The Seattle Seahawks will be back in action this afternoon when they play their second preseason game of the year on the road against the Tennessee Titans.
Last week we got an unexpected treat when Seattle played the Los Angeles Chargers and we got to see the starting defense on the field, if only for a few series. Mike Macdonald's first-string unit was impressive enough to put them in bubble wrap until the regular season, so fans shouldn't expect to see them out there tonight - or any other starters, for that matter. The same is true of the Titans, who will rest their starters , as well.
So, what should we expect to see? For the Seahawks it will mean a large dose of backup quarterbacks Sam Howell and P.J. Walker, both of whom struggled last week against LA. Above all else, Howell and Walker need to take better care of the ball and not make so many turnover-risky throws, which has been an issue for both of them thus far in their NFL careers.
Other players who struggled last week against the Chargers include offensive tackles Stone Forsythe and McClendon Curtis, who were both handily defeated in the pass blocking department by LA's backup rushers. Position battles on offense to watch include the third-string running back competition between Kenny McIntosh and undrafted rookie George Holani.
On the other side of the ball, we won't get to see starters like Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Leonard Williams. However, technically speaking last week's breakout star is not listed as a starter. That would be rookie defensive lineman Byron Murphy, who balled out last week and was a problem for Tennessee in joint practices this week. We'd be surprised to see Murphy out there for very long, but we can't rule it out given that he is only a rookie and needs the reps.
On the back end of the defense expect to see a lot of rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight, who was the team's top graded defender against the Chargers. Former Auburn cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James didn't fare so well though and will be looking for a bounce-back performance - especially against the run.
At quarterback the Titans will sit second-year starter Will Levis, so instead the ball will go to Mason Rudolph, who will be backed up by Malik Willis. The joys of preseason.
Kickoff is scheduled for a little after 4:00 p.m. Pacific time.
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