string tight finish Jake Tonges slipped throughout all the protection and occurred to be in ball’s means within the nook of the tip zone.

A loss isn’t a single participant’s fault. That’s not how soccer works and I don’t need to hear anybody blaming Woolen for an 0-1 begin. You’ll be able to say it, however doesn’t imply I’ve to pay attention. It’s extra like this: when a group opens the door and mainly dares you to do what you do greatest, you must try this factor. But on the moments of highest leverage on this sport, probably the most gifted Seahawks on protection didn’t do what he does greatest, and the play callers on offense went to a effectively that was dry from the beginning.

The hope all of us felt blossom with Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 40-yard haul at 1:13 was extinguished all of two performs later. First it was Walker up the center for an uninspiring/unsurprising zero yards contemplating his physique of labor to that time. After which, the foreseeable catastrophe from placing the sport in Darnold’s arms on a medium-slow creating cross play. Nick Bosa managed to out-leverage Abe Lucas proper into the ball, which as soon as it discovered the bottom, had eyes just for the mistaken man on the wrongest time. And that’s sport.

You inform me the Hawks are gonna provide you with two interceptions, the second of which units up a drive to the opponent’s 20, in a tie sport, with three minutes to play, the place they get a fourth and one resolution? I feel Seattle’s profitable that sport as a rule.

And I feel they’re profitable it most days no matter Macdonald’s resolution to kick.

They’re additionally profitable it on a day when not all three of the fumbles find yourself within the 49ers’ paws. Fumbles aren’t all luck, you might want to hold on to the rock, interval, however when you can abdomen to observe the Bosa restoration, it’s price noting he was surrounded by 4 guys in blue.

As will little question usually be the case, the Seahawks wanted yet one more fortuitous bounce, yet one more well-timed play name, or yet one more ounce of boldness on fourth right down to be rewarded. However they got here up on the brief finish of all three of these outcomes, and misplaced an especially winnable contest to an especially defeatable opponent.

New column, new characteristic. Each sport I’ll decide one solution to fill every class, extra if I’m feeling frisky. Like birds, it’s an evolving thought, so suggestions is welcome.

Cooper Kupp: three targets, two catches, 15 yards. Sure he was there for a vital final-drive reception. However that third-down drop. And in any other case he was fairly dang invisible. It’s one sport. It additionally begins to verify quite a lot of priors.

Lumen Discipline crowd: we bought sandbagged, once more, by a fourth quarter that appeared arrange for victory, once more, plus for believing the preseason tight finish hype, a-GAIN. Two catches for seven yards.

The Seahawks are 3-7 of their final ten residence video games, however the crowd can’t make Woolen keep in stride or make Bosa lose leverage towards Lucas. The gang can’t make Macdonald and Kubiak draw up higher performs on first and second down after SF braindeadedly gifted Seattle with a full third of the yards wanted to win outright on the finish.

Riq Woolen. Man, he was proper there. To interrupt up the cross to Pearsall and once more moments later to Tonges. A play on the ball immediately, both time, and the sport is altered in a really useful style. He was preyed on within the last two minutes, however solely as a result of he was his personal worst predator. Possibly don’t eat your personal tail in Week 2.

Julian Love, on this sack. That play was a couch-leaver.

Jake Tonges, I assume, for doing his greatest impersonation of that spider species that builds a lure door and when no person is wanting, at nighttime, scurries out to grab its unsuspecting dinner and feast on it underground, by no means to be seen once more.

Unfun reality: in the present day Tonges made the primary three catches of a profession than started in 2022.

This was enjoyable, although. A bit of gentle trolling by the group account, and a little bit willingness to experiment on the primary drive. Please, sirs, can now we have some extra.

Anyway, now that the season is formally over, must be simpler to chill out and revel in soccer the remainder of the best way. Mock draft anybody?

Sorry, kidding, now we have an actual sign-off. Wherever they take us, if the Seahawks should go, allow us to go together with them.