Falcons @ Seahawks
Final Score: Falcons 27, Seahawks 23
Writer: Matthew Theodosopoulos (@FreeMattyTee on Twitter)
Well, that was a fun game! The Atlanta Falcons marched into Seattle and managed to not collapse at the end of the game, securing their first victory of the season. Arthur Smith appeared to finally draw up a game favorable for Kyle Pitts (at least for the first half)! Both offenses looked very competent, while both defenses looked very beatable. Pete Carroll talked about opening up the passing game for Geno Smith this week, and the Seahawks offense seemed to reflect this sentiment. The Seahawks passing offense looked very strong. It was a close game throughout and definitely a hard-fought battle, but the Seahawks failed to take advantage of Marcus Mariota‘s late-game fumble and were bested 27 to 23 in Seattle.
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Marcus Mariota: 13/20, 229 Yards, TD, INT | 7 Carries, 4 Yards, TD, 2 Fumbles (1 Lost)
Marcus Mariota had a solid, efficient game. He was responsible for 2 turnovers, but also two touchdowns. The Falcons had a very healthy day running the ball, and did not need to be world beaters through the air. Mariota did just that. He only attempted 20 passes and did an adequate job managing the game more or less. He did fumble the football a second time, but was fortunate to have a teammate fall on it. He could absolutely do a better job of taking care of the ball, as fumbling twice and throwing an interception is not an ideal quarterback performance. It appeared he (and the coaching staff) made a concerted effort to get weapon Kyle Pitts going in the passing game, and that was good to see. Mariota looked to be comfortable taking shots down the field whether or not the look was there, and did everything that was asked for him. Overall, Mariota had an average game; one in which they probably lose against a better opponent.
Running Back
Cordarrelle Patterson: 17 Carries, 141 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Tyler Allgeier: 6 Carries, 25 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards
If it wasn’t clear before, this game in Seattle has made it abundantly clear; Cordarrelle Patterson is the RB1 in Atlanta. Patterson was a killer on offense today, running the ball 17 times to the tune of 141 yards and a touchdown. It seemed as though every time he touched the ball, he moved it at least 10 yards down the field. The Seahawks defense seemingly had no answer for Patterson, and it showed. Tyler Allgeier is staunchly Patterson’s backup; he came in when it appeared Patterson needed a breather. But this game was all Patterson. He had a quiet day catching the ball, only seeing one reception for 12 yards, but it’s irrelevant. Patterson had a phenomenal day for the Falcons and was a large reason they walked away with a victory.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Kyle Pitts: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 87 Yards
Drake London: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 54 Yards, TD
Olamide Zaccheaus: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 49 Yards
Anthony Firkser: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 22 Yards
The time has finally arrived! After 3 weeks of the 2022 season, Kyle Pitts finally had a game reflective of his physical talent. Pitts was targeted often early in the game, catching 5 passes for 87 yards. He did not find the endzone, but he was looked at in the redzone and will see plenty of opportunities going forward. It appeared as though Mariota and head coach Arthur Smith made a concerted effort to get Pitts involved, and he made the Seahawks pay. Most of his damage was done in the first half, with Pitts only catching one pass after halftime (for 5 yards). The Falcons only had 4 drives in the second half, with one being to end the game. So that’s not entirely worrisome. Pitts was open all day.
Drake London was kind of the reverse Pitts, doing his damage in the second half. He only caught 3 balls, but those three passes were good for 54 yards and a touchdown. London definitely has Mariota’s trust, as he saw a handful of deep shots from Mariota this game. It looked like more of the same from London, which is very promising. He has had a fantastic beginning to his rookie season.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Geno Smith: 32/44, 325 Yards, 2 TD, INT | 2 Carries, -1 Yards
Geno Smith had… a very good game! He threw for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also throwing an interception. He looked patient in the pocket and willing to take advantage of what the Falcons pass defense gave him. He spread the ball out a ton, targeting 7 different Seattle players. The offense looks like it is developing nicely with Geno, playing to his strengths and trying to open the field for him. While it didn’t end up being enough to win the game at the end of the day, it’s hard to put the loss on Geno. His interception came at the end of the game, when the Seahawks were fighting to stake a game-winning drive. On 4th and 18, Geno just threw the ball up to give his receivers a chance to come down with it, and saw his pass intercepted. But the game was already slipping from grasp. It is worth noting that the Seahawks have failed to score an offensive touchdown in a second half of a game so far this season. This is a little unsettling, and the offense needs to find ways to close out games.
Running Back
Rashaad Penny: 14 Carries, 66 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
DeeJay Dallas: 3 Carries, 21 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 17 Yards
Kenneth Walker III: 3 Carries, 19 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards
The Seahawks running game had a very encouraging outing. Rashaad Penny ran smoothly, going for 66 yards on 14 carries. He had a handful of solid gains, but was unable to break away any home runs. It was a fine enough game from Penny; he looked fast and ran strong. Just couldn’t seem to break loose. Kenneth Walker, while scarcely touching the ball, made an impact for the Seahawks. He had the longest run of the day for Seattle on a play that saw him stop and reverse back to the opposite side of the field. It was exciting to watch, and should make Seahawks fans feel giddy for what’s to come down the road from the young running back. He looked good. DeeJay Dallas, while mostly a third-down back, served his purpose and made plays when necessary. But this backfield is mostly Penny and Walker, both of whom looked good running against Atlanta.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tyler Lockett: 11 Targets, 9 Receptions, 76 Yards
DK Metcalf: 12 Targets, 5 Receptions, 64 Yards, TD
Colby Parkinson: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 44 Yards
Will Dissly: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 34 Yards, TD
Marquise Goodwin: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 31 Yards
Noah Fant: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 27 Yards
Penny Hart: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 15 Yards
After speaking out publicly this week, Pete Carroll appeared to make good on his proclamation that the Seahawks needed to open up the field more and see Geno air it out a bit more to DK Metcalf. DK was targeted 12 times, catching 5 of them for 64 yards and finally catching his first touchdown of the season. It was a great catch by Metcalf and an easy play to make by Geno, as DK towers over mostly any defender in his wake. While this is a fine game for DK, even this kind of output is low for this beast of a man. The Seahawks need to get the ball into DK’s hands even more.
Tyler Lockett was also targeted frequently, catching 9 passes for 76 yards. He appeared to hit his head during the game, but managed to come back and finish the game. And boy, does Geno love his tight ends. Will Dissly caught all 3 of his targets for 34 yards and a touchdown, making it 2 out of 3 games on the season that Dissly has scored. Colby Parkinson caught two of two targets for 44 yards, with one of his catches being a momentous 36 yard snag. And Noah Fant caught all four of his targets for 27 yards, too. Marquise Goodwin only caught two passes, but one of them was a huge 23 yard haul on 4th down. Penny Hart caught one ball, but seemed to mostly fill in for Lockett when he missed some time. Geno has made it very clear that he will spread the ball out and throw it to whomever happens to get open, and it shows.