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Rapid Reaction: Big Plays Help Seahawks Secure Preseason Victory Over Browns

Reactions to the Seahawks’ 37-33 win over the Browns in their preseason finale.

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The Seahawks wrapped up preseason play with a high-scoring win over the Cleveland Browns Saturday, using big plays on offense and special teams to earn a 37-33 victory at Lumen Field.

Seattle's starters on both sides of the ball played briefly, with the defense getting a quick stop before Geno Smith and the offense drove for a quick touchdown, a 21-yard pass to DK Metcalf. After most of the starters came out of the game, running back Kenny McIntosh, who started with Kenneth Walker III getting the night off, broke free for a 56-yard touchdown run. And if 21 and 56-yard touchdowns weren't enough, the Seahawks also got a 79-yard punt return touchdown from Dee Eskridge.

Here are six rapid reactions to Saturday night's win, which capped a 2-1 preseason for the Seahawks:

  1. Geno Smith and the No. 1 offense looked sharp in their first preseason action.

After sitting out the first two preseason games, the Seahawks starting offense was on the field for Seattle's first offensive possession on Saturday. And while Geno Smith and company were only on the field for that one drive, it was an awfully encouraging one possession.

Smith's night started with an incomplete pass intended for DK Metcalf, but following that one miss, Smith was pretty much perfect for the rest of his limited appearance in the game. Smiths' second-down pass 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 he went back to Smith-Njigba for 7 yards. Smith's final pass of the drive and the game was lofted 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.

It was only a brief, five-play series, but it was a tantalizing first look at Ryan Grubb's offense with most of the starters on the field.

"It was good to be back home, give 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 in-game interview on the KING 5 broadcast. "We went down the field, I was able to hit DK Metcalf for a touchdown, got the crowd rocking. That was awesome."

Asked what excited him about the offense, Smith added, "Just the number of weapons that we have, the continuity that we have playing together for three years. We added some guys on 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 around here."

  1. Kenny McIntosh has responded very well to some competition, but so has George Holani.

Early in training camp, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald was asked about second-year running back Kenny McIntosh, and he quickly pointed out that McIntosh was in a battle for the No. 3 running back job with undrafted rookie George Holani. And while Holani has continued to play well in his first camp, McIntosh has stepped up to the challenge in a big way, including the biggest play of his young NFL career in Saturday night's game.

After picking up 9 yards on a short pass from Smith on Seattle's opening drive, McIntosh only touched the ball one more time before getting the rest of the game off, but he made the most of the opportunity, hitting a hole and racing into the open field, looking much faster than his disappointing 4.62-second 40-yard dash time might indicate. McIntosh also flashed some power on the run, using a nasty stiff arm to plant safety Chase Williams in the turf before outrunning the rest of the defense on his way to the end zone. That big play came a week after McIntosh led the Seahawks with 46 rushing yards on eight carries, adding 17 receiving yards on two catches, and two weeks after he had a team-leading 40 yards on eight carries.

Holani, meanwhile, added 38 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, including a nifty 18-yard run on which he made several defenders whiff with some nice open-field moves, and also added a tackle on punt coverage.

  1. Dee Eskridge had a big moment, and his teammates were thrilled to celebrate it with him.

Speaking of explosive scoring plays, nobody made a bigger play in Saturday's game than receiver Dee Eskridge, who returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, a play that elicited a huge reaction from his teammates, who carried Eskridge off the field.

Eskridge, a second-round pick in 2021, has endured some pretty awful injury luck in his Seahawks career, leading to him appearing in just 24 games in three seasons, including only four last season. Now, Eskridge finds himself in a battle for a roster spot at one of the team's deepest position groups, so Saturday's big return could have significant implications for him.

Eskridge's teammates, many of whom have seen him battle through so many injuries, understood the significance of that return, leading to a celebration bigger than one might expect in the first half of a preseason game.

  1. The Seahawks are taking a long look at Mike Morris and he's showing off his versatility.

Players were for the most part away from the Virginia Mason Athletic Center when Macdonald was hired this offseason, but one player who made a point of being there for Macdonald's arrival was defensive lineman Mike Morris, who was excited to reunite with Macdonald, who was his defensive coordinator at Michigan in 2021.

Morris said at the time that he was excited to play for his former coordinator, and for his part, Macdonald seems very interested in taking a long look at Morris in a lot of different roles.

Playing into the fourth quarter for the third straight preseason game, Morris had a tackle, a pass defensed on a batted ball, and a quarterback hit, and as has been the case in the previous two games, he's playing all over the line, doing everything from standing up as an edge rusher to playing as an interior lineman.

Few defensive players have seen more playing time this preseason than Morris, who played 64 percent of the team's defensive snaps against the Chargers and 66 percent in Tennessee last week, and he has shown off plenty of versatility, including a pass breakup while dropping into coverage against the Chargers, a sack in last week's game, and plenty of strong play in run defense.

  1. Jason Myers was dialed in.

Seahawks kicker Jason Myers may have caused a bit of concern for fans by missing an extra point in each of Seattle's first two games, but he made all three of his field goal attempts in those games, including a 50-yarder to give the Seahawks a lead late in last week's eventual loss to the Titans.

And in his final preseason tune-up, Myers showed why he is a two-time Pro-Bowler, making field goals of 58, 47 and 51 yards while also making all four extra points.

  1. Rookie OLB Jamie Sheriff just keeps showing up.

It's tough for any undrafted rookie to make an NFL roster, and the challenge is even more daunting when that player is signed not immediately after the draft, but midway through training camp. Yet despite fighting that uphill battle, Jamie Sheriff, a rookie out of South Alabama, is making a late push for a spot on the team.

Sheriff, who signed with the team on August 6, just ahead of the preseason opener, played sparingly in that first game, recording one tackle, but last week after having more time to get up to speed, Sheriff recorded three tackles and a sack. On Saturday, he capped his preseason with three tackles, a pair of sacks and three quarterback hits.

Must-see shots of the Seahawks at their Preseason Week 3 game versus the Cleveland Browns at Lumen Field on August 24, 2024.

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