Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks rookies combined for 137 snaps in Week 18 against the San Francisco 49ers. Once again, only Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori played meaningful snaps. Robbie Ouzts logged his third-highest snap count of the season, while Rylie Mills and undrafted rookie Amari Kight combined for just five snaps.
Let’s dive into the tape and break down the key rookie performances from Seattle’s NFC West championship victory.
This was Zabel’s best game of the season — and arguably one of the best individual offensive line performances the Seahawks have put on tape in quite some time. He posted a 93.4 PFF offensive grade (best in Week 18), a 91.6 run-blocking grade (also best of the week), and did not allow a single pressure.
The improvement is clear on film. Zabel played with a much stronger base and better balance throughout the game. On similar reps earlier in the season, he was getting walked back at the point of contact. Here, he absorbs the defender’s momentum, stays square, and preserves the integrity of the pocket.
Hand placement was another major step forward. On one rep, Zabel mixes in a jump set, completely disrupting the defensive tackle’s timing. His right hand lands cleanly under the pads — textbook placement — allowing him to control and steer the defender.
Play-action reps can sometimes flatter offensive linemen, but the growth still matters. Go back a few weeks to the sack he allowed against the Rams on a similar push-pull attempt. This time, Zabel avoids leaning forward, keeps his weight centered, and eliminates any chance of the defender countering back inside.
One of the most impressive snaps came on a screen. Zabel shows patience, delaying his release just enough to avoid an ineligible man downfield penalty, then absolutely levels the linebacker to spring Ken Walker. That’s awareness and discipline paired with violence.
Watch Zabel’s footwork compared to the rest of the line. When he’s already into his third step, other linemen are still finishing their first. That get-off speed gives him excellent angles on reach blocks and consistently puts him in position to win early.
There was a questionable holding call against him that doesn’t fully match what the tape shows. Zabel helps Josh Jones at the first level, then climbs quickly to the linebacker. The 49ers defender does a good job attacking low and slipping, which creates the illusion of a hold more than an actual one.
This snap encapsulates why the Seahawks’ run game finally clicked. All five linemen are in sync, and the angles at the second level are clean. Given the athletic profile of this offensive line, this kind of execution had been surprisingly inconsistent all year. Here, Jalen Sundell and Zabel reach the second level with ease, sealing key blocks on a long third-down conversion.
Seattle’s defensive performance was close to flawless, and Emmanwori played his role to near perfection. He...
