Seahawks Vs. Bears: Three Big Winners From Preseason Week 2 Loss
It was not a good presentation at home for the Seahawks in their preseason week 2 matchup against the Bears, but there are some roster winners from it.
We already recapped how bad it was Seattle’s first home game of this season, but it’s time to talk about the good things this game had. There were some winners from the 27-11 loss against Chicago, and here they are:
Seahawks Standouts From Loss To Bears
Drew Lock, Quarterback
It’s odd that Lock could be a winner from a game he didn’t even have the chance to play in due to COVID-19, but this is the case for him. Even though according to Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, the virus hit hard on the quarterback, he is a winner from this game.
Lock had a big impression in week 1 in Pittsburgh, proving that he should take the QB1 job. And, following his momentum, he was set to start against the Bears after he received first-team reps during the week. It was bad luck that Lock had to sit out, but Geno Smith did not take advantage of his absence.
Smith played the entire first half in Seattle, finishing with 10/18 and 112 passing yards. Against the Steelers, he played decently and showed some good things, but against the Bears it was a big downgrade and led some fans to believe that Lock should be the starter.
In the second half, Jacob Eason had action with the team for the first time this preseason and recorded 17/35 passing for 141 yards. It could’ve been an opportunity for him to step up a bit, but Smith looked better than Eason even in his mediocre game.
Travis Homer, Running Back
What a performance Travis Homer had on Thursday night. Following a solid game against the Steelers, Homer was probably the best Seahawks player vs. the Bears. He recorded 44 rushing yards, including an impressive 33-yard rush, on only five carries. The running back room may be shaping up to be the strongest position group on the roster.
This core still gives me 2018 vibes, when the Seahawks led the league in rushing offense with Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny, and Mike Davis. Now, Penny and Kenneth Walker III (set to be ready for week 1) are going to lead this group, but Homer and DeeJay Dallas (67 total yards against Chicago) complement them well. I’m convinced that the running game will be key in 2022.
Dallas could still be a receiving back in this group for third downs, but Homer has the advantage in creating yards from the ground on short yardage plays and is a better pass blocker. It could be exciting to see the evolution of the Seahawks running game with these guys delivering and growing game by game.
Also, he gave us a hilarious Instagram post from the game (with special attention to that caption):
Tariq Woolen, Cornerback
It was not a secret that Woolen struggled a little bit in his NFL debut. But he showed some good things, and all the eyes were on him for his first game in Seattle. And he delivered.
Woolen had a lot of action last Thursday in playing 59% of the defensive snaps, so the team believes he can be the guy we are all expecting by giving him playing time. Woolen improved in zone coverage (in which he allowed a TD in Pittsburgh), was good in press coverage, and also had one of the highlights of the game:
that Tariq Woolen tackle was just nasty pic.twitter.com/PD7bNGcfOy — Zuko Samba (@ZukoSamba) August 19, 2022
He was the main starter on the right side as a cornerback, complementing Michael Jackson. The young corners on the team are set up to provide good depth at a position of growing importance.
Coby Bryant also played better in this game than he did in Week One against the Steelers.
Honorable Mentions
Damien Lewis, Left Guard: One of the scariest moments of the night was when Lewis went down with an ankle injury. He was attended to by the medical staff for a while, with his team circling up around him. Fortunately, he avoided a major injury as x-rays were negative, and only suffered a lateral sprain.
Michael Dickson, Punter: It is not a good thing that Dickson had to punt 10 times, but he finished with a total of 472 punting yards (47.2 average yards) showing he is one of the best in business. Seattle has a huge special teams asset in Dickson.
Abraham Lucas, Right Tackle: Another solid performance by the third-rounder. Not only was he a pancake king once again, but he keeps the consistent game on top. With 60 pass-blocking snaps and only 1 pressure allowed in this preseason so far, he is on pace to be the starter at the right tackle position.
If you or anyone you know may be interested in applying for a contributing writer position with Hawks Huddle, check out the Opportunities site for more information. We are actively hiring contributing writers, and we need your help to put out more great content!
Also, if you don’t want to miss any Seahawks game or NFL content, make sure to subscribe to NFL+! NFL content, wherever you go, wherever you want: https://www.gopjn.com/t/4-481235-279750-55814.