Fast Facts: Seahawks roll to 27-0 win over Chargers in preseason finale
Aug 28, 2021, 9:55 PM | Updated: Aug 29, 2021, 10:44 am
The Seahawks put their sleepy first two preseason games behind them Saturday night, making plenty of highlights on both sides of the ball in a 27-0 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at Lumen Field in their final exhibition game of 2021.
Seahawks 27, Chargers 0: Box score
Seattle took a quick lead without even an offensive possession. Linebacker Cody Barton got to Chargers quarterback Chase Daniel on the fifth play from scrimmage for a strip sack, and the ball found its way into the hands of Marquise Blair, Barton’s college teammate from Utah. Blair ran to the end zone for a 17-yard return, giving the Seahawks a lead that Los Angeles would never challenge.
The Seahawks made it 14-0 with an 11-play, 80-yard drive late in the first quarter that was capped off by a 5-yard touchdown run by Alex Collins (more on him later).
How does 6️⃣ more sound, @Budda03?
📺: #LACvsSEA on FOX
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 29, 2021
Seattle went into halftime up 17-0 thanks to the addition of a 30-yard Jason Myers field goal, which followed up a failed 47-yard attempt by Chargers kicker Tristan Vizcaino, who you may remember from his college days with the UW Huskies.
Myers added a 33-yard field goal in the third quarter to push Seattle’s lead to 20-0.
Sean Mannion, who quarterbacked Seattle in the second half, led a 16-play, 87-yard drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Darece Roberson with 10:39 to go that wrapped up the night’s scoring.
Seahawks standouts
Running back Alex Collins continued his big preseason with another eye-opening performance, leading the Seahawks both in rushing (36 yards on nine carries) and receiving (52 yards on seven catches).
Alex Collins quick with it 💨 @Seahawks
📺: #LACvsSEA on @nflnetwork (or check local listings) pic.twitter.com/3cTrvazDWn
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 29, 2021
Josh Johnson, who saw the majority of the action at running back in the second half, added 33 yards on 11 carries and three catches for 17 yards.
Incumbent backup quarterback Geno Smith put his best foot forward two weeks after suffering a concussion, completing 11 of 15 attempts for 90 yards and rushing for 20 yards on two scrambles.
Sean Mannion kept the pressure on Smith, however. He threw 13 of 15 for 77 yards and a touchdown, and he had a 110.3 rating to Smith’s 88.2.
Wide receiver Dee Eskridge, Seattle’s 2021 second-rounder, had a 9-yard rush and 19-yard reception in his first action after recovering from a toe injury.
Rookie Dee Eskridge makes his first catch as a pro! @Seahawks
📺: #LACvsSEA on @NFLNetwork (or check local listings)
📱: https://t.co/RLRhlWKLey pic.twitter.com/VyR3H64iA2— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2021
Defensive end/strongside linebacker Darrell Taylor, Seattle’s 2020 second-round pick who missed all of last season, made a strong impression with 1.5 sacks, four tackles, two QB hits, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed.
Not only did fullback/linebacker/special teams Pro Bowler Nick Bellore make appearances in all three phases of the game, but he led the Seahawks with six tackles.
Middle linebacker Cody Barton was all over the field early in the first quarter and finished with five tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a QB hit.
WATCH OUT!
Cody Barton gets a free run and Marquise Blair houses it! @Seahawks
📺: #LACvsSEA on @NFLNetwork (or check local listings)
📱: https://t.co/RLRhlWKLey pic.twitter.com/sZe3tVEmuQ— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2021
Defensive lineman Kerry Hyder Jr. had two tackles and combined on a sack with Taylor.
Michael Dickson had four punts, including a long of 55 and three inside the 20, for an average of 44.8 yards.
.@mdcksn is a ridiculous punter. #LACvsSEA pic.twitter.com/FTl2Q7ZxqZ
— NFL (@NFL) August 29, 2021
What’s next
The Seahawks get two weeks to prepare for their regular season opener on Sept. 12 against the Colts in Indianapolis. The game is set for a 10 a.m. kickoff. Coverage will begin at 7 a.m. on 710 ESPN Seattle and KIRO Radio 97.3 FM with the pregame show. Click here for details on how to stream Seahawks Radio Network broadcasts.
Before the Seahawks get that far, they’ll cut their roster down to 53 players by the NFL deadline on Tuesday. We’ll have details on the Seahawks’ cuts and initial 53-man roster right here on 710Sports.com.
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