Week 2 Game Recap: SEA vs. TEN
September 24, 2021 8:06AM PDT
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Waldron had been praised all week after an impressive and creative performance against the Colts. After two quarters against the Titans, it started to feel like maybe Waldron was the savior Seattle needed. Then, in an eerily similar resemblance to the week 6 game in Arizona last season, the Seahawks saw their lead ultimately drip dry as a previously stalwart Titans offense awakened.
Still, we had seen this movie before, right? The offense would have a big lead, the defense would struggle to get a stop and Wilson would somehow, someway, swoop in to save the day. Only he couldn’t as Titans kicker Brett Kern nailed the game winning field goal sending 12s home frowning for the first time in 630 days.
After a stellar start to the year in Indianapolis week 1, the Seahawks fell to 1-1 in a heartbreaking overtime defeat to the Titans. Regardless of being projected to win by ESPNs win probability meter for nearly the entire match, Seattle couldn’t put together, or stop a drive when it needed to. The loss leads the team into a state of limbo heading into week 3. Is this 2021 Seahawks squad truly improved from the under performing nightmare 2020 team?
Chris Carson coming off a great game against the Colts was set for another big day against a Titans front 7 that had allowed 136 yards on 33 carries for an average of 4.1 YPC to the Cardinals. Yet, it simply wasn’t the power backs day despite his two scores. Carson had his worst career single game YPC with 2.4 and was not targeted during the entirety of the game. Taking away his longest run of the day for 8 yards, that cuts his average down to 1.9 YPC. Not a stat you want from your lead back. Comparatively, Alex Collins broke out his only carry of the day for 25 yards. Collins was not handed off to again.
The Offensive line struggled most of the game, clearly being pushed back consistently, erasing Wilsons summer dream of another week 1 performance. The line collectively allowed 3 sacks, 6 hurries, 2 hits and 11 pressures for a pressure rate of 30.6%, up from last week's 21.4%. 2nd year Damien Lewis and new starting center Kyle Fuller have struggled the most to keep up this season as PFF has them graded 54.9 and 46.1 overall. Above average pass blocking from the tackles Duane Brown and Brandon Shell are the only thing keeping some of us from pulling our hair out (or what's left of it).
With the Titans missing two of their offensive line starters in pro bowl tackle Taylor Lewan and Rodger Saffold, this should have been a field day for the defense. Even with Norton sending 10 blitzes at Tannehill, the Titans quarterback enjoyed a relatively clean pocket throughout the contest with a 20% pressure rate. After confidence going into the season with the defensive line, they have thus far not lived up to expectations. Here’s hoping they hit their stride soon because this secondary will require as much help as they can get down the stretch of the season.
Seahawks play of the day: Alton Robinson forced fumble, Kerry Hyder recovers.
Yes the offense drew up some pretty plays scoring a whole lot of points, and as fans we love to see points because they’re pretty! However on a day where the defense only produced 3 stops, Robinsons forced fumble and Hyder’s recovery likely would've been the silent play of the game if the Seahawks won the game. Robinson, who has thus far only played 30 snaps in the season, is Seattle's highest rated defender by PFF with a grade of 91.6. With the plethora of defensive line talent, keep an eye on Robinson in it’s rotations as he is thus far having himself a great year 2.
Star of the match: Tyler Lockett, the little underrated receiver that could.
Following a great outing in Indianapolis, Lockett turned heads once more at Lumen field. Lockett and Metcalf were both targeted equally throughout the game, the former finished with one of his best statistical days to date. Him and Wilson now stand at a 156.2 rating after two games where Lockett is currently the NFL’s second leading receiver with 278 receiving yards. With teams seemingly respecting the rising threat of Metcalf by playing off and sending constant double teams, Lockett will in all likelihood continue the speeding rampage on secondaries. In just 2 out of 17 games this season, the master of the moon ball has already compiled a quarter of his 1054 yards in 2020.
Where the game tilted: Derrick Henry's 60 yard rumble.
Just when it seemed like the Seahawks had asserted their control of the game with a two-score lead, in typical fashion, the defense allowed a quick score. In their defense, (see what I did there) the two time league leading rusher had been held in check up until that moment with 22 carries for 77 yards, his longest going for 11. Unfortunately with backs like Henry, all it takes is one missed tackle. While Adams was sealed off by AJ Brown on the play, Flowers could not make the tackle. Diggs hopelessly gave chase to Henry, who on the run recorded a 20.62 MPH speed.
Who needs to improve: Tre Flowers...please.
Flowers was tasked with the tall order of having to cover not 1 but 2 pro bowl caliber receivers in Julio Jones and AJ Brown on Sunday. He simply and unfortunately, and expectedly could not. Flowers had an average target distance of 20.5 yards allowing 4 completions for 102 yards being graded a 51.2 overall 79 / 103 corners in 2 weeks by PFF. Flowers interestingly is tied with DJ Reed for most snaps taken by a cornerback on defense in the NFL with 164, he and Reed have taken 100% of the defense's total snaps. After DJ Reed's far better performances at 5’9 to Flowers’ abysmal outings at 6’3, it might hopefully be time for some changeups, regardless of what Pete likes in his corners (height & tackling).
Stat of the day: Fastest sack in the league
Bobby Wagner recorded week 2’s fastest sack coming in at 2.5 seconds, falling 2nd place to Chandler Jones’ 2.24 sack. Both coincidentally against Tannehill, who probably still doesn’t know what happened.
Next on Deck: Do or die in Minnesota?
Yes, it’s only week 3 of the season, but is it really too early to be calling this a must win game on Sunday? The NFC West currently stands at 7-1 with Seattle holding it’s sole loss. In an uber-competitive division, Sunday’s game will likely prove how this 2021 squad faces adversity.
The Vikings stood a missed field goal away from edging out the Cardinals last week and fell to 0-2. Despite Cousins being the 4th most pressured QB this season per FantasyPros, the Vikings are 11th in scoring after 2 weeks. With weapons Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook, this team seems like a clone of the talent Seattle faced offensively against the Titans.
Though Wilson has never lost to the Mike Zimmer led Vikings, he had also never lost to a team at home when leading by two scores at half. If the Seahawks aren’t able to walk into Minnesota this Sunday with a sense of urgency and discipline on both sides of the ball, it will stay a close game. A close game we just can’t be sure they’ll pull out of after last Sunday's performance.