Quarter by quarter: Seahawks beat Raiders 17-13

The 2017 Seattle Seahawks are still unbeaten.

Well, it was just the preseason, but the fact remains.

The Seahawks survived the fourth and final exhibition game of 2017, beating the Raiders 17-13 in Oakland after backup quarterback hopeful Austin Davis found Kenny Lawler with a 16-yard touchdown pass with just 1:10 to go.

Davis leads final drive | Boykin struggles | Stats

Here’s a breakdown of each quarter in the Seahawks’ victory.

First quarter

Defense: The first quarter was another entry into what has been a dominant preseason on the defensive side of the ball for the Seahawks. Seattle got off to a fast start, as Oakland running back John Crockett put the ball on the ground at Oakland’s 19 on the second play from scrimmage, and Seattle linebacker Terence Garvin picked it up and returned it to the 9 to give the Seahawks an easy opportunity to take an early lead. Seattle continued to stifle the Raiders over the rest of the quarter, as Oakland had just one first down over its next two series, punting the ball away each time.

Offense: Russell Wilson had the night off, one of a host of Seahawks sitting out the final game of the preseason to preserve their health ahead of the regular season opener on Sept. 10. So taking the snaps on the first series instead was Trevone Boykin, who entered Thursday needing a strong game to ensure he retains the Seahawks’ backup quarterback job. He didn’t get off to the best start. Though he had a nice third series, completing three passes of 20 yards or more to get Seattle into the end zone, he and the Seahawks had to settle for a chip-shot field goal by Blair Walsh after being gifted the ball inside the red zone in the first minute, and he was picked off later in the frame.

SEA – 21 FG Blair Walsh, 12:40 (3-0 SEA)
SEA – Trevone Boykin 34 pass to Rodney Smith, 4:32 (Walsh kick, 10-0 SEA)

Second quarter

Offense: It went from bad to worse for Boykin, who already had one interception in the first quarter and added another on Seattle’s first series of the second quarter. And while he nearly had his second touchdown pass of the game to Rodney Smith just before halftime, Boykin underthrew him and the clock ran out on the next play without any additional points for Seattle. Austin Davis, Boykin’s competition for the backup quarterback job, already outplayed him a week before against Kansas City, and Boykin opened the door for Davis to do so once more in the second half just two days before the Seahawks have to cut their roster down.

Defense: A personal foul on Seattle’s Marcus Smith nullified a stop on third down, and Oakland took advantage by finishing off a 14-play, 94-yard drive with an 18-yard touchdown pass from E.J. Manuel to Keon Hatcher to get on the board. That series took up 7:57 of clock, so halftime no doubt arrived at a good time for the Seahawks’ defenders.

Notable: The Seahawks appeared to lose a significant piece of their depth at cornerback, as DeAndre Elliott was carted off with his right leg in an air cast after an injury that looked to be quite painful. John Clayton wrote earlier this week that Elliott and Pierre Desir were battling for the last open spot in Seattle’s secondary.

OAK – E.J. Manuel 18 pass to Keon Hatcher, 1:55 (Giorgio Tavecchio kick, 10-7 SEA)

Third quarter

Offense: One Seahawks preseason standout connected with another to get things going in the second half, quarterback Austin Davis finding wide receiver Kasen Williams on a second-and-20 play for 36 yards. Both are in unsettled battles for roster spots, and Williams did just about everything he could to convince Seahawks brass he’s worth taking a shot on. Davis was unable to get Seattle into the end zone, though, which provides further fuel to speculation that the Seahawks could sign a free agent to be their backup QB after the NFL’s cutdown deadline Saturday.

Defense: Oakland moved into a 10-all tie when Giorgio Tavecchio nailed a 34-yard field goal at the end of a seven-play, 45-yard drive. The Seahawks were rewarded when they kept the Raiders out of the end zone again after 13 plays on the next series, as Tavecchio hit the upright from 35 yards.

Special teams: Blair Walsh missed his first field goal of the preseason – well, the first one that he didn’t get to re-kick following a penalty – coming up short from 49 yards at the end of Seattle’s first drive of the half.

OAK – 34 FG Giorgio Tavecchio, 8:17 (10-10)

Fourth quarter

Offense: The good news came in a set of three for the Seahawks. Austin Davis found Kenny Lawler with 1:10 left to give Seattle the lead for good. That kept the Seahawks perfect in preseason play. And last, and most importantly, that prevented overtime from happening in an exhibition game, which is something all people can agree should never happen.

Defense: For the third time in the game, the Seahawks kept Oakland from scoring a touchdown, getting the Raiders to stall out and settle for a field goal with 3:47 left. That did give Oakland a 13-10 lead, but it didn’t last for long. And after Seattle took the lead back, Otha Peters made sure it stayed that way, picking off a pass deflected by Pierre Desir to give the ball back to the Seahawks offense, which kneeled to end the game.

OAK – 28 FG Giorgio Tavecchio, 3:46 (13-10 OAK)
SEA – Austin Davis 16 pass to Kenny Lawler, 1:10 (17-13 SEA)

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