The Seahawks’ defense wound up being the main attraction in their 16-3 preseason win over the Chargers on Saturday night. That’s fortunate for some of the backups that Seattle played on the other side of the ball, because otherwise the narrative coming out of this game might have been about their struggles. To be sure, the Seahawks offense did get some flashes here and there, such as Kenny McIntosh’s efficiency on the ground and Dareke Young’s development as a receiver.
However, overall the second-string Seattle offense was underwhelming – especially at offensive tackle and quarterback, where Sam Howell made his first start with the team and had a bit of a shaky outing. After it was over he spoke with reporters about how it went.
Seahawks vs. Chargers highlights Preseason Week 1
Watch the Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Chargers highlights during Preseason Week 1 of the 2024 season.
In Howell’s defense it’s alot easier to write about playing quarterback in the NFL than it is to actually do it, but at least it’s not as difficult or frightening as public speaking.
Most fans on social media seem to think he was alright, but Howell’s numbers looked far better than they were thanks to his one touchdown throw, which was to tight end Brady Russell – and he did pretty much all of the work getting into the end zone.
As has reportedly been the case at training camp, Howell was inaccurate (he went 16/27 for a 59.2% completion rate) and had a lot of passes deflected. The Chargers defense was officially credited with seven pass breakups, some of which were definitely on the QB.
On the bright side, Howell did show he has some legit scrambling ability, totaling 17 yards on the ground on four attempts, including an impressive 14-yard scamper. Howell also displayed his remarkable arm power when he overthrew Jake Bobo on a go-ball. All that said, Howell needs to improve his accuracy and do something about the tells he seems to be giving with his delivery.
Fortunately for Howell, third-string quarterback P.J. Walker was even sloppier when he came in near the end of the third quarter. Walker went just 4/10 for 61 yards and nearly threw several interceptions in his brief time on the field. At least for now, Howell’s job as the primary backup behind starting quarterback Geno Smith is safe.
