5 things we learned from the Seahawks second preseason game

Week 2 of the NFL preseason is in the books.

Anyone who watched an entire game last weekend is likely either an NFL coach, a sports writer or the most rabid of die-hard football fans.

Actually there’s one more category: Most Seahawks players already secure in their starting positions because they watched Saturday’s 16-15 loss to the Tennessee Titans from the sideline.

In case you missed, Titans rookie kicker Brayden Narveson booted a field goal as time expired — his third of the fourth quarter.

This was a game for coaches to get some experience for backups, work on game day mechanics and begin to fill in those last few roster and practice squad spots. So we did not learn how DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will look on the field together in new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s system or what kind of blitzes we’ll see from head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.

The second preseason game is often one of the best days for overreaction: Easop Winston Jr. catches a first-quarter touchdown, and folks wonder, “Have they found another deep threat?” While it was a nice play by the former Washington State receiver, he’s unlikely to make the final roster.

Another overreaction: Can the Seahawks close out a half? Seattle allowed a TD with 38 seconds to go in the first half, and Tennessee’s game-winning drive at the end. Let’s re-visit this issue when the starters are wearing helmets and cleats instead of hoodies and sneakers.

So, perhaps this isn’t as much of a “what we learned” column as a “five things we may have learned about guys who might make the team” story. Here are some of those things:

Perhaps Seattle should go for 2

Jason Myers put the Seahawks up by two points with a 50-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining in the fourth quarter. He missed another extra point in the first quarter, though, which has been an issue for him the last couple of seasons. He’s 1-for-3 this preseason. His spot on the team seems as secure as just about anyone’s, but perhaps the Seahawks should jump off sides a few times before the point after attempt, or go for 2. We’re being facetious here, but Myers will need to straighten those short kicks out by the time the Seahawks open at home against the Denver Broncos on Sept. 8.

Hall looks like a contributor

In Macdonald’s system, stopping the run is job No. 1 for outside linebackers and defensive ends. This is why Derick Hall, drafted by the Seahawks in the second round in 2023, might see a lot of action. A first quarter sack during Tennessee’s first drive didn’t hurt either. It’s also why Darrell Taylor — who has recorded 21 1/2 sacks the past three seasons — might not even make the final roster. The Seahawks would save approximately $3 million in salary cap space if they cut Taylor, and he has struggled against the run at times during his tenure in Seattle.

McIntosh might be real

With starting running backs rarely seeing the field these days in the NFL preseason, it’s not uncommon for a team’s leading rusher in games that don’t count to not even make the regular season roster. However, Kenny McIntosh, the team’s seventh-round draft pick out of Georgia in 2023, may be a contributor when it counts. Granted, Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet — assuming they are healthy — will get the bulk of the snaps this season. But McIntosh brings a different aspect that could be valuable as a change of pace. He carried the ball eight time for 46 yards and caught two passes on Saturday.

The defense knows what its doing

With the usual caveat that they’ve spent a lot of time playing against guys who might be updating their LinkedIn profiles in a couple of weeks, the defense has not made many mistakes in two games this season. Though it was mostly backups on backups, Tennessee punted to end its first three drives. Seattle’s defense seems to play hard and be in the correct spots the majority of the time. It will be interesting to see what the defense looks like when it is fully unleashed by Macdonald in Week 1 against the Broncos.

Barner looks like a beast

AJ Barner, a rookie fourth-round pick, looks like a guy who might bring some toughness to the tight end position. He’s unlikely to catch a lot of passes this year, but he showed physicality after his first catch of the preseason when he ran over Titans safety Mike Brown in the first quarter. He followed that by sealing the edge for McIntosh’s 13-yard run.