After a dominant win in Week 1, the Seattle Seahawks fell to 1-1 in the preseason after losing to the Tennessee Titans 16-15 at Nissan Stadium on Saturday.
It’s preseason, so the result isn’t that important. But the first half was much better for the Seahawks’ offense and defense than the second. That says a lot about the depth of Seattle’s units.
Here are three players whose value increases after Week 2 of the preseason and three players whose value decreases.
Quarterback Sam Howell
Sam Howell seemed impatient at the start of the game, but by the end he seemed more confident than ever in this new offensive scheme. Howell finished the game 11 of 14 passing for 153 yards and a touchdown, and had a perfect touch on a 23-yard touchdown to Easop Winston Jr. in the first quarter. As the game went on, Howell got better and better.
On the first throw of Seattle’s next drive, Howell fired another ball between two Titans defenders to wide receiver Cody White, who completed the ball 33 yards – the Seahawks’ longest offensive play of the day. The offensive line in front of Howell was fine, but parts of the front line broke down and he was able to overcome them. He finished the attack with two runs for 11 yards, avoiding the broken plays. Overall, Howell’s presence in the pocket was more akin to his better days with the Washington Commanders.
DT Myles Adams
Myles Adams played most of the first half, holding Seattle’s defensive line in the middle. He finished with three total tackles, but that’s not representative of his overall impact on the game. Adams’ pressure from the inside took pressure off edge rushers Derick Hall, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe and others, crowding the pocket around Malik Willis and forcing him to make quick decisions in the pocket.
Adams is the perfect center back for Seattle. With Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Byron Murphy and Johnathan Hankins already solidifying this unit, Adams and Mike Morris will be the rotation players that could make a difference for the Seahawks during the season. At 6’2″ and 295 pounds, Adams also has the size the Seahawks want.
WR Easop Winston Jr.
With his play in this second preseason game, Easop Winston Jr. is ensuring that the competition for Seattle’s sixth wide receiver spot is extremely tight. It’s clearly between Winston and Dareke Young, and the latter has led the group through training camp and the first few weeks of preseason. Winston, a fifth-year pro from Washington State, showed his veteran tendencies on Howell’s 23-yard touchdown by showing his hands late and securing the touchdown against Titans cornerback Tre Avery. Winston’s release on the fade route was also impressive against Avery, burning the corner to make easy work of Howell’s decision to throw in a one-on-one situation.
Winston finished the game with three catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, making him the Seahawks’ best receiver across the board. He also finished as the Seattle player with the most passes hauled in with four. Even if he is relegated to the practice squad, Winston would be a good player to add to the active roster in an emergency should the Seahawks need him.
CB DJ James
Despite being drafted in the sixth round by the Seahawks, DJ James has looked out of place in Seattle. He was nearly lost in his two preseason appearances, allowing the Titans’ only touchdown in off-coverage to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine when Mason Rudolph threw a 15-yard touchdown pass with 38 seconds left in the second quarter.
James was also assessed two defensive penalties on Tennessee’s second drive of the second half, first for a holding call and then for a facemask just two plays later. That allowed the Titans to get back into the game and eventually convert a field goal to make it 12-10. He hasn’t been good in coverage and hasn’t shown enough fundamental skills to make the Seahawks’ 53-man roster.
T Stone Forsythe
At this point, Stone Forsythe’s standing with Seattle’s coaching staff is a mystery. He didn’t perform well in either of his preseason appearances after starting eight times last season, and continued to seem overwhelmed by edge rushers on down after down. Forsythe was brought down by running back Kenny McIntosh on a Sam Howell sack fumble – recovered by Forsythe himself – in the first quarter, but he had already been blocked by that block, which is why he fell so far back on defense.
Seattle’s depth at the left tackle position is a concern because of Forsythe’s struggles, even if veteran George Fant can play on both sides of the line. Forsythe’s margin for error is getting smaller heading into the third preseason game, and he could be released if he doesn’t show significant improvement in the final game.
QB PJ Walker
When PJ Walker took over the offense in the second half, he had similar weapons to Howell but seemed far less able to run the Seahawks offense. However, he had an even less effective offensive line in front of him. Regardless, even when Walker had time to throw, he was too early on some timing routes and that caused the offense to not make any progress. The offense seemed much sluggish with Walker at the helm.
Walker finished the game 4 of 8 passing for 38 yards and also allowed a sack. The offense gained just 38 yards in the second half with Walker leading the unit, as opposed to the 231 yards the offense gained with Howell at quarterback.
