After the anticipation of their debut against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Seahawks got their first win of the season (even though it was preseason). The game was quiet, and the Seahawks basically spent the second half just controlling the clock in their 33-16 blowout over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Let’s analyze some of the key plays from this game through the All-22 footage!
Gray Zabel Offensive Guard (19 snaps)
No pressure was given, but it’s worth noting that he only had 6 passing snaps. In the other 13 snaps, in the running game, he obviously
showed fantastic dominance. There’s still room for improvement in some angles for the second level, and let’s hope this is corrected. In this game, Zabel showed all his athleticism getting to the linebackers. This was without neglecting his physical strength and explosiveness in lateral blocks.
Zabel’s role is to help Josh Jones get to the defender and then advance to the next level. He seems to trip over the linebacker’s foot and gets off balance to the linebacker. Leo Chenal (No. 54) takes down Zabel and makes the tackle.
It’s impossible to be a player and not make mistakes. What’s needed is to learn from them and evolve. A few snaps later, Zabel advances to the second level, but this time he jumps the DT’s leg and still manages to reach the LB in time. The defender is aggressive and tries to disengage Zabel, but he adjusts his angle and maintains the integrity of his gap.
Excellent leverage, strength on contact, and keeps his feet moving. Thanks to Jalen Sundell’s great work on the reach block, a huge gap opens up and George Holani achieves another of his preseason breakthroughs.
For an OL, it’s necessary to try different things. Vary your pass set, hand and foot technique, etc. On this play, we see a great battle between the two. Zabel used his outside hands to prepare a snatch and trap to throw the defender off balance. He fails, but maintains the fight and control over the opponent.
I mentioned a few snaps above that it’s impossible to stay in the NFL without making mistakes. So, one of the things I like to evaluate, especially in trench players, is their ability to recover. On this play, Zabel takes a step to the left and ends up away from the defensive end, who attacks with an inside move. Zabel remains calm and adjusts to keep his hips in front of the defensive end and protect the QB.
Nick Emmanwori, Defensive Back (13 snaps)
The first point to note is that he had a few snaps at WILL linebacker in dime formations. This is interesting given the Seahawks’ lack of depth at the linebacker position. Without Tyrice Knight, who is injured, the options didn’t perform solidly.
Emmanwori was the player who gave up the most yards (30). He had two receptions on two targets, one for 22 and one for 8. On one of the plays, he was caught off guard as he wasted time communicating with the cornerback after a movement and left some space in the flat for Isiah Pacheco.
On the other pass he was targeted on, he lined up in a press against the TE, but lost his way in the cut, leaving the Chiefs player free to make the catch. On the positive side, we have his work at the moment of contact; he doesn’t give up any separation. The big problem is that at the moment of the cut, he takes a while to react, allowing for a smooth reception.
A good play was his work man-to-man and staying close to the opponent even with a double-move. He looks like he’s going to lose his balance, but he recovers well.
Elijah Arroyo, Tight End (26 snaps)
His receiving numbers remain modest. Again, he had two targets and two receptions, this time for 19 yards. His potential as a vertical threat hasn’t been fully exploited; are they saving it for the regular season?
The Seahawks have sold their running game well, and this benefits the team. The threat of play-action forces the linebackers to move heavily to the right side of the offense, leaving Arroyo’s route on this play-action slide open for the rookie to gain good yards (detail of Cody White free in the end zone).
Arroyo isn’t someone who will win on refined routes. He’s a standout player with his speed and catch radius. The right side of the line quickly gave up pressure, and the QB didn’t have time to exploit it, but Arroyo proved to be a vertical threat, quickly passing the linebacker.
Arroyo’s blocking in Week 1 was poor. Against the Chiefs, he managed at least one good block, creating a gap with Eric Saubert (who has been an excellent blocker) for Damien Martinez to make a good run.
On this play, he’s close to the line and makes another good block. The TE stays engaged until the end of the play and finishes by taking the opponent to the ground.
There’s still a lot to do.
There’s something to work on in this regard. On this play, he’s moving toward Cam Jones (No. 44) and simply switches targets to block someone who was already being blocked.
Jalen Milroe, Quarterback (24 snaps)
He had half as many attempts compared to Week 1. Only 5 passes for 3 completions and 46 yards. His average yards per play increased from 6.1 to 9.2. However, Milroe’s two missed passes were “easy” and cost him dearly in his evaluation.
This was his best snap of the game. The Chiefs call a zone blitz on the left side of the line. Milroe notices and reads the positioning of Brandon George (No. 50), who has two routes in his area. If he advances, the pass goes deeper; if he drops back, as he did on the play, the pass comes short to Brady Russell, who had a chance for a TD or to get very close to it.
Ricky White was open on this play on the corner route. Milroe has a vision of it, but simply doesn’t take the risk. It would have been a TD without much difficulty.
We haven’t seen him use his arm deep yet. But so far, his problems seem to be more related to ball placement than accuracy. On this play, Cody White comes free and Milroe throws the ball to his inside shoulder, forcing the WR to acrobatically make the catch and advance.
He lost Anthony Tyus on a short (flat) route for what would most likely have been his first TD as a Seahawk. The TE’s route opens up space for the RB, Milroe reads it correctly, quickly, but his pass placement is terrible and high.
At the decisive moment, he found Tyrone Broden. And, again, the connection didn’t work. The WR made a good release, but he apparently expected the pass at a higher point, and Milroe attempted a back shoulder. The WR couldn’t adjust, and the Seahawks went for a field goal.
Rylie Mills, Defensive Lineman (0 snaps)
Injured.
Tory Horton, Wide Receiver (18 snaps)
After receiving seven targets last week, he received two in this game. Only one of them was converted into a reception, which resulted in 12 yards. He suffered a minor ankle issue, and the team decided to take him off the field as a precaution. He seemed to have enough clout to threaten MVS, who left the game without any targets.
Something I brought up in analysis is that he’s always been a slimmer frame. This hinders his physicality on routes and his blocking. On the first Jake Bobo TD, he makes a key screen block for the WR, allowing the fan favorite to reach the end zone.
Continues to show good work against man-to-man coverage.
Robbie Ouzts, Fullback (5 snaps)
Involved in only 5 snaps, he was targeted on one of them, lined up as a TE, where he got a first down on a 13-yard reception. When he was drafted, it seemed like Brady Russell had the edge at the position, but after these games, it seems the Alabama rookie has his spot locked in.
Good call by Klint Kubiak. “Two TEs” on the field threaten the run to the right side, and Ouzts fakes a block to that side. He ends up spinning and running a short route, receiving the ball open for an easy conversion.
This “spin/fake” is something Kubiak has already used with Taysom Hill, also for running plays.
Bryce Cabeldue, Offensive Lineman (41 snaps)
He was one of the guys who played the most snaps. He left with an injury, and I think it impacted the rest of his game a bit, but the fact that he returned is encouraging. It’s worth noting that he played snaps as a left guard and right guard.
He gave up two hurries, one of which was poor contact with his feet still, allowing the DT to pass him.
In the running game, he was crucial in this power play, creating space as a pulling guard on Damien Martinez’s TD.
He continues to showcase his athleticism, explosiveness, and mobility. He did this even while injured, which is why I insist he’s a good fit for the Klint Kubiak/John Benton scheme.
Damien Martinez, Running Back (20 snaps)
He led the team in rushing yards with 11 carries for 50 yards, including a 19-yard rush. He also caught 2 passes for 14. The jump in quality compared to his debut is very noticeable.
Excellent run. Martinez continues to threaten to maintain his path to the outside zone, just enough to facilitate the blocking of Anthony Bradford and Brady Russell. He cuts back and finishes the run with physicality.
Martinez is a RB who has the patience to wait for the blocks to happen in front of him. He waits and reaps the rewards of the good work of Eric Saubert and Elijah Arroyo.
The TD didn’t come because of a detail. His initial run path is closed on the left side. He cuts and aims for the end zone, but there’s an edge defender left unblocked who manages to make the tackle.
Toss run, but the RT can’t seal the defender from the inside out to create a gap with the TE. Martinez notices this and sees the gap in the cutback, gaining some ground.
Mason Richman, Offensive Lineman (26 snaps)
His snaps were as as a right tackle this time. He stood out as a guard last week against the Raiders. During practice, he also played snaps at center, but he didn’t play that way against the Chiefs.
Here’s a good example of the concern that would be having him as a OT. His short arms make him vulnerable. Like the RG, he yielded pressure, and Milroe had to run the ball.
Reminiscent of his moments at Iowa, he blocks, essentially burying the edge to open the gap.
Ricky White III, Wide Receiver (14 snaps)
I don’t think my dream of seeing him in the starting lineup will come true. He hasn’t been able to make a big play on special teams, and his participation in the offense has been very limited. He’s only had one target for 20 yards.
The big problem is that he’s been able to get separation on some plays, but Milroe, with his conservative mindset through preseason, has been missing those plays.
In the play above, he quickly beats the DB with an inside step and gets free on the corner route. Milroe sees it but hesitates.
Final Thoughts
For those who don’t remember, this week the Seahawks will have a joint practice with the Packers. The starters should be tested in these sessions. I believe that next Saturday’s game will only feature the backups. It will be the last chance to secure a spot in the final 53.
