Curious who plays in each game and how much they play, as well as what the distribution of playing time might mean? Throughout the season, we'll post the snap counts for the Seahawks the day after each game and take a look at what stood out.
Here's a few notes from the Seahawks' 24-7 Week 7 win over the New York Giants:
Offense
- Three players — right tackle Germain Ifedi, left tackle Rees Odhiambo, and right guard Oday Aboushi — played 100 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps. Center Justin Britt, meanwhile, saw play on 92 percent of the Seahawks' plays, coming out of the game briefly in the first quarter for an injury.
- With Luke Joeckel out after undergoing knee surgery during the bye week, the competition was on at left guard between rookie second-round pick Ethan Pocic and third-year pro Mark Glowinski. While Pocic got the start at the spot, the two players split time during the game, with Pocic playing 45 percent of Seattle's snaps and Glowinski playing 63 percent. Postgame, head coach Pete Carroll said he'd need to see the film before he could make a complete evaluation, but noted, "It was great to get both those guys playing. That just helps us. We'll be better for it. I can't wait, we'll see the film and see how the guys did. They're in the competition for the starting spot and it's rare that you see offensive linemen rotate. We got through that and it worked out OK. That just makes us better, so I'm fired up about that."
- Doug Baldwin led all wide receivers in play time at 66 percent, followed closely by Paul Richardson, who played 64 percent. Both players found themselves on the receiving end of touchdown throws from quarterback Russell Wilson. Tyler Lockett (53 percent), Amara Darboh (28 percent), and Tanner McEvoy (22 percent) saw action behind Seattle's starting wideouts.
- At tight end, Jimmy Graham led the way playing 64 percent of the Seahawks' offensive plays, catching a touchdown in the game's fourth quarter. Nick Vannett (42 percent), meanwhile, slightly edged out Luke Willson (39 percent) in play time this week. Vannett and Willson each recorded one catch Sunday.
- Thomas Rawls led the running back group, playing 39 percent of the time while Eddie Lacy was on the field 28 percent of the time. Each player carried the football 11 times and made one catch, with Rawls gaining 36 yards and adding a 16-yard reception and Lacy rushing for 34 yards and adding a 9-yard grab.
- Wilson saw play in 99 percent of the team's offensive snaps, missing only the final play of the game when backup Austin Davis came in to run out the clock in victory formation for the Seahawks.
Defense
- The Seahawks used three safety sets more often than usual on Sunday against the Giants, with Bradley McDougald seeing action on 29 percent of plays, primarily in coverage of New York tight end Evan Engram, who finished with six catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. "I think he held up fine," Carroll said of McDougald. "He had a couple that he wants back, but he played a good football game and it was great to get him involved. It was some matchup situations that we were playing to and he came through really well."
- Five Seahawks played 100 percent of the defensive snaps, including cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Shaquill Griffin, safeties Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, as well as linebacker Bobby Wagner. It was another game of extended action for the rookie Griffin, who started for the second game in a row in place of the injured Jeremy Lane. "He's done great," Carroll said of Griffin, who finished Sunday's game against the Giants with three tackles and three passes defensed. "He has played game after game. He just keeps doing things right play after play after play and he keeps getting checked out and he keeps getting tested and he doesn't change. That's the best thing that he's doing; he's got the confidence and he believes in what he's doing and he's doing things right, so he's really consistent. Sherm has been a huge factor on him. This has been Sherm's best play that he's ever had, in my opinion, and he set his sights on doing that in the offseason and has stayed with the consistency and the technique of it at just the perfect time for Shaq to see that's all he can see. He's got this marvelous example working on the other side, Sherm sits right next to him in the meetings and I sit right next to him on the other side. We're just bringing him along and he's just listening and competing. … He's doing a great job. They're going to keep challenging him and he's going to keep playing and he's going to keep making plays, he almost had a pick there at the end."
- With Cliff Avril landing on injured reserve late last week, the Seahawks' defensive line rotation looked a little different against the Giants. In terms of play time, Michael Bennett led the way at 88 percent, followed by Frank Clark (85 percent), Sheldon Richardson (63 percent), Jarran Reed (54 percent), Quinton Jefferson (34 percent), Branden Jackson (29 percent), Marcus Smith (27 percent), and Nazair Jones (20 percent). The group helped limit a New York rushing attack that found success last week in its first win of the season, with Seattle limiting the Giants to 46 yards on the ground.
Special Teams
- Even with his increased role on defense, McDougald continued to see some of the most snaps among Seahawks players on special teams, playing 85 percent of special teams snaps along with cornerback Neiko Thorpe. Terence Garvin, who made a special teams tackle, linebacker D.J. Alexander, who deflected a Giants punt, fullback Tre Madden, and McEvoy were next in line for snaps, playing 77 percent of special teams plays. "Neiko covering kicks, Terence Garvin had a big play on a kickoff coverage," Carroll said. "The guys were just on it. Every punt we just surrounded it."
