Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 20-17 Win vs. Titans
Sliding back into the NFC's final wild card spot with another dramatic comeback, the Seattle Seahawks fended off the upset-minded Tennessee Titans for a 20-17 victory on Sunday to improve to 8-7 with two weeks left in the regular season.
Earning a second consecutive win to jump back above the .500 mark, several players starred for the Seahawks on the road to earn a hard-fought road win and improve their playoff standing. After reviewing All-22 film from Sunday's back and forth battle at Nissan Stadium, here are my top five grades from Week 16 with analysis.
Geno Smith
Overall Grade: 86.0 (Passing 87, Rushing 65*)
*Weighted for one rushing attempt
Returning from a groin injury that cost him the previous two games, Smith completed 10 out of 16 passes in the first half, but those completions only netted 69 yards as the Seahawks scored just three points. Getting back in the swing of things, the veteran quarterback was a tad late on two potential touchdown passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Colby Parkinson, carrying them out of bounds in the back left corner of the end zone before they could get both feet down. But after a second field goal trimmed Tennessee's lead to 10-6, he was money orchestrating Seattle's offense with accuracy, anticipation, and excellent pocket presence to lead the comeback effort.
Starting with a 20-yard completion to Smith-Njigba in the shadow of Seattle's goal post, Smith conducted a perfect 96-yard scoring drive by completing all five of his pass attempts for 66 yards, finishing with an exquisite throw to DK Metcalf on a red zone fade for an 11-yard touchdown to push his team ahead 13-10. After the Titans responded with a long scoring drive of their own, he continued his fourth quarter mastery by completing seven out of 10 passes for 57 yards, including a clutch 18-yard missile over the middle to Smith-Njigba on 3rd and 14 and a game-winning five-yard touchdown to Parkinson inside a minute to play. Posting a stellar 104.7 passer rating, he rebounded from an inconsistent start to deliver the goods in crunch time.
Riq Woolen
Overall Grade: 85.0 (Run Defense 78, Tackling 90, Coverage 88)
Only one week earlier, Woolen saw a reduced role with Mike Jackson starting in his place on the right side in a win over the Eagles. But with Tre Brown playing at less than 100 percent and missing practice time last week, the reigning Rookie of the Year finalist returned to the starting lineup and turned in a fine all-around performance. While he dropped a potential pick six opportunity in the third quarter, the pass breakup on third down forced the Titans to punt, leading to Smith's first touchdown drive. When Ryan Tannehill tested the athletic cornerback, he found minimal success, completing two out of four targets for just 16 yards.
At times this season, Woolen has been under fire from coach Pete Carroll for inconsistent tackling, which has also stemmed from a shoulder injury that bothered him earlier in the year. But on Sunday, the second-year cornerback brought the boom on several occasions, registering four tackles without any missed opportunities. While he shook himself up in the process, his biggest hit came on the game's final snap when he lowered his shoulder and blasted receiver Colton Dowell along the sideline after the catch, knocking him backward out of bounds to keep the clock moving as time expired to seal Seattle's latest win.
Boye Mafe
Overall Grade: 84.0 (Run Defense 78, Tackling 84, Pass Rush 92)
As the Titans found traction on the ground in the first half, Mafe played himself out of position on a few runs to leave the edge uncovered, allowing Derrick Henry to get a head of steam for big gains off tackle. He also whiffed badly on a tackle attempt against the bulldozing back in space in the second quarter. But the second-year linebacker adjusted well after halftime, contributing to limiting Henry to just 30 yards on 11 carries in the final two quarters with a pair of run stops netting three or fewer yards and setting a firm edge.
Most importantly, however, Mafe emphatically snapped a five-game streak without a sack, terrorizing Tannehill from start to finish in a dominant pass rushing effort. Bringing the first half to a close, he shot upfield on a speed rush past left tackle Andre Dillard and looped around him to collapse down on the quarterback for his eighth sack of the season. Then, as the Titans tried to rally following Smith's second touchdown pass to Parkinson, the former Minnesota standout struck again, stunting inside behind defensive tackle Jarran Reed and shedding a block before devouring Tannehill as he tried to climb the pocket. Disruptive all afternoon, he amassed a game-high five quarterback pressures, two sacks, and added a third quarterback hit for good measure in a dynamic pass rushing performance.
Tyler Lockett
Overall Grade: 82.5 (Receiving 83, Run Blocking 68*)
A big missed opportunity may have cost Lockett from having a monster game, as a deep ball from Smith on a free play in the second quarter had just a bit too much air underneath it and the receiver wasn't able to haul it in on what could have been a 40-plus yard reception. But taking that play out of the equation, the veteran wideout quietly caught eight out of 11 targets for a team-high 81 yards and picked up five first downs along the way, once again being a quality chain-moving security blanket for Smith.
Coming through with big receptions on each of Seattle's final three scoring drives, a 19-yard pitch and catch from Smith to Lockett on 2nd and 10 set up Jason Myers for his second field goal early in the third quarter. On the ensuing possession, moments after Smith-Njigba's 20-yard catch, Smith found his trusted receiver on a 21-yard out route to advance the team deep into opposing territory before hooking up with Metcalf for six points. On the final decisive possession, Lockett snagged a trio of crucial first down catches, including moving the sticks with a seven-yard reception on 3rd and 6 to keep the eventual game-winning drive alive. While it wasn't flashy and he only had 14 yards after the catch, he nearly hit double-digit catches and came through with drive-extending receptions all day long.
Dre'Mont Jones
Overall Grade: 82.0 (Run Defense 76, Tackling 84, Pass Rush 84)
Despite banging his shoulder at one point in the game and having to exit the game momentarily, Jones had arguably his most impactful game as a Seahawk to this point on Sunday, playing particularly well in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, he nearly stuffed rookie Tyjae Spears on a 4th and 1 rushing attempt after winning against his blocker off the snap and unfortunately had a tackle for no gain on Henry near the goal line erased by an unnecessary roughness penalty on cornerback Artie Burns.
Like Mafe, Jones factored in most as a pass rusher on Sunday, shrinking the pocket down with consistent pressure working both as an edge defender and 3-tech defensive end. Unofficially ending Tennessee's chances at tying the game in the final minute, he looped back inside from wide-9 alignment behind Reed on a stunt and shed a block by center Aaron Brewer, allowing him to squeeze down on Tannehill for a demoralizing sack with the clock ticking under 10 seconds to play and no timeouts left for the home team. In addition to his sack, he produced four pressures, the second most for Seattle behind Mafe, and tacked on a second quarterback hit in a strong performance.
