Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
The NFL preseason for the Seahawks has its own rhythm.
Week one usually consists of one series for the starters and then the rest of the game devoted to the reserves.
In week two things ramp up a little bit with the starters often playing into the second quarter. In week three, the starters generally play for one series into the second half to get the feel of coming out after halftime. Then in week four it’s cameo appearances for many key players, at best.
Saturday comes week two against the Los Angeles Chargers at the bandbox that is the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., meaning a bit more time for Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and the rest of the frontline players.
Here are five questions we’re eager to get answers about when the game kicks off at 7 p.m. in no particular order.
1, Can the first-team offense keep its momentum going?
The highlight of the week one loss to the Colts was the offense efficiently driving for a touchdown on its first and only series in which the running game looked better than a year ago, the pass protection looked better than a year ago and Wilson looked as good as ever.
But that was one series against a team with low expectations that also was playing its preseason opener under a new coach on the road.
The Chargers will present a tougher test defensively even without standout end Joey Bosa, who won’t play, especially for the Seahawks’ offensive line. Seattle has appeared to settle on a starting five of, from left to right, Duane Brown, Ethan Pocic, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker and Germain Ifedi. A good performance would all-but-seal those will be the five heading into the season but struggles might show there’s more work for that group to jell than the Seahawks think.
2, Will the safety tandem of Bradley McDougald and Tedric Thompson hold up against Philip Rivers?
The Seahawks will again go with a McDougald (strong) and Thompson (free) safety tandem with Earl Thomas holding out and Maurice Alexander still coming off an injury (it’ll be interesting to see if Alexander sees his first Seahawks action. He was still limited in practice this week which opened the door for recent free agent signee Lorenzo Jerome to continue to impress the coaches and spend most of the week working as the second free safety).
Rivers is one of the best QBs in the NFL, and after not playing in the Chargers’ preseason opener is expected to get on the field for a few series Saturday and likely won’t be shy about testing Seattle downfield with the likes of Keenan Allen, who had 102 receptions last season. What’s not in question is that McDougald will be a starter. And he prefers to play strong, where he has been for most of camp. But the Seahawks still need to see some things from Thompson to feel confident he’s ready to step in for Thomas for as long as Thomas may be out. If not, the Seahawks could begin more seriously considering a McDougald-Alexander pairing.
3, Who will emerge at right cornerback?
Speaking of Rivers and Allen, they’ll be an equally solid test for what remains maybe the most intriguing position battle on Seattle’s defense — right cornerback (Shaquill Griffin is set on the left side and Justin Coleman at nickel).
Veteran Byron Maxwell has been the usual starter there but missed last week with a groin issue. He returned last this week and is expected to play, and a good performance might help cement his role with the starting unit. But former 49ers starter Dontae Johnson — who missed most of the offseason program and has been limited much of camp following foot surgery — also returned this week and also said this week he plans to play.
Both will have to fend off rookie Tre Flowers, who got the start last week and has impressed in his conversion from safety. But while Flowers has been one of the standouts of camp, the betting money is still more likely on the team at least starting the year with one of the vets. But maybe more than any other starting position the team this still seems like a spot where anything an happen?
4, Will Brandon Marshall prove once and for all he’s going to be on the roster?
Seattle has little invested in the 34-year-old, 12-year vet, with just $90,000 guaranteed on a one-year deal worth just over $1 million total, with Marshall admitting last spring he had little real market due to his age and coming off ankle and toe surgeries.
That Seattle doesn’t have much at risk in Marshall has made it far from a slam dunk that he would be on the final roster, despite an impressive pedigree that includes six Pro Bowl selections.
But Marshall has impressed in camp doing what the team would like out of him most — producing in the red zone. Marshall has seen increasing work with the starting unit the past week, turning in a highlight of Thursday’s practice with a TD catch where he boxed out Johnson, adding another TD later in the day.
His training camp performance has appeared to show the team what it needs to feel confident that he can still produce. Still, they’d probably like to see Marshall have some good moments in a game — and do so without any health setbacks — as keeping Marshall will mean potentially losing one of the younger receivers who might potentially loom as a bigger part of the team’s long-term future.
As of today, though, consider Marshall as on the team with a chance against the Chargers to continue to show that maybe he can maybe even make more of an impact than the complementary role the team has envisioned all along.
5, Can C.J. Prosise take advantage of his opportunity to prove himself anew?
First-round pick Rashaad Penny won’t play after having surgery on the pointer finger on his left hand to repair an injury suffered in practice Monday.
Not only does that spoil something of a homecoming for Penny, who played at San Diego State (okay, maybe that’s a little of a stretch, but still) but it also means more playing time for some of the team’s other tailbacks and specifically Prosise, a third-year player out of Notre Dame who has played in just 11 of 32 regular season games and also sat out last week with a hip flexor issue.
Prosise pronounced himself fit this week and practiced fully on Thursday, appearing ready for as many plays as the team wants to hand him.
The thought all along has been that Prosise’s status as a third-round pick in 2016 and the potential he has shown when he has played means he’s likely to make the roster if he shows anything at all in the preseason.
But with Chris Carson and Penny slam dunks to make the roster and Mike Davis and J.D. McKissic having had strong camps — and with a history of more durability — the onus is on Prosise to prove anew the team’s faith in him.
