What We Learned From The Seattle Seahawks Win Over the Detroit Lions

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What We Learned From The Seattle Seahawks Win Over the Detroit Lions

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What We Learned From The Seattle Seahawks Win Over the Detroit Lions

By October 4, 2022 8:00 am

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The Seattle Seahawks improved to 2-2 on the year with a 48-45 victory over the Detroit Lions. The final score wasn’t truly indicative of what actually took place on the field. Seattle had a huge day on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense which has struggled the past two weeks continued to struggle with the same mistakes. 

Seattle’s offense continues its surprising hot start 

Before the season, a ton of analysts predicted the Seahawks offense to be one of the worst in the league this season due to the loss of Russell Wilson, the integration of Geno Smith at quarterback, and the Seahawks mediocre offensive line. So far, the Seahawks offense has been exceptional in the first four games of this season which is backed up by gaudy numbers. 

  • 10th in total offense
  • 11th in scoring offense
  • 4th in EPA/per play
  • 4th in rush EPA
  • 6th in dropback EPA

Geno Smith has been the biggest surprise for the Seahawks offense so far. Seattle’s offense is more conservative than last year, and Smith is doing what Pete Carroll wants his quarterbacks to do. Carroll wants his quarterback to play efficiently, not turn the ball over, and take what the defense gives you. This is exactly what Smith has done for the Seahawks. 

Another surprise for the Seahawks has been their offensive line. Rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas have been stellar. Seattle has had issues in the past in regards to their offensive line but this year they have been a pleasant surprise. Credit is due for a line that has exceeded expectations and will only continue to get better as the season goes along. 

DK Metcalf has a huge day over Jeff Okudah

Leading up to their matchup with the Detroit Lions, DK Metcalf had some interesting but truthful comments about Jeff Okudah, the Detroit Lions 1st round pick from the 2020 NFL Draft. Okudah has been decent this season for Detroit and he has shut down some star receivers such as Devonta Smith of the Philadelphia Eagles and Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings. Metcalf had this to say in regards to Okudah.

Metcalf wasn’t wrong for the comments because what he said had some truth to it. In recent games whenever Okudah was lined up against the number one wide receiver, the Lions would “bracket” (double coverage on a wide receiver) a lead wideout. Sometimes there would be safety help over the top. People took it as disrespectful towards Okudah, however it wasn’t all that disrespectful as much as it was fact. Metcalf had a huge day with seven receptions for 149 yards. The combination of speed, strength and overall quickness was too much for Okudah to handle.

He also gave Seahawks fans a scare when he was caught riding the cart to the locker room as people assumed he might have suffered a major injury. However, Metcalf gave this answer as to why he rode the cart to the locker room.

Seahawks defense continues to be an issue

The biggest concern that the Seahawks had going into the season wasn’t just the offense, it was their defense. Sunday afternoon, the defense continued to be a problem. The Lions were without multiple offensive starters such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Andre Swift, and Jonah Jackson. But for whatever reason, the defense gave up over 520 yards. Jared Goff threw for 378 yards and Jamaal Williams had 100 yards on the ground rushing for Detroit. T.J. Hockenson also had a career day as well with 179 yards receiving and two touchdowns. 

Yes, the defense had two takeaways but this was negated by poor pass rush. Seattle has had far too many coverage busts in the secondary to go along with a subpar run defense. While they are transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, have an influx of young talent, and a new defensive coordinator, they still shouldn’t be this bad. 

Seahawks have found a gem in rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen

Despite the defensive woes, Tariq Woolen has stood out on the Seahawks defense. Woolen, a fifth round pick out of the University of Texas at San Antonio has been playing exceptional for Seattle. Woolen started out as a wide receiver before making the move to cornerback. He was considered a raw prospect and drew comparisons to former Seahawks great cornerback Richard Sherman. 

Like Woolen, Sherman too transitioned from wide receiver to cornerback when he attended Stanford University. Woolen fits the Pete Carroll cornerback mold because of his height, length, and range. He had a pick-six against Detroit in which he showed off his speed. Seattle has a steal in Woolen and they should be glad with the early flashes he’s showing of future greatness. 


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