The Seattle Seahawks rookies combined for 158 snaps in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans. Tory Horton being placed on IR certainly had a major impact on that number. It could have been even lower had Grey
Zabel not managed to play through injury. It’s also worth noting that the offense had 26 fewer plays than in the previous game, which reduced the overall snap count — especially because all of our rookies, except Nick Emmanwori, play on offense.
Let’s analyze some of the key plays from this game!
Grey Zabel – Offensive Guard (48 snaps)
First, we need to talk about his recovery. There are two possibilities: either he’s a Wolverine who recovered from an injury that was serious enough to raise the possibility of IR — costing him at least a few games — only to return as a full-time starter, or the team has so little confidence in Christian Haynes that they preferred to risk Zabel’s knee.
Regardless, he played every snap and performed better than he did against the Rams. Even so, he committed a false start, was called for holding (canceled by a defensive penalty), got away with another holding early in the game, and allowed just one pressure (a QB hit), which could have easily resulted in an interception.
Jeffery Simmons is one of the best DTs in the league. With excellent hand usage, he prevents Zabel from establishing his outside arm, and without that contact, he creates a clear lane to the QB. The center doesn’t get a good angle to help, and Sam Darnold, even recognizing the pressure, chooses to force the throw — which nearly becomes an interception.
Zabel handled stunts well in this game. In fact, the entire Seahawks offensive line showed improvement in that area against the Titans. However, on this snap, after passing off the stunt, he hesitates between helping the center or the left tackle. That indecision slows him down and leads to a holding penalty (again canceled).
I liked seeing him use a different hand technique, trying to force an early move from the rusher. He mistimes the contact but compensates with good positioning to keep the defender away from the QB.
It’s always good to see that level of physicality against a DT like Simmons.
This was one of the offensive line’s best snaps in the run game. Everyone executes well, but Zabel stands out by quickly reaching the second level and taking an excellent angle for Ken Walker to gain yardage.
This snap has both good and bad: good job identifying the stunt, passing off the rusher, and staying alert for the late blitzer. However, it came very close to being a holding call.
Nick Emmanwori – Defensive Back (73 snaps)
He recorded eight tackles and three run stops. He played heavily as a dimebacker due to Ernest Jones’ injury and also stepped in as a safety after Ty Okada went down at halftime. It was likely the game in which he had the most responsibilities:
- 6 snaps on the DL;
- 45 in the box;
- 1 as a cornerback;
- 21 in the slot;
I liked his quick reaction to the WR’s head fake while playing off coverage from a safety alignment. Promising stuff.
Even though he didn’t register a pressure for the second straight week, he showed improvement in his blitz timing (6 blitzes).
Here he shows his athletic ability, making a high-effort tackle for the second week in a row.
Good drop, good eyes on the QB, and nice reaction when he breaks the pocket. He closes quickly on the checkdown in the flat, but his tackling technique still needs refinement.
He allowed six receptions on seven targets for 44 yards (longest of 12). The Titans heavily attacked the zone he was responsible for, so his numbers weren’t bad. However, he remains overly aggressive and gets manipulated by QB eyes too often.
Elijah Arroyo – Tight End (18 snaps)
He was rarely used: ran only seven routes, none deep, and recorded one catch for five yards. He needs to produce more, especially when the offense isn’t focused solely on JSN.
As a blocker, not much changed. On this snap, he executes a solid split-zone block — not with much physicality, but enough to occupy the defender and open space.
On another snap, he appears a bit lost in his assignment and fails to prevent the tackle.
Jalen Milroe – Quarterback (0 snaps)
Inactive.
Rylie Mills – Defensive Lineman (0 snaps)
NFI List.
Tory Horton – Wide Receiver (0 snaps)
IR.
Robbie Ouzts – Fullback (9 snaps)
Not sure whether he should have climbed to block the CB who remained unblocked and made the tackle, but his double-team with AJ Barner created the lane for the RB to break through and score the TD.
However, he missed a cut block that left a free rusher on Sam Darnold, who had to make a quick improvisational throw.
Bryce Cabeldue – Offensive Lineman (0 snaps)
No snaps.
Mason Richman – Offensive Lineman (0 snaps)
Inactive.
Nick Kallerup – Tight End (10 snaps)
He misses his block on the fake split-zone, forcing Sam Darnold into a shorter rollout. The play could have been ruined, but the QB improvised well by stepping up into the pocket.
He shows good speed to get to the second level and deliver solid initial contact. What he needs to improve is his block sustaining, while avoiding penalties.
Final Thoughts
The simple fact that Zabel avoided going on IR would already be a major win for this rookie class. On top of that, he played — and played reasonably well. The negative point is Horton being placed on IR and likely only returning at the end of the season (if he returns), and the lack of production from Elijah Arroyo, which is becoming a concerning trend.
