The Seahawks ended their preseason campaign on Saturday with a high-scoring win over the Cleveland Browns. Strong offensive and special teams plays secured a 37-33 victory at Lumen Field.
Seattle’s starters on both sides of the ball played short, with the defense getting a quick stop before Geno Smith and the offense scored a quick touchdown, a 21-yard pass to DK Metcalf. With most of the starters out of the game, running back Kenny McIntosh, starting with Kenneth Walker III, who had the night off, broke free for a 56-yard touchdown run. And as if 21- and 56-yard touchdowns weren’t enough, the Seahawks also scored a 79-yard punt return touchdown by Dee Eskridge.
Here are six quick reactions to Saturday night’s win, which capped a 2-1 preseason for the Seahawks:
- Geno Smith and his No. 1 offense put in a strong performance in their first preseason game.
After missing their first two preseason games, the Seahawks took the field for Seattle’s first offensive drive on Saturday. And even though Geno Smith and his team were only on the field for that one drive, it was a very encouraging drive.
Smith’s night started with an incomplete pass intended for DK Metcalf, but after that misplaced pass, Smith was pretty much perfect for the rest of his limited appearance in the game. Smith’s pass on the second attempt was a beautifully placed ball to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 25-yard gain. Smith evaded pressure on the next play and hit Kenny McIntosh on a checkdown for a 9-yard gain, then passed back to Smith-Njigba for 7 yards. Smith’s final pass of the drive and game was thrown into the end zone and easily snagged by a leaping Metcalf after his defender slipped and fell, giving the Seahawks a 21-yard touchdown and an early lead.
While it was only a short five-play series, it was a tantalizing first glimpse of Ryan Grubb’s offense with most of his regulars on the field.
“It was nice to be back home and show the fans a little bit of what we’ve been working on and also more of what’s to come,” Smith told Seahawks legend Cliff Avril in an interview during the game on KING 5. “We went down the field, I was able to score a touchdown to DK Metcalf and get the crowd going. It was awesome.”
When asked what excites him about the offense, Smith replied, “Just the number of weapons we have, the continuity that we’ve played together for three years. We’ve brought in some guys for the offensive line, we’ve got some new coaches, some new plays, a new scheme, and we’ve got the right players, man, we’ve got the right guys here.”
