Remember, it’s only the preseason. Remember, it’s only the preseason. Screw it, the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl! I think that’s how most of us felt after the Seattle Seahawks put on an absolute clinic offensively against the Kansas City Chiefs in a 33-16 victory in Week 2 of the preseason.
It was the first time seeing some of our new faces on the team in Seattle, and boy, did they not disappoint. Let’s break it down.
1st down - Klint Kubiak aces second test
Kubiak was always one of my favorite potential hires as offensive coordinator when Seattle made the decision to move on from Ryan Grubb. While he may never blow you away in an interview, his knowledge and mentors, combined with some poor luck in previous stints as an OC, made him a potentially perfect hire to partner up with Mike Macdonald. Through training camp and the first two games of the preseason, I think I may have undersold him.
Against the Raiders and now the Chiefs, Kubiak has sent a clear message that the Seahawks will be a dominant ground-and-pound football team that will also use motion, play action, and creativity to open up clear and easy passing opportunities for their offense. On Friday night, Seattle ran 69 plays for 477 yards, with 268 on the ground. Quarterbacks completed 17 of 21 passes and they controlled the time of possession by over 17 minutes.
When was the last time we saw those numbers in Seattle?
Just like his father, Gary Kubiak, and mentor, Kyle Shanahan, Klint has shown a lethal opening 15-play script that has caught the eye of everyone around the league in the first two games.
Again, it’s preseason and teams will adjust, forcing Kubiak to adjust as well. For right now though, he is comfortable, confident and has me wondering if this offense could be a top 10 unit in year one under his leadership.
2nd down - Kenneth Walker needs to earn the starting RB job
Tonight was a perfect example of why I believe the Seahawks have the best running back room in the NFL, even after the unfortunate season ending injury to Kenny McIntosh. Zach Charbonnet, starting in place of Kenneth Walker, looked like he was born to run in the wide zone scheme, beautifully executing with his O-line for 45 yards on five carries, including a perfect 15-yard touchdown run in which he wasn’t even touched.
George Holani provided a 30 yard rush along with continued strong play as the team’s main kick returner. He also had a major block that freed up Drew Lock for his 30 yard scamper. Even Damien Martinez was giving me Chris Carson flashbacks.
Kenneth Walker is in a contract year, and he’s the most talented runner of this amazing group. He also stylistically may be the most awkward fit, and his health has always been in question. It could be a career changing season for him, but if it is not, the Seahawks will be fine with the stable of competent backs available in house.
3rd down- For all the “Jalensanity,” this is Sam Darnold’s team right now
Jalen was solid again on Friday, and he continues to feel like a major weapon this season, and the future at QB someday. That day is not today though. Sam Darnold is going to be really good.
In his first action as the starting quarterback, Darnold looked calm and confident running the Kubiak scheme that he is so familiar with. He finished 4/4 for 34 yards and a 102 passer rating in his only drive. It wasn’t much, but you could see clearly that he knew where everyone was and where he and the ball needed to be at all times.
We didn’t see the pocket break, or him taking a deep shot down the field, and those moments will come. His ability to execute Kubiak’s initial first drive script is equally important, and to see him execute in that way was massive to me.
Darnold could return to Jets pumpkin version of Darnold, he could be Kansas City Alex Smith, he could be something closer to Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield revival experience. If he can be something close to what Baker is doing in Tampa Bay, then again the league is massively underestimating what Seattle can accomplish this fall.
4th down - Backgate
Non-Seahawks game related, but an important topic of discussion this past week is the drama going on in Los Angeles revolving around Matthew Stafford’s ailing back.
Stafford has been plagued, or wanted everyone to know, that he’s been injured for years. That’s no secret as the 37 year old gunslinger had another dramatic offseason where we weren’t sure that he was gonna stay a Ram.
Now, Stafford hasn’t been practicing for weeks as he deals with a back injury, and every time Sean McVay speaks, we hear something different. This could all just be him at his age resting through a part of the preseason that doesn’t matter, and we’ll see him and the division favorites try to make one more championship run.
There’s also a chance this is a very real concern, and Stafford will be limited all season, if he can even play. A week one visit from the Houston Texans and their ferocious pass rush will answer that pretty quickly I believe.
The Rams feel vulnerable, despite their Hall of Fame caliber head coach. If Stafford can’t be 100%, the division feels even more like a must have in 2025 for Mike Macdonald and company.
Going for two
Tory Horton may be a star
I never want to get too hyped up by a couple of plays, one being an incompletion, but there’s something special about Tory Horton. Late in the first half, the Seahawks ran a first and goal fade to Horton. To say that Tory was open is understandment. His get off and ability to create space in such a short window was astonishing. It looked like Drew Lock had pre-determined he was going to throw a fade, but it wasn’t even necessary with the space that Horton cleared out. He could easily become a back shoulder merchant that this team has lacked forever.
Free Bobo!
There’s just something fun about the Seattle Seahawks when Jake Bobo is involved, and it was great for him to have a big game.
Bobo caught two passes, one a screen and one a beautiful fade to the corner of the end zone, for two touchdown scores. That’s pretty efficient and works for me. He also was a punt returner and had a 20 yard return.
The battle between Bobo, Horton and Marquez Valdes-Scantling for snaps will likely be a battle that will go deep into the season, as they all proved different skills. I do believe that Bobo continues to show he is valuable and has a place on this team with his skill set, and tonight was a fun example of what he can do, and how the team and fanbase feeds off his success.