SEATTLE — Well that was about as hyped as a preseason game can get.
Pete Carroll came home, so did Geno Smith (and Jamal Adams while we’re at it) and the result was rather poetic.
A 23-23 tie thanks to the Seahawks blocking a field goal on the game’s final play.
So as the preseason marches on and the nostalgia and novelty of the Pete Carroll return game fades, the Seahawks move a step closer to their new season.
Here’s what stood out in the first of three preseason matchups.
The Seahawks will be able to run the football
George Holani ran like a man possessed.
He finished the game with 7 carries for 61 yards including a 24-yard touchdown which came complete with a friendly shove from Marshawn Lynch protecting his camera lens.
Holani made some nice moves, but what was most impressive about that run was the blocking.
Rookie fullback Robbie Ouzts absolutely sprung Holani into the second level with a beautiful block that showed why the Seahawks drafted him.
The fullback is back.
We knew it would be in Klint Kubiak’s scheme and even with assuredly only a fraction of the offense shown you could see the philosophy can work.
The Seahawks averaged 5.3 yards per carry and that includes Jalen Milroe breaking free for a 27 yard run on a zone read play. He looked impressive, didn’t he?
It also includes Jacardia Wright scoring a touchdown.
The point in mentioning that is, the Seahawks starters mostly had the night off. No Kenneth Walker III. No Zach Charbonnet.
And the Hawks still averaged over five yards per carry with two scores. Holani can easily be looked at as the #3 back, a spot he’s likely battling with Damien Martinez for and against the Raiders 1st then 2nd team offense the line made the plays necessary and the backs made it look easy.
“Just you felt the line of scrimmage, you felt the physicality,” Mike Macdonald said after the game. “They gave us a couple pressures there early where we weren’t necessarily expecting, so being able to identify the front, get everything targeted the right way, and sustaining blocks, I thought that was really good. Thought we kept the quarterback clean for the most part, especially in the first half. A lot of good stuff.”
A total team effort that was utterly successful. A nice first step in the preseason.
And they should be able to stop the run
So this is the same idea as how the Hawks ran the ball well, it felt schematically Seattle was just in better position.
Think of it this way, on the first drive of the game it was the Raiders starters on the field. Geno Smith, 1st round draft pick Ashton Jeanty and so on. The Seahawks second string defense devoured them and forced a punt. By halftime, the Raiders were down 16-3 and only averaging 2.7 yards per carry. They only broke through when the Seahawks third unit took the field.
The point here is, the Seahawks 2’s held the Raiders starters and second unit in check on the ground.
The Seahawks starters are thought to be among the league’s best, so it will be fun to see how that unit fares when the time comes, in a scheme that we’ve seen since the middle of last season, works pretty darn well.
Okay, it was pretty great to have Pete Carroll come back
In the weeks and preseason games to come, we’ll have more to learn about Milroe, the roster spots up for grabs and so much more.
But we won’t have the Pete Carroll return game.
Pete was clearly touched by the amount of signs made by fans to support him. He spent time well before kickoff greeting former players and staffers. It was a special scene.
“It was cool to be here, I loved it here, I’ve always loved the whole experience that we had all those years together and all that,” Carroll said. “I don’t forget that and disrespect that one bit but it didn’t translate to something crazy it was just an opportunity to play in a great setting. I thank the league for putting us in this game.”
Geno Smith spent a lot of time signing autographs, even at one point lifting a young child out of the stands to put them on the field and sign their jersey.
He absolutely looked to be in his element, with fans he appreciated in his time here. Geno even mentioned spending time with kids that he used to visit at Seattle Children’s Hospital. A fine gesture from a player that was a consummate leader in his three seasons as Seahawks starting quarterback.
A special game any way you look at it with moments we won’t soon forget.
Now it’s on to the rest of the preseason and learning even more about the 2025 Seahawks.