Seattle Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 24-3 Win vs. Miami Dolphins

Improving to 3-0 for only the eighth time in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks suffocated the undermanned Miami Dolphins with another stingy defensive effort to fuel a 24-3 romp at Lumen Field, pushing their lead in the NFC West to two games.

Continuing to find different ways to win football games under new coach Mike Macdonald, which players shined in Seattle’s latest victory? After reviewing All-22 film from Sunday’s blowout, here are my top five grades and other notable performances from Week 3.

Derick Hall

Overall Grade: 88.0 (Pass Rush 95, Tackling 85, Run Defense 85)

Wreaking havoc from the outset in his first career start, Dolphins backup quarterback Skylar Thompson may be having nightmares about Hall, who ambushed him numerous times in the first two quarters after exploding past blockers. After missing out on a sack by a split second on a quarterback hit late in the first quarter, he brought down De’Von Achane for a one-yard loss along with Johnathan Hankins and posted his second quarterback hit on back-to-back plays early in the second quarter.

On the ensuing drive, he finally got to Thompson with the ball in the quarterback’s hands, bending around the edge against tackle Austin Jackson and bringing down the signal caller for an eight-yard sack. Moments later, on an untimed down to close out the half, he peeled back after being chipped by a tight end and Jackson to run an unsuspecting Thompson down from behind, blasting him to force a fumble out of bounds on the final play. Posting a ridiculous pass rushing stat line, he generated six total pressures, four quarterback hits, and two sacks on a career day to go with two additional tackles that went for one or fewer yards in a breakout performance that left coach Mike Macdonald gushing.

DK Metcalf

Overall Grade: 86.0 (Receiving 90, Run Blocking 55*)

*Weighted for 19 run blocking reps

Busted for offensive pass interference and whiffing on a pair of blocks on screens, Metcalf didn’t have the best all-around game of his career. But the Seahawks will live with those mistakes if he continues to torch opponents downfield as he has the past two weeks. Turning in one of his finest catches midway through the first quarter, after quarterback Geno Smith stepped up in the pocket and scrambled to his right to evade pressure, Metcalf high-pointed a jump ball with cornerback Kendall Fuller contesting the throw in front of him, plucking the pass out of the air like a softball and tip toeing his feet along the sideline inbounds for a 22-yard catch.

Two drives later, immediately after the Dolphins cashed in on a Smith interception with a field goal, Metcalf made the opposition pay with the corner and safeties taking the bait on a double move, speeding his way past them vertically. After a subtle play fake from the pocket, Smith unloaded a near-perfect deep ball to his star receiver, who hauled in the pass and raced to the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown, his second scoring reception of more than 50 yards in two games. Catching four out of six targets for 104 yards, he hit the 100-yard mark for back-to-back games for just the third time in his six-year career, once again pacing Seattle’s aerial attack with big play theatrics.

Johnathan Hankins

Overall Grade: 85.0 (Run Defense 90, Tackling 88, Pass Rush 78)

Numbers-wise, Hankins only produced three tackles, but his impact on Sunday went well beyond statistics in a box score. The massive nose tackle masterfully played the role of immoveable object in the trenches, frequently eating up double teams without giving up ground and making life challenging for the Dolphins to run the football between the tackles while also leaving linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties clean to make stops.

Aside from being a space eater, however, while playing more than 50 percent of the snaps with Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II sidelined in the second half by injuries, he had his hands on several key plays over the course of the game. After Miami had advanced into opposing territory on its opening possession, he slanted hard across the backside A-gap to disrupt a 3rd and 1 run by Achane, forcing him to bounce the run right into Devon Witherspoon, who stuffed him at the line of scrimmage for no gain to force a missed field goal. He would later add a tackle for loss, pairing with Hall to bring down Achane behind the line of scrimmage in a dominant outing that simply couldn’t be explained by numbers alone.

Zach Charbonnet

Overall Grade: 84.0 (Rushing 88, Receiving 78, Pass Blocking 60*)

*Weighted for five pass blocking reps

For most of the first two quarters, after averaging under three yards per carry in Foxboro one week earlier, Charbonnet once again found himself receiving minimal help from the blockers in front of him, rushing for just 35 yards before halftime. But he did find the end zone for Seattle’s first touchdown, following strong blocks by left tackle Charles Cross and left guard Laken Tomlinson to power his way to six points and put the Seahawks up 10-0 midway through the first quarter.

With Miami’s defense wearing down as the second half progressed, Charbonnet took over in a game-sealing 12-play, 98-yard drive that started at Seattle’s two-yard line. Toting the rock six times on the drive, he rushed for 42 yards, including back-to-back runs of 13 and 11 yards to push the Seahawks into the red zone. Wisely bouncing a zone run out to his right with good blocking in front of him, he made one defender miss in space before bullying his way past the goal line for a 10-yard touchdown to end the drive in emphatic fashion. Running behind his pads all afternoon long, he posted a career-high 91 rushing yards while forcing a whopping nine missed tackles and producing 77 yards after contact, admirably filling in for Ken Walker III.

Stone Forsythe

Overall Grade: 83.0 (Pass Blocking 87, Run Blocking 79)

The Seahawks have had their share of issues in the interior through the first three games with subpar pass protection and penalty issues from their guards specifically being a problem, but to Forsythe’s credit, he has been rock solid in two starts after replacing an injured George Fant in the starting lineup. Facing off most of the game against Jaelan Phillips, who has 23 career sacks to his name, he allowed just a single pressure on 37 pass blocking reps, regularly using smooth footwork to ride the athletic rusher upfield and keep Smith clean off the edge.

In the run game, Forsythe also enjoyed a strong second half in an area that has consistently been a struggle for him in the pros, playing a key role in Charbonnet’s success in the final quarter. In particular, he sealed off Phillips inside on the final touchdown run, allowing the physical back to have an ideal one-on-one situation as he bounced the run outside and eventually found pay dirt. It was a strong stepping stone for the fourth-year pro, who will earn at least one more start and likely more with Lucas and Fant being sidelined.

Other Notable Performances

Rebounding from a poor outing in New England, tight end Noah Fant caught all six of his targets for 60 yards and three first downs, earning a season-high 82.0 grade. While Cross did give up his first three pressures and a sack to bring an end to an impressive start without surrendering any pressures in the first two games, the third-year tackle rebounded with an excellent second half in pass pro and also dished out a pancake on Charbonnet’s first touchdown, receiving an 80.0 overall grade. Taking another step forward in his return from a torn ACL, center Connor Williams yielded a single pressure and made a few key blocks in the run game in the fourth quarter, receiving a season-best 78.0 score. Unfortunately, guards Anthony Bradford and Laken Tomlinson endured brutal games in pass protection, surrendering six and five pressures respectively, while Bradford had two more penalties. Bradford received a season-low 45.0 grade, while Tomlinson’s run blocking salvaged his overall score with a 62.0.

Continuing to make a significant impact in all phases, safety Rayshawn Jenkins tallied eight tackles and allowed just nine yards on three catches in coverage, nearly making the top five with an 82.5 overall grade. Harassing Thompson off the edge opposite of Hall, Boye Mafe kept a fantastic third season going with his third sack in as many games, four pressures, and a pass deflection to earn an 82.0 grade. Registering his first sack of the season along with four tackles and only one catch allowed in coverage, Tyrel Dodson had his most complete game as a Seahawk with an 81.0 score, while Jarran Reed turned in a stellar performance with four pressures and a sack for an 81.0 grade as well. In the secondary, Riq Woolen continued his strong season with a fourth down pass breakup and didn’t give up any completions on two targets for an 80.0 overall mark. Opposite of him, Devon Witherspoon didn’t have one of his finer games, allowing six catches in coverage and committing a pair of penalties for a 71.0 score. Making his first career start, linebacker Tyrice Knight did allow a 22-yard reception in coverage, but produced a tackle for loss and tallied five tackles to earn a 77.0 grade, while Drake Thomas posted a pass breakup and played well in a situational role for a 75.0 score.