Seattle Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 17-13 Loss to Cincinnati Bengals
Coming up empty on multiple red zone trips down the stretch, Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks couldn't come through in clutch moments as they fell short in a 17-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, snapping a three-game winning streak.
Despite being on the wrong side of the scoreboard in a tight battle against a playoff-tested opponent, plenty of players shined for the Seahawks in a losing effort. Looking back at the contest on film, here are my five top grades and other notable performances from Paycor Stadium in Week 6:
Tre Brown
Overall Grade: 89.0 (Coverage 94, Run Defense 84, Tackling 90)
Bouncing back nicely from a concussion that cost him parts of the previous two games, Brown stepped up to the challenge covering standout receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins in one-on-one situations. With the Seahawks trailing by four early in the third quarter, only a few plays after getting penalized for defensive pass interference, the third-year cornerback stayed in Chase's hip pocket on a vertical down the sideline and did a fantastic job of turning back to the football to snag an underthrown pass by Joe Burrow for his second interception of the season.
As big as Brown's pick was, however, his finest play came late in the fourth quarter to give Seattle's offense one last shot to steal the game. Inside two minutes to play, Cincinnati dialed up a third down pass play with hopes of finishing the game by moving the chains and initially, Burrow's deep ball to Higgins looked to be a completion after the wideout high-pointed the football. But after being pushed by the receiver, Brown recovered quickly and demonstrated outstanding technique swiping upward to knock the football out of Higgins' hands before he could complete the catch, leading to a punt. Dominant in coverage all game long, his two targets resulted in an interception and a pass breakup to lead a stingy secondary.
Devon Witherspoon
Overall Grade: 87.0 (Coverage 90, Run Defense 86, Tackling 90, Pass Rush 85)
Eager to back up strong words from teammate DK Metcalf earlier in the week declaring that the rookie cornerback would handle Chase, Witherspoon managed to do just that. Matched up against the star receiver frequently in the slot, Burrow only targeted him three times in those situations and completed a single pass for three yards. On the flip side, the top-five pick out of Illinois registered a pair of pass breakups on the two other targets, punching the ball out of Chase's hands on a shallow crossing route in the third quarter and having another pass bounce off his backside when he was in perfect coverage on a go ball in the fourth quarter.
In addition to another outstanding game in coverage, Witherspoon generated a quick pressure on Burrow on Cincinnati's opening series after being sent on a slot cornerback blitz and managed to get his hand on the football for a batted pass in the backfield. He also registered five tackles, including stuffing Joe Mixon on a two-yard carry, and didn't miss any tackles for the first time in a game in his brief NFL career. Across the board, the former Illinois star keeps living up to the hype.
Jake Bobo
Overall Grade: 86.0 (Receiving 88, Run Blocking 84)
While other receivers such as Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf finished with more receptions and receiving yardage, Bobo stood out as the most impressive player at the position with limited snaps on Sunday and his impact went well beyond his pass catching ability. Capping off an impressive opening series, the undrafted rookie out of UCLA was sent in motion across the formation and turned upfield after the snap as a lead blocker for Ken Walker III, who followed the receiver's quality block on safety Dax Hill through the hole at the goal line to punctuate the drive with six points.
When the Seahawks needed big plays in the passing game in the second half, Bobo delivered on his lone two targets from Geno Smith. First, on a key 3rd and 8 moments after Brown's interception, the rookie hauled in a quick 10-yard curl route and then broke a pair of tackles after the catch, powering his way all the way to the Bengals five-yard line for a 23-yard gain and setting up a 1st and Goal situation. On the ensuing drive, he came through again, leaping to snag a high pass from Smith and holding onto the football despite taking a helmet-to-helmet shot from Hill for another 20-yard reception. Averaging 21.5 yards per reception and laying key blocks in the run game, he continues to carve out a bigger role on offense by week.
Dre'Mont Jones
Overall Grade: 85.5 (Pass Rush 83, Run Defense 85, Tackling 88)
Turning in his best game as a Seahawk so far, Jones served as a catalyst for another dominant defensive performance by Clint Hurtt's defense while also doing damage as a pass rusher. Early in the second quarter, the fifth-year defensive tackle exploded past guard Alex Cappa immediately off the snap with a nifty swipe move and then blew up the oncoming tight end, shedding the wham block before stuffing Joe Mixon at the line of scrimmage for no gain. Though he only finished with three tackles, both of his run stops netted three or fewer yards and his disruption at the line of scrimmage opened things up for linebackers and safeties to come in clean for tackles.
In the pass rushing department, Jones has developed a penchant for dishing out brutal bull rushes on opposing blockers and unfortunately for guard Cordell Volson, he drew the short straw this week. Standing up in 5-tech alignment ready to pin his ears back on 3rd and 8 midway through the third quarter, he slanted hard inside towards the B-gap and turned speed into relentless power, driving the blocker straight into the turf before corralling Burrow in the pocket for a drive-ending sack. Though his numbers may not be as gaudy as expected, he has made the impact expected of a player landing a big free agent contract thus far.
Jamal Adams
Overall Grade: 84.0 (Coverage 84, Pass Rush 80, Run Defense 86, Tackling 90)
Finally back on the field after his season debut was cut short in New York by a concussion, an energized Adams played like his pre-injury self creating chaos making plays all over the field as a tackler and pass rusher. Late in the second quarter, the veteran safety logged frequent flyer miles running sideline to sideline chasing after Burrow on a scramble, delivering a key hit as the quarterback threw and forcing a punt after a short completion on third down with his high-effort pressure to get the football back to the offense.
After halftime, Adams only produced one tackle, but it proved to be a decisive one. With under eight minutes left to play in the game, Burrow scanned the field on 3rd and 12 and without any receivers coming open, he dumped the ball off to running back Trayveon Williams on a swing pattern. Quickly diagnosing the check down from his zone drop, Adams shot out of a cannon and wrapped up the ball carrier two yards behind the line of scrimmage for a tackle for loss, strutting his stuff following a pivotal stop. Allowing just three catches for eight yards on five targets in coverage, it was a strong all-around return performance for the former All-Pro.
Other Notable Performances
Finishing with a team-best 94 yards on six receptions, Lockett narrowly missed out on the top five with an 83.0 score. Catching only four of eight targets while also drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty, DK Metcalf finished third among Seattle's receivers with a 78.0 grade, while rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba had his best game as a pro with four receptions for 48 yards and an 80.0 grade. Throwing for 323 yards, Smith had an up and down outing featuring several big time throws and two ugly interceptions, netting a 75.0 grade. Along the offensive line, Charles Cross allowed four pressures in his return to the starting lineup, but he didn't yield any sacks or hits on Smith and received a solid 77.0 score. As for the rest of the line, guards Phil Haynes and Anthony Bradford both took significant hits in the pass blocking department, giving up seven pressures and two sacks combined while receiving 67.0 and 71.0 scores respectively. Battling through an ankle injury, Jake Curhan allowed eight pressures and a sack while receiving a team-low 48.5 grade.
Leading the team with eight tackles and yielding only one reception in coverage, Quandre Diggs had his best all-around game of the 2023 season, nearly equaling Adams with an 83.0 overall grade. Tying his production from his entire rookie season, Boye Mafe got to Burrow for a pivotal fourth quarter sack and held a firm edge against the run, receiving an 81.0 grade. Across from Brown, Riq Woolen got picked on a bit in the first half giving up both touchdown passes to Burrow in coverage, but did later add a pass breakup to improve his grade to 73.0. At linebacker, Jordyn Brooks racked up seven tackles, including a key third down run stop in the fourth quarter, earning himself an 80.5 score. Though he did miss a tackle and only had one run stop for the game, Jarran Reed kept his revival season going with his third sack of the season and landed a solid 78.0 overall grade.
