Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks almost had one of the most embarrassing losses of the season. Key word is almost.
Credit to 44-year-old Philip Rivers for not looking woefully out of his place in his first start in five years (well, up until his final throw of the game), but the Seahawks would’ve been summarily and maybe justifiably dismissed as serious Super Bowl contenders. They had to gut this victory out against a desperate Indianapolis Colts side and did so without scoring a touchdown.
Let’s get to Winners and Losers for Seahawks 18, Colts 16.
Jason Myers is our hero
Six field goal attempts, six makes, and a valuable win thanks to the leading field goal maker in the NFL this year. What more needs to be said? Also huge props to him for not botching the final kickoff and forcing the Colts to burn time with a return that was inefficient in terms of field position and time off the clock.
Rashid Shaheed is getting more involved in the offense
Shaheed’s punt return decisions could use some work, but we’re finally starting to see that chemistry build between Shaheed and Sam Darnold. He finished with 5 catches for 74 yards on 7 targets, continuing his strong offensive performance from last week. The game-winning drive was just about all Shaheed: kick return + a pair of catches to get Seattle into field goal range.
Mike Macdonald’s timeout usage was masterful
By calling timeouts the minute the Colts crossed midfield, Macdonald preserved time for the Seahawks in case the Colts made a field goal without picking up another first down. Had the Colts had another first down, the timeouts wouldn’t have mattered, but his defense stopped Jonathan Taylor on 3rd and 7 and left Sam Darnold with enough time to score again. I’ve been critical of Macdonald holding onto his timeouts too much at the end of halves, but he nailed situational football on this occasion. I might as well give Brian Eayrs a game ball since he’s a research analyst for Seattle and informs Macdonald of these choices.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is back above the century mark
Chasing Calvin Johnson’s record looks like a lost cause unless he really unleashes hell on Earth over the final three weeks, but he still had 113 yards on 7 catches. His one bad play was an uncharacteristic dropped pass on a Sam Darnold dime over the middle. JSN is still far and away Seattle’s best offensive weapon and he continues to have one of the great seasons in Seahawks history.
Cooper Kupp gets more involved
Kupp caught 5 passes for 46 yards, which may not seem like much, but it’s his first time with that many catches since October. There’s still a little bit of life left in Kupp as a chain mover who rarely makes negative plays with the ball in his hands.
Sam Darnold delivers when it matters most
Was that a great game from Darnold? I thought he was good...
