DANNY ONEIL

O’Neil: Seahawks’ perfect record is no mirage because of their offense

Oct 4, 2020, 3:10 PM | Updated: 5:15 pm

Seahawks Russell Wilson...

Russell Wilson leaves Miami with 16 passing touchdowns on the season. (Getty)

(Getty)

The Seahawks allowed a season-low in passing yards on Sunday in Miami.

OK, Ryan Fitzpatrick still threw for 315 yards, but that’s an improvement over the hemorrhages Seattle’s secondary suffered the first three weeks.

Recap: Seahawks 31, Dolphins 23 | Instant ReactionQuick Hits

The Seahawks held the Dolphins to just one touchdown, too. That was in addition to five field goals, but still, Miami didn’t reach the end zone until there was fewer than 2 minutes remaining in the game.

But while Seattle’s defense was a few notches below dominant in Sunday’s 31-23, it was at least recognizable. More importantly, it was enough for Seattle to improve to 4-0 for only the second time in franchise history.

Perfect seems like a strange adjective to hang on Seattle’s start given just how many yards Seattle has allowed, but perfect is exactly what Seattle’s record is. That record is not a mirage, but a reflection of how well Seattle’s offense is functioning.

That starts with Russell Wilson, who threw for a season-high 360 yards against the Dolphins and two more scoring passes, giving him 16 this season. It continues with DK Metcalf, who had 106 yards receiving, demonstrating all of the different ways he can impose his will upon a defense. He gained 37 yards on a catch in which he ran by the coverage, then in the second half gained 32 by running through the Dolphins’ defense on a receiver screen.

David Moore might have had Seattle’s two biggest catches in the game. His 57-yard reception in the final minute of the second quarter set up Seattle’s touchdown just before halftime and his 17-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter gave Seattle cushion after the Dolphins had cut Seattle’s lead to two points.

The Seahawks’ offense was so good that they led by 16 points in the fourth quarter on the road in a game where it failed to score on two of its red-zone possessions. Seattle went for it on fourth-and-3 in the second quarter and gave up a sack, and then in the third quarter Wilson threw a pass that was intercepted in the end zone, a scoring chance fizzling after Seattle drove 63 yards to begin the second half.

Seattle’s defense, meanwhile, it was good enough. It forced Miami to settle for a field goal each of the first two times the Dolphins got the ball inside the Seattle 20. More importantly, the Seahawks kept the backdoor locked tight, refusing to let anyone get behind them. That was a glaring problem in Week 3 against Dallas when Seattle’s secondary suffered primary burns, giving up four completions of more than 40 yards.

Miami’s longest completion on Sunday was 26 yards, and it only had two plays that gained 20 yards or more. The Dolphins’ only touchdown was scored on a quarterback scramble with less than 2 minutes remaining. After scoring on the two-point conversion, the Dolphins never saw the ball again.

The defense may not have been great, but it was good enough for Seattle to reach 4-0 for the first time in 2013. You remember that team, right? Everyone does.

Well, that team came much closer to losing in its first four games than this one. That sounds surprising especially when you consider needed to stop Cam Newton from the 1-yard line to beat the Patriots in Week 2 and intercepted Dak Prescott in the end zone to preserve a Week 3 win.

We all remember how good the Seahawks were in 2013, especially with that defense.

The Seahawks beat the Panthers 12-7 in Week 1, but only after Earl Thomas forced a fumble inside the Seattle 10 with about 5 minutes left. The Seahawks needed a defensive touchdown to force overtime at Houston in Week 4, a game they won despite only having 90 yards passing in the game.

Wilson had more than that in the first quarter of this week’s game in Miami, and while Seattle has a long way to go before it matches the success we saw in 2013, Seattle couldn’t have started this season any better in terms of its record, which is – yes – perfect.

Follow Danny O’Neil on Twitter.

Rost: Seahawks’ D, far cry from last time they were 4-0, takes step forward

Danny and Gallant Show

Danny ONeil

Seahawks Quandre Diggs...

Danny O'Neil

O’Neil: Seahawks have uncertainty with a player ‘holding in,’ but it’s not Quandre Diggs

While Quandre Diggs appears to be the third Seahawks player to "hold-in" during training camp, Danny O'Neil writes that it's Duane Brown whose future is up in the air.

3 years ago

Follow @dannyoneil...

Danny O'Neil

AZ Good AZ it Gets

SPONSORED – Phoenix was the place where the rest of the country found out that Seattle fans took their enthusiasm on the road with them. That was 2013. It’s also the place where I discovered how restorative a desert vacation can be. That was 2015. Let’s start with the screaming. That’s what caught everyone’s attention […]

3 years ago

Mariners Jarred Kelenic...

Danny O'Neil

O’Neil: Mariners aren’t handing the spotlight over to Seahawks just yet

This is the time of year that Seattle tends to shift its focus to the gridiron, but the Mariners are still commanding attention.

3 years ago

Seahawks Duane Brown...

Danny O'Neil

O’Neil: When Seahawks decide not to extend players, they’re rarely wrong

If you think the Seahawks must sign Duane Brown to an extension, when's the last time they opted against re-signing someone and it came back to bite them?

3 years ago

Follow @dannyoneil...

Danny O'Neil

Oh, LA, LA!

Week 15, Dec. 19: Seattle at Los Angeles Rams, SoFi Stadium, 1:25 p.m. Pacific SPONSORED – Maybe it was fitting that the opening act for the first pro-football game I covered in Los Angeles was a rock band I loved as a teenager. There’s no place that makes me think of growing up more than […]

3 years ago

Follow @dannyoneil...

Danny O'Neil

Star in a Lone Star Adventure

Week 14, Dec. 12: Seattle at Houston Texans, NRG Stadium, 10 a.m. Pacific SPONSORED – Enchiladas and greatness. That’s what I think of in Texas. The enchiladas are pretty straightforward. They’re so delicious at El Tiempo Cantina that it’s hard to take a bite without closing my eyes. There are three locations though the one […]

3 years ago

O’Neil: Seahawks’ perfect record is no mirage because of their offense