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Offensive Line Holds Up, Linebackers Lead The Way In First Half of Seahawks Preseason Game at Kansas City Chiefs

Key takeaways from the first half of play at the Seahawks' preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It's halftime at Arrowhead Stadium, where the Seahawks hold a 10-7 lead over the Kansas City Chiefs in the second preseason game of 2015.

With Seattle'sĀ first-team offense and defense likely to receive mostĀ of the rest of the night off, here's a look at how the team's starters performed throughĀ the first half of play.

How Did The Offensive Line Hold Up?

The Seahawks' starting offensive line consisted of what we saw at practice throughout theĀ past week, with Russell Okung at left tackle, Justin Britt at left guard, Drew Nowak at center, J.R. Sweezy at right guard, and Garry Gilliam at right tackle as the team looks to get its five best linemen on the field at the same time.

For the most part, the unit held up. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who was sacked twice in the two drives he played last week against the Denver Broncos, wasn't sacked a single time in the four series he sawĀ against Kansas City. Wilson finished the half 9-of-15 for 78 yards, connecting often with tight end Jimmy Graham, who led the way with three catches for 39 yards, and wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who added four catches for 28 yards.

Pick Six!

Seattle's lone touchdown of the half came from linebacker Bobby Wagner, who snagged an interception of Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown. Wagner undercut a ball intended for Kansas City wideout Jason Avant asĀ the Chiefs facedĀ 2nd-and-10 late in the second quarter.

The Wright Stuff

Linebacker K.J. Wright played like he had an ear in the Chiefs' offensive huddle. He finished the first quarter with five of the team's 15 total tackles, including two tackles for loss as he blew up running plays in the backfield. Wright finished the half with a team-high six tackles.

The Ailing Secondary

Seven cornerbacks were onĀ the Seahawks' not expected to play listĀ entering tonight's game: Richard Sherman (hip), Will Blackmon (groin), Tharold Simon (shoulder), Jeremy Lane (arm/knee), Marcus Burley, Mohammed Seisay (groin), and Triston Wade. Also on the list were safeties Earl Thomas (shoulder), Keenan Lambert, and Ryan Murphy, and if you include Kam Chancellor, who has yet to report, that makes a total of 11 players in Seattle's secondary who were out of tonight's game.

That left the Seahawks with just a handful of healthy defensive backs: Offseason free-agent acquisition Cary Williams, rookie fifth-round pick Tye Smith, versatile defensive back DeShawn Shead, the recently-acquired cornerback duo of Jeremy Crayton and Keelan Johnson, as well as safeties Steven Terrell, Dion Bailey, Ty Zimmerman, and Ronald Martin.

In the No. 1 defense, it was Williams and Shead who gotĀ the starts at cornerback, withĀ Terrell working at free safety andĀ Bailey atĀ strong safety. Shead has been playing at safety for most of training camp, but has played corner for Seattle in the past and looked comfortable at the spot on Friday. The rookie SmithĀ was the first-man up at nickel cornerback.

Who Carried The Football?

Marshawn Lynch didn't see any play time for the second consecutive week, which is to be expected in preseason play. Robert Turbin and Christine Michael saw snaps in Lynch's place in the first half, with Turbin entering the game as the starter. Turbin finished the half with four carries for four yards while Michael added 24 yards on seven touches to help set up a 39-yard field goal by kicker Steven Hauschka.

Frank Clark Played

Despite being listed asĀ one of those not expected to play tonight, rookie defensive end Frank Clark, who's been nursingĀ a sore ankle, ended up seeing snaps with the No. 1 defense.Ā Clark, who had a game-high nine tackles last week, tipped a pass that ended up being a short completion on a third-down play midway through the first quarter.

Tyler Lockett's Return Game

Rookie wide receiver Tyler Lockett had a combined 204 return yards last week against the Broncos, including a 103-yard kick return for a touchdown. Lockett only had one try at a kick return in the first half, and the Chiefs did a better job corralling the return specialist as he went for 19 yards to open the game.Ā Lockett also found himself a little more involved with the first-team offense this week, catching one 9-yard pass from Wilson.

Fresh Faces Contribute On Special Teams

All three of the Seahawks' special teams tackles in the first quarter were made by players who were held out of action last week: fullback Derrick Coleman, linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis, and linebacker Brock Coyle. Pierre-Louis even found himself playingĀ with the No.1 defense for parts of the second quarter.

The 12s traveled well to the first away preseason game in Kansas City, setting the tone for the 2015 season road games.Ā 

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