Recapping five Seattle Seahawks to watch against the Buffalo Bills

The Seattle Seahawks traveled to Orchard Park in hopes of defeating the Buffalo Bills for their seventh win of the 2020 season. Instead, Seattle earned their second loss of the year, while Buffalo picked up their seventh win.

The Seahawks were never totally out of the game, which is typical given the strength of their offense. Seattle averages 34 points per game, so the Bills may have given up a lot of points on Sunday, but they held their opponent to their average scoring total on the year.

As such, Seattle’s top players performed well—just not enough to pull out the “W.”

QB Russell Wilson

Russ cooked, but Russ also turned the ball over four times on the day, throwing two interceptions and losing two fumbles in a game where he took 16 hits in addition to five sacks. Wilson completed 28-of-41 passes for 390 yards and two touchdowns in addition to those interceptions, keeping his Seahawks within striking distance into the fourth quarter. The first of Wilson’s interceptions wasn’t a poor decision, as he was trying to make a play on fourth down. The second interception was a great play by Tre’Davious White on a 3rd-and-25, so you could argue that he was trying to make a play there, too. The bad part about the second pick was that it took place in his own end, and White almost returned it for a score. Wilson may be at the peak of the MVP talk, but he was outplayed by Josh Allen on Sunday.

WR Tyler Lockett

Wilson’s favorite target had an uncharacteristically quiet day, catching just four passes for 40 yards on the afternoon. Lockett was targeted seven times, which was second on Seattle’s squad. He could have added a touchdown catch on a miracle throw, as Wilson hurled a prayer toward the end zone that Lockett somehow was able to run under. Whether he was tired from sprinting under the ball, shocked that it reached him, or blinded by the light and revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night, he was unable to make the grab on what would have been a game-changing play. Instead, Seattle had to settle for a 44-yard Jason Myers field goal.

WR DK Metcalf

The big-bodied wideout had a banner day, leading his team in targets (9), receptions (7), and receiving yards (108). He’s a tough matchup for anyone, and at his size with his speed, it’s to be expected that he would have a big day. Tre’Davious White’s interception was on a pass intended for Metcalf, and White shadowed him for most of the day. When White covered him, Metcalf only caught three passes for 65 yards. Most of that came on a 41-yard pass early in the contest.

LB Bobby Wagner

Seattle’s middle linebacker had a solid game, though much of his time was spent either blitzing Josh Allen or in pass coverage. Wagner made six tackles, low by his standards, but he did add a quarterback hit and a sack on the day. With the Seahawks spending most of their time blitzing Allen, and the Bills countering by just throwing the ball all day against Seattle’s abysmal pass defense, it left Wagner in positions where he wasn’t able to rack up big stats like normal.

CB Quinton Dunbar

Dunbar was Seattle’s leader in tackles on Sunday with six. That’s never a good sign for a corner, as Dunbar was beaten early, often, and consistently. He committed a pass interference penalty inside the red zone, as well. It wasn’t a great day for the veteran. He complained of knee soreness following the game, and he missed some snaps during Sunday’s game, playing on 79% of Seattle’s defensive total.