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Report Card: Top Performers in Seahawks 27-0 Win Over Chargers

Putting a thumping on the Chargers at home to close out preseason play, several young Seahawks and a rejuvenated veteran running back stepped up in a big way to help post the shutout. Reporter Corbin Smith hands out his weekly grades for the top five performers.

Corbin K. Smith

Despite sitting the vast majority of their starters for a third consecutive exhibition contest, the Seahawks closed out the preseason with a dominant 27-0 shutout victory over the Chargers at Lumen Field.

In their final dress rehearsal before the start of the regular season, which players stood out as the biggest stars in Seattle's preseason opening defeat? Here are my top five grades from Saturday night along with other notable performances.

Phil Haynes

Overall Grade: 93.0 (Pass Protection 92, Run Blocking 94)

Finally healthy after dealing with hip and groin injuries during his first two seasons with the Seahawks, Haynes played his best football to date while logging 56 snaps at right guard. He mimicked a stone wall on wheels in pass protection, masterfully mirroring opposing interior pass rushers who tried to use counters to slip past him and setting a heavy anchor to neutralize bull rushes. In the run game, the 322-pound mauler keyed a successful ground attack and imposed his will all night long , paving the way for Seattle to rush for 126 yards. His best block came late in the first quarter when he hooked a linebacker back inside at the second level, allowing Alex Collins to cut back behind him and score a five-yard touchdown to extend Seattle's lead to 14-0.

Darrell Taylor

Overall Grade: 91.0 (Pass Rush 96, Run Defense 84, Tackling 90, Coverage 88)

Coming off a disappointing second preseason game, Taylor bounced back and then some against the Chargers, easily putting together his most complete performance thus far. Playing with far greater physicality and confidence, he wreaked havoc off the edge as a speed rusher throughout the game, including corralling his first NFL sack when he shot upfield and turned the corner like a blur to take down quarterback Chase Daniel. He would later team up with Kerry Hyder for a partial sack and generated a total of four quarterback pressures on the evening, consistently finding his way into the backfield. Taylor also swatted away a fourth down pass attempt by Easton Stick in the third quarter to force a turnover on downs and registered a tackle for loss in coverage sniffing out a screen to running back Larry Rountree.

Alex Collins

Overall Grade: 90.0 (Rushing 86, Receiving 94)

Continuing his electrifying career renaissance in his second tour of duty with the Seahawks, Collins piled up bodies on the Lumen Field turf after breaking their ankles with silky smooth jump cuts and jukes. Whether as a runner or receiver, defenders were caught grasping for air all night and when they did get their hands on the veteran ball carrier, he ran with authority and low pads at point of contact. Vision and patience may have been his most striking qualities, as he didn't force the issue, let blocks develop, and then hit the hole decisively. Among his many highlight-worthy plays on the night, he reversed field on a third down run that looked dead in the water and managed to pick up 14 yards, displaying his improved speed and quickness to give Jason Myers an easier field goal attempt. He finished the night with 89 all-purpose yards and a touchdown.

Marquise Blair

Overall Grade: 88.5 (Run Defense 92, Tackling 92, Coverage 85, Pass Rush 85)

Making his first game appearance since tearing his ACL last September, Blair made his presence felt from the outset. Walking up to the line of scrimmage on the very first play, he overpowered receiver Tyron Johnson to penetrate the backfield and stuffed Joshua Kelley at the line of scrimmage. Four plays later, coming on the blitz and closing in on Daniel himself, linebacker Cody Barton forced a fumble on a strip sack and Blair caught the loose ball in the air, returning it 17 yards for a touchdown to give the Seahawks a quick 7-0 advantage. He would later add another run stop playing in the box and generated one quarterback pressure as a blitzer, turning in a splendid season debut with a limited 15 defensive snaps. Looking healthy and playing with his trademark physicality lining up all over the field, his return should provide the Seahawks with a ton of flexibility.

Alton Robinson

Overall Grade: 86.0 (Pass Rush 90, Run Defense 82, Tackling 84, Coverage 70*)

*Weighted with only two coverage snaps

Capping off a dominant preseason, Robinson continued to make plays for the Seahawks while seeing extensive action at the LEO defensive end spot and playing a few snaps as a SAM linebacker. On the first play of the Chargers second offensive possession, he worked down the line in backside pursuit to haul down running back Joshua Kelly for a one-yard loss. Rushing off the edge, he used his speed to get upfield, bend around the corner, and harass Stick midway through the third quarter to force an errant third down throw and lead to a punt. Finishing off a stellar outing, he displayed top-notch effort pursuing Stick as he escaped the pocket to his right on a bootleg pass, forcing him out of bounds at the line of scrimmage and being credited with a sack. Though he only recorded two tackles, he generated four quarterback pressures and his overall stats don't do his play justice.

Other Notable Performances

Narrowly missing the cut due to a missed tackle, Cody Barton put a bow on a fantastic preseason with his strip sack that led to Blair's fumble and a tackle for loss, finishing with an 85.0 game grade. Rookie linebacker Jon Rhattigan also impressed in his NFL debut, producing a pass breakup in coverage and racking up six tackles and a pair of quarterback pressures on just 20 snaps to earn an 84.0 overall mark. In the trenches, defensive tackle Myles Adams enjoyed his best game as a Seahawk being disruptive up front, finishing with a pair of tackles and a quarterback hit and receiving an 81.0 overall grade.

Along with Haynes, tackle Stone Forsythe and guard Damien Lewis turned in strong nights, receiving 83.0 and 81.0 overall grades respectively. Forsythe didn't allow a pressure on 13 pass protection snaps and received a 91.0 grade protecting the quarterback, while Lewis dominated on the ground opening holes up for Collins and Rashaad Penny, receiving a 90.0 run blocking score. Receiver Dee Eskridge only played 13 snaps, but looked the part of an explosive playmaker with a nine-yard jet sweep run and a 19-yard catch, receiving an 82.0 game grade.

Published
Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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