The Seahawks climbed to 3-1 in Week 4, defeating the New York Giants 24-3 on Monday Night Football. With the team preparing for its Week 6 road matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the latest episode of The Sound titled "Just Ballin'" takes us behind the scenes for the big win, and what happened during the bye week.
Episode 11 begins with the team boarding the plane for New York, a place that several Seahawks players and coaches are familiar with. Safety Julian Love opens the dialogue with his thoughts on returning to New York, after joining Seattle in April via free agency.
"It was a lot," said Love. "It was a culmination of just a lot of emotion. A lot of relationships going back. I was happy that I could see a lot of people, you see the players. I have friendships and relationships with players and that'll always continue, but it's the people I probably won't see ever again that made it pretty special. To come in here for the first time, the first few weeks were a little different for me. Pete Carroll is one-of-a-kind. He runs a team, organization - a business like no one else I've ever been around. The people are different, the swag, energy, and fan culture is different. Going back and being in that game, it gave me such closure. Just to see 'OK, this is where I was - this is where I am.' I like being where I am right now."
The episode provides an inside look at the upbeat energy in Seattle's locker room prior to the game, and as they dominate the Giants in a 24-3 routing. With three-straight wins despite multiple injuries across both sides of the ball, the episode dives into Seattle's ability to overcome adversity by relying on the next man up. After being signed in the offseason to play center, Evan Brown discusses the move to left guard after losing guards Phil Haynes and Damien Lewis to injury.
"Obviously," said Brown. "We had injuries. We lost Phil and (Damien Lewis) early, and they came up to me and said 'Can you play left guard?' Wherever y'all need me, as much of my versatility I can use to help us in whatever way we need, that's what I try to do."
Offensive line coach Andy Dickerson discusses Brown's ability to grasp the concepts of the position.
"I think it's unique," said Dickerson. "But, it's not unexpected. When you're a backup, you have to know more than one role. And if you're an inside player and you can snap the ball at center - you should be able to play guard. You understand, because you have to make the communication to tell the guard what to do. So you understand the rules, so I had all the confidence in Evan. He was just like 'All right.' And if he has questions, he'll ask. He's like, 'Hey coach, wherever you need me I'll go.' To me, that personifies the whole room. Like 'Okay what am I doing? What do we need? Okay, I'll do it.' That to me, that O-line mentality which these guys have embraced. 'Hey, I can go to the right, put him at the left.' They're thinking about others and making themselves uncomfortable first, to help somebody else maybe be a little more comfortable. I just think that goes across the whole O-line, which is pretty phenomenal."
The episode takes a deep look at Seattle's highlights of the evening, from the defense tying a franchise record with 11 sacks and rookie Devon Witherspoon's 97-yard interception return for a touchdown. As the Seahawks come out of the game with another victory and more injuries, wideout DK Metcalf reflects on the Week 5 bye.
"Just going into the bye week I know we're dinged up right now," said Metcalf. "It would be a good time for us to take a break and recoup and get everybody back healthy. I didn't like it before the season started, but now with the injuries and the dinged up players that we have, I think it's the perfect time for us to have a bye week."
With everyone home and the Virginia Mason Athletic Center empty, the episode follows Love on his week off to Un Bien - a local Caribbean staple that's owned by his family.
"It's a small world," said Love. "I don't have family in a ton of places, but Seattle is one of them. It's really cool that I have a little love and peace at a place that is a fixture in Seattle."
The Sound emphasizes the family element within the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, building chemistry that has translated to a 3-1 start for Seattle. From Love's cross-country ties to the Pacific Northwest, to the support of rookie corner Devon Witherspoon, Episode 11 further visualizes the bond being built weekly in the locker room.
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