Seattle Seahawks’ TEs showed why they can be key to offense

Sep 18, 2023, 3:58 PM

Seattle Seahawks TE Colby Parkinson carries the ball against Detroit on Sept. 17, 2023. (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

(Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Editor of SeattleSports.com

As the Seattle Seahawks prepared to field the opening kickoff in overtime against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, the announcing team on the Seattle Sports radio broadcast had a pretty good idea for how the Hawks’ offense could pull out the win.

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“The Seahawks have seen enough out of this Detroit defense, they kinda know where some areas are where they can make some ground up,” said longtime play-by-play voice Steve Raible, a former Seahawks wide receiver. “I like (Will) Dissly, (Colby) Parkinson, Noah Fant – the tight ends have done a great job today. (Wide receiver) Tyler Lockett, as well.”

Raible’s partner in the booth, color commentator and former Seahawks linebacker Dave Wyman, was in agreement.

“The thing is, too, if you get that ’13’ personnel out there where it’s three tight ends, one running back, one receiver – put Tyler out there – you can run it, you can do play-action pass,” Wyman said. “Those are nice, easy, short patterns to your tight ends. I really like that. Last year, it was really good for them.”

After the Seahawks opened and closed overtime with a touchdown drive, it seemed like the coaching staff had been listening to Raible and Wyman. Quarterback Geno Smith completed two passes to Fant, one for 17 yards and another for 4. He found Parkinson for a 21-yard gain. He connected with DK Metcalf, who may not be a tight end but isn’t much smaller than one, on a huge 16-yard pass on third down. And in the end, Smith hit Lockett for the game-winning touchdown.

That drive was the best example of the day for what Seattle can get out of utilizing its tight ends, something the Hawks saw success with throughout the 37-31 victory. Fant caught four passes for 56 yards, Parkinson had 41 yards on two receptions, and Dissly hauled in three passes for 35 yards. Those numbers look even better when you also consider Seattle’s contributions from Metcalf (six catches, 75 yards) and Lockett (eight catches, 59 yards and a pair of touchdowns).

Former NFL wide receiver and current Seahawks Radio Network pregame/postgame host Michael Bumpus was asked Monday which position group impressed him the most in Seattle’s win, and he too spotlighted the tight ends. During the Four-Down Territory segment of Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, he said their presence was needed with the Hawks’ two starting offensive tackles injured, and they were up to the task.

“It’s about those tight ends,” Bumpus said. “Coming into this game, I felt like (Seahawks offensive coordinator) Shane Waldron was going to attach them to the line of scrimmage, see a lot of two- and three-tight end packages because of the offensive tackle situation. You want to help these guys out. He started the game doing exactly that.

“… The tight ends, they’re not going to get a whole bunch of yards – but they did. They’re not get a lot of attention – but they should. They might be the key to this offense staying balanced and being creative.”

His co-host, Stacy Rost, pointed out that the Seahawks’ QB was another person who shined a light on the tight ends.

“Geno said that, too. He was like, ‘They are the thing that keeps us going.’ Like, ‘they are the key for us,'” Rost said. “And also, four of the five longest plays of the day for Seattle, all to tight ends. And three of those were on scoring drives. … When those guys get involved, they can be so dynamic.”

Michael Bumpus answers four football questions at 11:15 a.m. each weekday during Bump and Stacy’s Four-Down Territory on Seattle Sports. Listen to Monday’s edition in the podcast at this link or in the player above.