Seahawks vs. Chargers redux

In addition to the key points covered below, a few things stuck out, and they were mostly covered in the Quick Hits. Perhaps the most exciting thing was the show that Darryl Tapp put on. I have been saying this for some time, but expect Darryl Tapp to start at some point this season, sooner rather than later, and to play more snaps than Bryce Fisher this year, no matter how long it takes him to crack the starting line-up.

The other somewhat interesting thing was the DBs further down the depth chart. CB Kevin Hobbs showed up Pete Hunter, who turned in a disaster of a performance. Hobbs played well and looks like he will get a practice squad spot as long as the team only goes with 4 CBs on the active roster.

C.J. Wallace also appears to be ahead of Patrick Ghee on the depth chart at safety. Ghee was coming off an injury, so it remains to be seen if Wallace only climbed over him temporarily. It might be a case where the injury opened a door, and Wallace walked right through it. The interception was fairly meaningless, but it definitely didn't hurt his chances for a practice squad spot.

What We Saw: Seahawks vs. Chargers
(This is a follow-up to What to Watch For: Seahawks vs. Chargers)
1) Game readiness of Kelly Jennings and Josh Wilson
Kelly Jennings looked like an NFL starter, so we saw at least half of what we wanted. Josh Wilson struggled somewhat, but what might have been perceived as poor play was also a consequence of the bootlegs the offense was running and the entire defense struggling to react correctly (as John Madden droned on about). Wilson didn’t always have the inside help he should have from safeties and/or linebackers. That being said, he showed that he still needs to show quite a bit of improvement by the start of the season.

2) The Offensive Line
The offensive line looked great. Chris Spencer and Rob Sims looked tough inside. Ray Willis played well at RG, but with the starting tackles sitting for all or most of the rest of the preseason, that experiment appears all but abandoned for the time being. Floyd Womack playing tackle appears to be its only possible saving grace.

Mansfield Wrotto continued to shed the “project” tag, as he appears ready to contribute now. Pat Ross held down the interior well. It was he and Wrotto that dominated the defense on Weeks’ waltz into the endzone, doing exactly what they had worked on in practice to account for the ILB in the 3-4. Jonathan Alston had the entire second half at LT, but he was basically decleated on one play, blew his assignment on another, was getting pushed around most of the time. Kyle Williams and Steve Vallos only got in for the last 10 minutes, but they played well.

3) Young, reserve defenders earning their roster spots
Brandon Mebane played alright, but didn’t really distinguish himself. He was running with Eric Taylor as the third set of DTs, behind Rocky Bernard & Chucky Darby, and Russell Davis & Marcus Green. We should expect Mebane to be ahead of Marcus Green, so that should change, but remember; Marcus Tubbs and Craig Terrill weren’t playing either. And Russell Davis looks like a beast. Expectations for Mebane’s impact appear to be getting way out ahead of him at this point.

Baraka Atkins started slow, but picked it up after awhile. He also found himself with the third team, behind Brandon Green (who played most of the 2nd quarter and started the 2nd half). Brandon Green played well and has a real chance at making the team (unlike Marcus Green). Atkins had some nice backside pursuit on the play where Kevin Bentley jumped offside. He also got the penetration that allowed Mebane to record his only tackle (assisted by Michael Boulware). Atkins still needs to improve, but he finally showed some signs that he will.

Lance Laury, and especially Will Herring confirmed they deserve roster spots as the 6th and 7th LBs. Herring was all over the field making plays, and even lined up as the MLB and played in the nickel. Laury showed again that he is a big hitter and has what it takes. The books are closed at linebacker.

4) Quarterback Depth
As I pointed out, “Seneca Wallace is still developing into an NFL quarterback.” And he showed us that his development isn’t complete. Wallace tends to press and panic. And when he does that, he makes mistakes; big ones. He ended up pulling it together and playing better in the second half, which was encouraging, but it was also against a bunch of nobodies. David Greene did not get into the game, in part because of Seneca Wallace’s struggles, and due to the possessions lost on turnovers (by Josh Wilson and two by Wallace).

5) Wide Receivers
Ben Obomanu turned his hold on the 5th receiver spot into a stranglehold. The Seahawks will keep five good receivers, and Obomanu will be one of them. Nate Burleson didn’t play very much, and neither he nor D.J. Hackett were able to show off what has been going on in practice. Logan Payne might have slipped a notch, but that dropped pass wasn’t his fault. Jordan Kent lived up to his billing as an also-ran, and was obviously outplayed by two other guys in that group: Chris Jones and Joe Fernandez. Jones is rising up on the depth chart, which probably puts Kent at 9th of the 10 healthy, participating receivers.

6) Injuries
Basically none. Leonard Stephens played, but re-injured his ankle during the game. There were no new injuries, unless you count Josh Wilson’s sore heal, thought to be caused by his shoes. Stephens and Will Heller both have sprained ankles, which makes it tough to sort out the tight end situation. Joe Newton didn’t do anything with the opportunity against the Chargers, although he did seem to figure out how to put on his helmet.

7) Leonard Weaver
Weaver was a slight disappointment. He didn’t get a chance to showcase everything he can do. Seneca Wallace is partly to blame for that. He threw and fumbled away most of the opportunities Weaver had with the regulars.