Running recap: Seahawks drop preseason opener 19-17 to Colts

The Seattle Seahawks are back, opening their preseason against Indianapolis in Colts quarterback Andrew Luck’s return to the field after missing all of 2017 following shoulder surgery. Here is the running recap written throughout the game.

C.J. Prosise out for preseason opener with hip injury

First quarter

Seahawks 7, Colts 3

The earliest of early returns on the Seahawks’ renewed focus on the run game was very positive. Chris Carson gained 18 yards on three carries, first-round pick Rashaad Penny picked up 5 on a pair of touches and Russell Wilson of course chipped in, adding 14 on two runs to get Seattle deep into Colts territory. Wilson then connected with third-year tight end Nick Vannett for a five-yard score, making it 7-3 with 3 minutes even to go in the first quarter.

The Colts scored on their first series, as well, with Adam Vinatieri knocking through a 33-yard field goal.

Both Indy and Seattle converted an early fourth down attempt.

On defense, slot cornerback Justin Coleman nearly had the first pick of the preseason, diving at a pass in the flat that he just couldn’t quite keep from hitting the ground.

Colts quarterback Andrew Luck made his first appearance in a game since 2016 due to shoulder issues. While he was accurate, completing 5 of 7 attempts for 55 yards, he also was dropped after a 1 yard run by All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner on a third down in the first series, then was sacked by Seahawks rookie defensive end Rasheem Green, a third-round draft pick out of USC, late in the frame.

IND – Adam Vinatieri 33 FG, 9:22
SEA – Nick Vannett 5 pass from Russell Wilson (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 3:00

Second quarter

Colts 9, Seahawks 7

The Seahawks had their biggest offensive play of the day, but it was shortly followed by their first turnover.

Austin Davis, who is competing to keep his backup quarterback job over rookie Alex McGough, helped his case with a nice 28-yard pass to David Moore. What didn’t help, however, was the attempt into the end zone that was intercepted by the Colts’ Nate Hairston to end Seattle’s first series of the quarter. The Seahawks were kept off the scoreboard for the whole frame, while a pair of field goals by the 45-year-old Vinatieri put the Colts ahead 9-7 going into halftime.

Second-year Seahawks safety Delano Hill showed strong instincts on special teams, stripping the ball from Colts punt returner Nyheim Hines, but Hines was ruled down before the fumble came loose in a favorable call for Indy. Had that call gone the other way, the score would likely had been different at the half.

IND – Adam Vinatieri 51 FG, 13:37
IND – Adam Vinatieri 45 FG, :25

Third quarter

Colts 12, Seahawks 10

The Seahawks took the lead back on a 43-yard field goal by Jason Myers, a former Jaguars kicker who the Seahawks picked up on a futures deal all the way back in early January. That will help Myers out as he tries to overtake Raiders legend Sebastian Janikowski for Seattle’s kicker job.

The lead didn’t last for Seattle, as Michael Badgley kicked the fourth field goal of the game for the Colts, a 34-yarder with 1:31 left in the quarter.

Rookie tight end Will Dissly, a fifth-round draft pick out of UW, showed he can catch passes along with his highly-touted blocking ability. He hauled in a pair of receptions for 19 yards in the third. That gave former Huskies a grand total of three catches for 34 yards for Seattle, as wide receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow had a 15-yard catch earlier in the game.

The pass rush continued to be a bright spot for Seattle, with rookies Jacob Martin and Green teaming up on a sack of Jacoby Brisset, who was the Colts’ starting QB for much of 2017 while Luck was injured. It was the third sack of the day for the Seahawks, with Green taking part in two of them.

SEA – Jason Myers 43 FG, 7:32
IND – Michael Badgley 34 FG, 1:31

Fourth quarter

Final: Colts 19, Seahawks 17

The punter battle is on.

The Seahawks fell behind and struggled to do much on offense, but that allowed rookie Michael Dickson and veteran Jon Ryan to go toe-to-toe – get it, because they’re punters? Anyways, Australian import Dickson ripped a 59-yard punt out of the end zone that was too hot for the Colts’ Nyheim Hines to handle. On the next Seattle series, it was Ryan’s turn, and the 36-year-old Canadian acquitted himself nicely with a 53-yard kick.

As interesting as the punting battle was, the fact that it was one of the highlights of Seattle’s fourth quarter pretty much says it all. The Colts pushed their lead to two scores when Darrell Daniels, another former UW tight end, brought in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Phillip Walker. Even a fumble recovery in the end zone by defensive tackle Joey Ivie giftwrapped from the Colts to the Seahawks ended up being too little, too late.

Injuries were the other big story in the fourth, with David Moore the victim of a helmet-to-helmet hit by Shamarko Thomas (which earned Thomas an ejection) and rookie offensive tackle Jamarco Jones being carted off with a lower body injury. Jones joined Isaiah Battle as Seahawks tackles forced out of the game due to injury.

IND – Darrell Daniels 10 pass from Phillip Walker, 10:42
SEA – Joey Ivie 0 fumble return (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 3:15

Seahawks rookie CB Tre Flowers gets an early chance to make his case

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