STACY ROST

Takeaways: The good and bad from Seahawks’ preseason loss to Vikings

Aug 19, 2019, 10:44 AM | Updated: 10:59 am

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson...

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson looked sharp in his preseason debut against the Vikings. (Getty)

(Getty)

The Seahawks left Minnesota with a 25-19 loss Sunday, but also with some encouragement from their first-team offense.

Here are a few early takeaways from Seattle’s second preseason game.

Injury updates: Seahawks WR DK Metcalf set for knee surgery

The good: Russell Wilson and the first-team offense

It was a short outing for quarterback Russell Wilson, running back Chris Carson, and several other Seahawks starters – many of whom, including Wilson, were held out of last week’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos – but the first-team offense shook of the rust quickly against the Vikings.

Carson had 25 yards on five carries. He opened Seattle’s first drive with a nice 6-yard gain then had a 9-yard run on the team’s second series.

Wilson was 6 of 9 for 82 yards passing in an outing that included two impressive deep shots to wide receiver Jaron Brown. One of those attempts was a 33-yard completion to convert on third-and-10, the longest play of the night for both Wilson and Brown.

Head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer have each lamented the lack of targets (19) Brown received in 2018 and have made clear the team’s intention to get the veteran more involved. It’s been obvious throughout Seattle’s offseason training that Brown sits near the top of the wide receiver corps, and that increased workload paid off Sunday with two key reception against Minnesota.

The good: DeShawn Shead and Ugo Amadi

Defensive back DeShawn Shead had his second defensive score in as many games. The seven-year NFL veteran, who returned for a second stint with the Seahawks earlier this summer, intercepted a pass from Vikings quarterback Sean Mannion on third-and-7 in the second quarter. Shead returned the pick 88 yards for a touchdown to give Seattle a 10-3 lead.

“As soon as I caught that ball I looked up and there were a couple guys to my left, and I knew then I’m about to outrun them,” Shead said during the Seahawks postgame show.

Shead also recorded a sack for a safety in last week’s preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.

Rookie safety Ugo Amadi also continued his strong outing from last week with a particularly impressive special teams tackle against Minnesota.

Amadi was the first to reach Vikings wide receiver Olabisi Johnson, who was attempting to receive a 53-yard punt by Seattle’s Michael Dickson. Amadi delivered a hard-hitting tackle that sent Johnson backwards to the ground for no gain. Johnson somehow managed to hang onto the ball, but it was the type of play that could certainly force a fumble.

The bad: Second- and third-team offense, injuries

Paxton Lynch looked the part of a solid backup quarterback in the Seahawks’ first preseason game – so much so that he propelled himself into a more serious battle with favorite Geno Smith – but he couldn’t find the same success Sunday. Seattle’s offense was held out of the end zone entirely, with the team’s 19 points came from Shead’s interception and four Jason Myers field goals.

Lynch finished the night 6 of 15 for 67 yards. He was sacked once for a loss of four yards and was nearly picked off by Vikings linebacker Kentrell Brothers, who snatched Lynch’s pass out of the air and bobbled it in his hands before dropping it.

To make matters worse, Lynch was forced out of the game in the fourth quarter when, on an attempt to slide after a carry, he was dealt a helmet-to-helmet hit from Minnesota’s Holton Hill (Hill was later ejected). Lynch remained in concussion protocol at the time of Pete Carroll’s postgame press conference so there’s no update yet on his status for next week.

Lynch wasn’t the only injury for Seattle. Second-round safety Marquise Blair was carted off the field with back spasms, and undrafted rookie guard Demetrius Knox was also carted off with what Carroll called a “nasty” quad injury also involving his knee.

Knox’s injury is the latest blow to a particularly banged-up guard position. Rookie Phil Haynes (sports hernia) and veteran Mike Iupati (foot/calf) are also out.

“We’ve kind of got thin on our numbers here on the offensive line here in the second group,” Carroll said.  “Those guys had to play a lot of plays tonight. You could see that we weren’t quite as tight as we need to be and we didn’t execute as well as we’d like to. So I’m anxious to see how that’ll look on film.”

Carroll also disclosed after the game that second-round pick DK Metcalf, who missed the game with knee soreness, will have surgery on his knee. Carroll said there’s optimism that Metcalf will still be able to play Week 1.

“The docs really have a clear look already at the MRI at what it is. It’s a really quick recovery. … I think we’ll keep him in town and get the work done right away,” Carroll said of Metcalf’s injury.

The Seahawks will face off against the Los Angeles Chargers for their third preseason game Saturday. The starters traditionally see their most extensive action during this contest.

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