Mike Macdonald searched for the right words when asked about the performance of his backup quarterback, Sam Howell, after the Seahawks Football Fest scrimmage at Lumen Field. This was the first time Macdonald had walked into the stadium with players and fans as the coach of the Seahawks. Stepping to the podium after practice seemed to hold some significance to him as well. Having to find constructive words to answer a question about a player not performing was as good of a test as anything else that had transpired during the day.
Macdonald deftly deflected away from the actual performance on the field and spoke instead about Howell’s competitive nature and that these types of less-than-full-contact environments do not showcase his best traits. There could definitely be some truth to that, as I have guessed about on this blog the last couple of weeks. It is also undeniably true that Howell had precious little be proud about in this mock game.
He missed his first five passes before finally completing a ball to Cody White. I only saw him complete five passes on the day. Four of those were for 6 yards or less. He would have been sacked at least twice and possibly as many as four times. He scrambled a lot, and that is the part you cannot really judge in this light contact environment. Still, it was far from a functional offense with Howell at the helm.
Macdonald could not help but have a Freudian slip where he mentioned looking forward to having Geno Smith back while answering about Howell. Aren’t we all, Coach.
Pass rush comes alive
The story of the afternoon was the effectiveness of the pass rush, especially on the edges. Interior rushers have had a more notable camp than edge rushers so far due, in part, to the solid play from the Seahawks offensive tackles. That changed in this practice.
Devin Witherspoon blitzed on the first play and batted down Howell’s pass. Mike Morris collapsed the right side of the line against McClendon Curtis and made it impossible for Howell to step into his next throw, almost batting it down. Leonard Williams got after Curtis on the 3rd down snap and batted down the pass. Three different players. Three straight pressures to start team drills.
It was more than just Curtis being challenged.
Boye Mafe beat George Fant for what would have been a sack. Mafe did it again later. There were multiple blitzes from different players that hurried Howell and led to scrambles or holding calls or incompletions.
Morris might have been the highlight player given he was able to impact the game outside and inside, which Macdonald spoke about afterwards. The second year lineman is coming on strong.
Offensive line competition is on
Macdonald made a statement that felt like the news of the day when he said they don’t believe they have found their best five linemen yet, and he does not think they are close to declaring starters. That was a little surprising given how little rotation we have seen with the starting five throughout camp.
His comments are open to interpretation, but I do not believe he is referring to Charles Cross or Fant, and I think Laken Tomlinson is unlikely as well. That leaves center and right guard. While I continue to believe center is a weak spot, my read was Macdonald is referring to the right guard spot.
Anthony Bradford has been the starter so far, but Christian Haynes is making a push. Bradford continues to be inconsistent as a pass protector. Haynes is not perfect, but he seems less prone to surrendering quick pressure and is generally more consistent snap-to-snap.
There is another wild possibility that I plan to ask about next week: could the team explore moving Haynes to center?
The rookie took snaps at center during the Senior Bowl. He would be an immediate upgrade there, and then allow the team to choose between Curtis and Bradford at right guard. My best five from what I have witnessed would have Curtis at right guard and Haynes at center.
That could be a lot to ask of the rookie, but it also may be the best chance to field an average or better offensive line.
Tyrice Knight earns praise
Rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight made an impression during the scrimmage when the team allowed live contact on the final series with mostly third string guys in there. Rookie George Holani got the handoff and cut to the left side of the line, hoping to find space. Instead, he found Knight there to knock him on his tail with a good lick after having naturally flowed from his middle linebacker spot to meet the ball carrier.
I asked Macdonald about Knight after the practice and he gave what is high praise from any football coach, “When you’re playing real football, he comes alive.” Knight is getting extra reps as Jerome Baker has missed time with a hamstring injury. He is taking advantage.
It would not be surprising if Knight has a standout preseason. He is looking like the third back inside linebacker on this team already.
Geno participates in his own way
The crowd gave Geno Smith a nice ovation as he entered the stadium, and chanted, “Geno! Geno! Geno!” as he exited. In between, Smith found ways to get mental reps.
He stood about 15-20 yards behind the quarterback for some series with a headset on. There were multiple moments where he gestured to tell a player to motion across the formation. The players could not see or hear him, but most of the time the player would eventually make the move Smith had indicated was the right check.
Macdonald said there was another test planned for Smith after the practice but that he expected him to be back on the practice field this week.
Dee Williams having a sneaky camp
Undrafted free agent Dee Williams was signed largely due to his return abilities, and was generally regarded as a non-starter as a receiver. The team seemed to come to the same conclusion early and camp and moved him to cornerback.
Williams has done plenty of work with the special teams unit as a returner, indicating the team still likes what he offers there. More of note has been some excellent coverage at corner.
Williams has been in tight coverage during many of the team drills. It took me a few days before I recognized who he was, but he kept catching my eye.
The possibly crazy question to ask is whether he has shown enough as a corner that the team would consider moving on from a veteran like Mike Jackson in order to have his return talents on the roster. Alternatively, he could push rookie D.J. James off the roster, but that seems less likely. The team could keep seven corners, but that would cause them to keep one fewer edge or inside linebacker.
The question is crazy for the time being, but if Williams has a standout preseason, remember where you heard it first.