In the first play of the 2022 season, the Navy beat the Greens 17-13 in the Seahawks’ annual mock game at Lumen Field on Saturday.
Enjoying a solid performance while splitting the first-team reps with Geno Smith, Drew Lock completed 19 of 27 passes for 185 yards and threw a touchdown pass to Cody Thompson, capping one of three consecutive first-half scoring drives. Cooling off after a hot start, Smith finished 10 of 19 for 94 yards and led two scoring stops for five total possessions.
Here are five quick notes from Seattle’s first glorified brawl:
1. For the first time since the camp opened, momentum is swinging strongly toward Locke in the ongoing battle of the middle.
Since the Seattle report first reported on July 26, Locke has hardly seen any representatives of a first-team offensive against a first-team defense. But that could change dramatically when the team returns to training on Sunday, as the newcomer put on a show in his first game under the position. Playing with poise and consistently making quick, smart decisions with pocket soccer, Locke completed each of his first 10 passes, including dumping Cody Thompson on his second lead while facing the starting defense. In contrast, Smith finished with a completion rate at 50 percent and after a solid landing campaign, he completed only four of 12 passes while he was out three and taking two sacks.
Showcasing his arm talent, Locke’s signature play came on his first foray into the game. Locke tossed the needle into a narrow window between the holeshot guns and an oncoming safety, and looped the needle with a perfectly thrown seam spool to DK Metcalf, who initially slashed the pass before securing it for a 25-yard gain all the way to the four-yard line. On the ensuing drive out of play, he threw a pass down a seam to the end of Colby Parkinson’s court for another big gain, and set up a final field goal to close out the first half. On top of his passing production, he ran for a pair of first touchdowns, narrowing the gap between him and Smith.
2. Playing on the offensive and special teams, Ken Walker III continues to lay claim to a major role as a rookie.
Throughout the camp, Walker electrically worked on the floor and as a receiver, looking in every part into a part of a modern 3D back. He continued to display his phenomenal talents on Saturday, bypassing the Seattle defense as a sprinter and earning two quick dumps off the field on his first touchdown. One play after Luke rocketed to Metcalf down the touchline, he took his hand off his rifle, stuck his cleat in the grass, and bounced back from running out. When turning on the afterburner, blast by interfering before running into the end zone for an easy landing.
Plus, despite the fact that he hasn’t kicked back since his freshman year at Wake Forest, the Seahawks are vying for kickback duties. Before the match, he made several reps coming back from kick-offs in the warmup, and on his return alone in the mock game, he jumped down the left sideline to make big gains close to the 40-yard line. Other players like DeeJay Dallas and Freddie Swain remain the favorites to win the job, but don’t count the Doak Walker award winner.
3. It may not matter who lines up opposite Daryl Taylor, who looks and plays like a different animal this season.
For the second day in a row, rookie Abraham Lucas took all the first team shots in the right tackle, while Jake Corhan took over the second team. Although either player necessarily performed poorly and hung well in pass protection for the most part to make time for Lock and Smith in the pocket, Taylor’s blast caused constant problems no matter who tried to stop him, as it has in practice since Start camp.
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Breaking out of his two-point position and tying his ears back to chasing quarterbacks, Taylor’s pace and pace led to several stresses, including play that would have likely been a sack in Smith’s second scoring drive in a real game. With Corhan’s hands closed on him, the third-year defender put the brakes on as he got close to the red jersey, allowing Smith to step up and unleash a hit to meet Dareke Young for a gain of 21 yards. Later on on the same drive, he used a quick swimming motion to break through the backfield and help force the fast finish. He plays in a plot that highlights his footballing traits and skills, and still looks poised for a successful third campaign.
4. Tariq Wolin is his first act in the game, even if he has had no misfortune in one particular game.
Entering the league as a fifth-round pick with only two years of experience as a linebacker, few expected the athlete, but raw Woolen, to compete for first-team representatives during the first two weeks of his first training camp. But so far, the former UTSA star has largely exceeded initial expectations and has continued to open his eyes with a high-profile brawl. Playing across from Artie Burns in the right corner with the first unit, he kept pacing with Marquise Goodwin on a perpendicular road to Smith’s second drive, nearly intercepting the pass with perfect style and positioning. In an earlier play, the tight coverage against the fast veteran on the way back resulted in another incomplete.
But Woolen’s best play was in a way a touchdown landing. In the fourth round of melee, he was playing press coverage against Cody Thompson outside and the receiver ran a dull track down the sidelines. Seeing the receiver playing pressure, Lock planned to make the throw before the snap and quickly shot the ball down after a three-step drop. Recovering in a brisk fashion, Wolin shielded Thompson and got his arms of 33 inches or more into the traffic lane, sending the football up into the air. Unfortunately, the pass came straight to diving Thompson with six points. However, Wolin did everything right in the play by covering the textbooks and putting himself out for a walk to put himself in the discussion to start much earlier than expected.
5. Continuing a stellar camp so far, Jason Myers was capped by three trips with field goals.
Overall, Myers’ 2021 season was a huge disappointment having scored all 24 of his goals a year ago. His percentage slipped to 73.9 percent as he converted only 17 of his 23 field shots and lost a couple of extra points. Now in the final year of his contract, the former Pro Bowler appears to have rediscovered his form for 2020 and has always been dividing the rules in coaching. His steady performance continued in Saturday’s mock game, as Myers made contact in all three of his field shooting attempts, including a pair of 45-yard boots.
With Seattle poised to break into a new quarterback and perhaps a couple of starters along the offensive line, the points will be higher this season. With that in mind, getting Myers back on track could result in a few more team wins and bring him back into the mix for another contract as a long-term kicking solution for the team.
Additional Notes
Building chemistry with both quarterbacks, Metcalfe knocked out all 63-yard receivers in four receptions, including capturing three passes in the opening drive to land Rashad Penny.
None of the running appearances in Seattle finished more than 20 yards flowing or better than 4.0 yards per carry, with Dallas leading the group with 19 yards on five karts.
– Two of Smith’s three possessions ended up with a sack, defensive intervention Bona Ford blowing a quick third whistle on the fifth drive in Seattle, and Aaron Duncore and rookie Joshua Onogyogo getting together for a sack on the last ride.
-LJ Collier (elbow) left in the second half of the melee and there was icing on the injury on the sideline. Coach Pete Carroll did not provide details on the severity of the injury, but did not mention any other players who were hit in the mock game.