The Seahawks pulled off another ugly win today, defeating the Browns at home by a score of 24-20.
Here are our studs and duds this week.
Stud: WR Tyler Lockett
Seattle’s criminally underrated wide receiver Tyler Lockett produced like a machine today despite going up against an extremely tough Browns secondary. Lockett caught eight of nine targets from quarterback Geno Smith, totaling 81 yards and one touchdown.
Dud: QB Geno Smith
Geno Smith certainly had his moments – especially in the first quarter and when it mattered most in crunchtime. That said, there are 60 minutes in a game and most of them went poorly for Smith. He threw two more interceptions against the Browns and was lucky to avoid a third. He finished with just 254 passing yards and a 78.0 passer rating.
Stud: The running backs
Fortunately, the Seahawks’ rushing attack was on point against the Browns. Starter Ken Walker totaled 66 yards on eight carries, averaging 8.3 yards per attempt. Rookie Zach Charbonnet was even more efficient on the ground, totaling 53 yards on just five carries (10.6 YPA).
Dud: The run defense
Seattle’s run defense has been spectacular all season, a 180 degree turn from last season’s woes. However, today it was a different story as the Browns were able to run the ball effectively. While they didn’t have many explosive runs, they had a high success rate – helping keep the Seahawks off the field. As a team they totaled 155 rushing yards on 40 carries.
Stud: OLB Boye Mafe
Second-year outside linebacker Boye Mafe has burst onto the second this season and become one of the league’s best edge rushers. Mafe was in the backfield constantly again vs. Cleveland, racking up eight tackles (one for a loss), one sack and four quarterback hits.
Dud: Penalty problems
The Seahawks came into this week as the most-penalzied team in the NFL this season. Those issues cropped up again in a big way against the Browns, nearly costing them a win. Seattle was flagged seven times for 43 yards – which doesn’t sound terrible on paper, but many of them came in critical situations. To be fair, the fouls against Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon were particularly odious. Sometimes the calls won’t go your way but they have to show more discipline across the board.
Stud: The offensive line
Perhaps the most surprising performance came in the trenches, where the Seahawks offensive line contained a normally-lethal Browns pass rush. Using a variety of double and triple teams, Seattle kept Myles Garrett quiet until the fourth quarter, when he was finally able to get a sack. That was Cleveland’s only sack of the game and they only managed to get to Geno Smith for three total QB hits.
