Riq Woolen’s strange day begins on Seahawks bench | Notebook

22 Dec 2024, 20:06 by Bob Condotta · The Seattle Times

The Seahawks game Sunday against the Vikings began with the eye-catching sight of cornerback Riq Woolen not with the defense at cornerback.

Woolen stood on the sideline for all of the Vikings’ first drive, which ended in a touchdown as Minnesota went on to win 27-24, with Tre Brown in his place.

Coach Mike Macdonald said that Woolen was benched for the start of the game because of what he termed “just a team rule thing. We made it right and that’s what we decided to do, what was best for the football team. We’ll move forward.”

Woolen, who started 12 games this season when he was healthy, returned for the second series and from there appeared to play his usual amount of snaps.

postgame coverage vikings 27, seahawks 24

He made a few plays along the way, notably teaming with safety Julian Love to break up a third-down pass to Vikings tight end T.J Hockenson that got the Seahawks the ball back in the fourth quarter and set up a drive that ended in a go-ahead touchdown for the Seahawks.

Woolen was in coverage on the side of the field where Justin Jefferson broke open for a 39-yard TD pass with 4:21 remaining that proved to be the game-winner.

Macdonald said of the winning TD only that the Vikings “made a great play’’ and “we couldn’t get there.’’

As for how Woolen played once he returned, Macdonald said: “I felt like he played a good game. Again, we’ll see what the opportunities were. He did have a couple pass break ups so it was good.” Woolen officially had three pass breakups and two tackles.

The benching came following a week when Woolen received some criticism for his play in last Sunday’s 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers that included a personal foul for a late hit on the second play of the game.

Woolen said after the Vikings game the Seahawks need to “do right longer’’ to turn close losses like Sunday’s into wins.

“That’s all,’’ he said. “That’s how teams win, do right longer. Those are the teams that play in the playoffs, they play in championships, they get there. You’ve just got to do right longer and do it consistently. That’s something we’re working on. But, we’re a playoff team, we’re a great team, and we know that we’re capable of being one of those teams that can do right longer consistently.”

Brown takes blame for early TD

After Woolen returned to the starting lineup Brown continued to play, mostly when the Seahawks were in five- and six-defensive back packages.

Brown, in his fourth year out of Oklahoma, has played just 11 games this year while dealing with injuries, and he lost his starting job at midseason to Josh Jobe.

The snaps he played on defense Sunday were his first since a home loss to the 49ers on Oct. 10. Brown finished with two tackles and was at the center of a key sequence in the second quarter.

With Minnesota at the Seattle 19, the Seahawks appeared to have gotten a third-down stop on a sack by Derick Hall.

Brown was called for the rare penalty for a defensive back of defensive offsides for lining up in the neutral zone. Brown was lining up in press coverage and simply got too close, and told reporters that officials did not give him a warning.

On the following play, a third-and-three at the 13, Jefferson got just a foot or so of separation on Brown and corralled a perfectly placed pass by Darnold for a TD that put the Vikings ahead 14-7.

“That was a hell of a catch,’’ Brown said, saying that Jefferson showed “late hands’’ to not make it appear initially as if the ball was going his way.

“It’s hard to see the ball right there,’’ Brown said. “I wish I could’ve had that play back. He’s one of the highest paid [wide receivers in the NFL]. I respect him. But I feel like I could’ve made that play.”

Walker leaves with another injury

Just when the Seahawks got leading rusher Kenneth Walker III back from injury they are facing the prospect of playing without him.

Walker, who missed the previous two games with a calf injury before returning to start Sunday, departed late in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

Walker was injured when he was tackled for no gain on a first-and-goal play at the 3-yard line with 5:52 left. The Seahawks scored two plays later. Walker was listed as doubtful to return and did not make it back.

“Has an ankle (injury),’’ Macdonald said. “Going to get imaging right now. Not sure the extent of it.’’

A short week to prepare for a Thursday night game in Chicago could make it a challenge for Walker to make it back even if the injury isn’t overly serious.

Walker had 31 yards on eight carries along with eight receptions on eight targets for 28 more before departing.

Zach Charbonnet started the previous two games with Walker out but had just one carry for minus-1 yard and two receptions for 14. Charbonnet was on the injury report during the week with an oblique issue.

That likely was why second-year player Kenny McIntosh got some significant snaps, rushing three times for 14 yards and also catching a pass for 15 more.

The Seahawks had 44 yards on 12 carries by running backs but again ended up with a severe pass-to-run ratio with Geno Smith throwing 43 passes while the Seahawks had 15 rushing attempts.

“We’ve got to start faster on defense and put ourselves in better position,’’ Macdonald said of the run-pass ratio. “Some of it was Minnesota’s personnel groups, how they’re matching us. I think in some of those either-or spots when we are able to pass it, that was efficient as well.”

Lockett wins Largent award

Before the game, receiver Tyler Lockett was awarded with the team’s Steve Largent Award “for exemplifying the spirit, dedication and integrity’’ of Largent, who is the team’s leader in most receiving categories. Lockett, who is finishing his 10^th season, is second to Largent in most major receiving categories.

It’s the third time Lockett has won the award. Largent was on hand to present it to him.

Lockett was introduced last when the starting offensive lineup was announced before the game. Lockett, 32, said this week he plans to play in 2025.

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