What We Saw: Week 8

It's backup QB SZN

Ben Brown
What We Saw 3 Years Ago
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Jaguars @ Seahawks 

Final Score: Seahawks 31, Jaguars 7

Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

 

A disastrous performance from an embattled Urban Meyer and his hapless Jacksonville Jaguars team offered no glimmer of hope for the future of number one overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence, as the former Clemson quarterback struggled to motivate an offense devoid of any top-end NFL talent. The Jaguars looked like a ragged, unprofessional unit that committed 12 penalties, including two for having 12 men on the field on back-to-back plays. That’s amateur hour stuff from a team coming off a bye week. It’s a rudderless ship in Jacksonville right now.

On the other hand, all credit to this Seattle Seahawks team, a deserved victory after a dominant performance. Pete Carroll had his team playing hard to their strengths and they took a stranglehold through the passing game right from the off. Geno Smith went 14-of-14 to start the game and after blowing out to a 24-0 lead midway through the third quarter, Seattle went into cruise control.

Just when the Jaguars thought they had earned a moral victory by scoring a touchdown on fourth down with only 1:49 left on the clock at the end of the game to prevent the shutout, Travis Homer of the Seahawks recovered the onside kick and sprinted straight back down the field for the score. The Jaguars, not for the first time this season and certainly not for the last, were humiliated.

 

 

Jacksonville Jaguars

 

Quarterback

 

Trevor Lawrence: 32/54, 238 yards, TD, INT, Sack | 3 carries, 11 yards

 

There are massive problems facing Trevor Lawrence in his rookie season. All of them were immediately evident through the first couple of drives of this game. Behind a dreadful offensive line and hampered by uninspired play-calling, Lawrence was forced into early third downs and failed miserably to move the sticks. On the third drive of the game, either incompetence in the call or impatience within Lawrence saw a horrible deep ball easily intercepted by Quandre Diggs.

 

Lawrence then turned the ball over on downs after failing to connect with a simple short pass to Jamal Agnew on third down, turning the ball over after scrambling to make a play on fourth down on Seattle’s own 39-yard line. He was lucky not to turn the ball over, attempting to heave the ball away after being caught from behind.

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He did finally connect with Agnew late in the game to save a little face, but going up against a leaky Seahawks secondary and putting up essentially a dud does nothing for the confidence of this regime tutoring this quarterback in the NFL.

 

Despite attempting a season-high 54 passing attempts, Lawrence never looked settled with the game plan or the play calling. He looks lost and spent more time in this game trying to save broken plays than progressing through reads and executing throws.

 

Running Back

 

Carlos Hyde: 9 carries, 32 yards | 8 targets, 6 receptions, 40 yards

James Robinson: 4 carries, 22 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 17 yards

Dare Ogunbowaie: 2 carries, 9 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards

 

Just when you think things can’t get any worse for the Jaguars both on and off the field, down goes second-year running back James Robinson with a foot injury. Robinson started the game well, producing a nice cut to open up a big gain on the Jaguars’ first drive of the game.

 

Robinson didn’t emerge after the second drive, however, and was seen on the sidelines testing what seemed to be his ankle. Meyer confirmed after the game that it was a bruised heel. It was enough to keep him out of the rest of the game, handing the duties over to Carlos Hyde.

Hyde saw 15 of the Jaguars’ 18 carries after Robinson exited. He also caught six of eight targets out of the backfield, may of them check downs and screens that went for little yardage.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Dan Arnold: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 68 yards

Jamal Agnew: 12 targets, 6 receptions, 38 yards, TD

Marvin Jones Jr.: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 35 yards

Laviska Shenault Jr.: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards | 1 carry, 8 yards

Tyron Johnson: 2 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards

Tavon Austin: 3 targets, 1 reception, 5 yards

Luke Farrell: 2 targets, 1 reception, 3 yards

 

When you make a move for a backup tight end and then feature him as a focal point of an offense that can’t seem to get things together in the passing game, it doesn’t look good for your future. Dan Arnold did lead the team in receptions and yardage but watching the game, you hardly noticed. Most of his work came at 24-0, short and over the middle of the field. Nothing to get excited about.

Jamal Agnew is another castaway that seems to be preferred to more experienced and talented options in this offense such as Marvin Jones Jr. and exciting second-year gadget-man Laviska Shenault Jr. This baffling agenda by Meyer and Offensive Coordinator Darrell Bevell hasn’t worked for the last month and still isn’t working. Agnew seemed to be used in a similar fashion to Arnold, targeted with peppered passes over the middle. He only managed to haul in 50% of his looks, however.

In the early weeks of the season, Lawrence was trying to hit the injured D.J. Chark and veteran Jones Jr. outside the numbers and deeper down the field. At least it was exciting to watch and tested the arm strength of their quarterback. But that approach was nowhere to be seen against a Seahawks defense that has shipped points to teams this season. Abysmal.

Answers on a postcard to understand what this receiving corps could potentially bring to the fantasy table?!

 

Seattle Seahawks

 

Quarterback

 

Geno Smith: 20/24, 195 yards, 2 TD, 3 sacks | 2 carries, 8 yards, TD

 

Geno Smith won his first game as a starting quarterback since 2016 after throwing for two touchdowns and adding another on the ground to give the Seahawks a much-needed victory after a torrid time since Russell Wilson went down injured. Smith did everything that was asked of him against a terrible Jacksonville defense, feeding his two primary receivers from the start and allowing them to make plays. Tyler Lockett nabbed this perfectly timed throw but was dragged down just shy of the goal line.

 

Geno finished off the drive himself with a nice designed quarterback keeper to go over the carnage to put the Seahawks on the board.

 

As the Seahawks took control, young Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron dipped into his trick bag to serve up a treat for Smith, who executed this pinpoint throw to Tyler Lockett with aplomb.

 

It was an accomplished, professional performance from Smith, who found star receiver D.K. Metcalf twice in the end zone to put the game beyond doubt. Their second connection, midway through the third quarter, was a sharp throw to the front of the end zone near the sideline where only Metcalf could grab it.

 

Running Back

 

Alex Collins: 10 carries, 44 yards

Travis Homer: 4 carries, 9 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 3 yards

Rashad Penny: 7 carries, 7 yards

Deejay Dallas: 1 carry, 6 yards

 

It was a smart decision for the Seahawks to focus on the aerial game this week as the running game is really struggling to find rhythm without Chris Carson to lead the room. Seattle’s backs combined for just 66 yards on 22 carries, with five of those coming on the final three drives after going up 24-0, all of which ended on punts.

Alex Collins struggled through hip and glute injuries last week and was listed as questionable for this one. As the game was put beyond doubt, Collins sat and the recently activated Rashad Penny handled all of the work in the final quarter and a half. He looked like he has since he entered the league – pedestrian!

This is an avoid situation across all fantasy formats.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Tyler Lockett: 13 targets, 12 receptions, 142 yards

DK Metcalf: 6 targets, 6 receptions, 43 yards, 2 TD

Gerald Everett: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards | 1 carry, -5 yards

 

After a disappointing start to the campaign, Tyler Lockett finally broke loose against this miserable Jaguars secondary, catching 12 of his 13 targets for a whopping 142 yards. Lockett was Smith’s favorite look all night and twice caught balls deep down field before being tackled short of the goal line. Lockett was a menace on cross-field routes and the Jaguars couldn’t handle his speed and ability to find space between the corners, linebackers and protecting safeties. Every time Lockett made a catch, the Seahawks had the ball in a manageable situation to move the sticks.

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Much the same as it has been all season, D.K. Metcalf didn’t see a heap of targets but was efficient and dangerous with his six looks, hauling them all in for 43 yards and two grabs where it counts in the end zone. Metcalf has become an elite playmaker down the sidelines, using his formidable size and reach to dominate cornerbacks in contested catches. Smith put this ball up just where his big receiver wants it in man coverage. Metcalf did the rest, climbing the mountain to haul in the throw for the touchdown.

 

It’s a two-dimensional offense in Seattle with Lockett and Metcalf. All hopes rest on those two. Today, it was the perfect concoction.

 

— Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

Series Navigation
Introduction
Packers @ Cardinals
Bengals @ Jets
Titans @ Colts
Rams @ Texans
Steelers @ Browns
Eagles @ Lions
49ers @ Bears
Panthers @ Falcons
Dolphins @ Bills
Patriots @ Chargers
Jaguars @ Seahawks
Football Team @ Broncos
Buccaneers @ Saints
Cowboys @ Vikings

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