Seattle Seahawks: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 2 vs. Vikings
By Samuel Teets
2. Poona Ford, DT
Are you sick of me mentioning this guy’s name yet? I like to throw in a variety of players when discussing topics like this, but there’s no denying how good Poona Ford looked out there Sunday night. He finished the game with three combined tackles, including one for a loss, but he also gave the Vikings offensive line fits throughout the night.
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Ford’s most notable play of the night came with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter. He appeared to force a fumble deep in Minnesota territory. While Ford did pry the ball loose, the referees ruled that the running back’s forward progress had been stopped, thus making him down before the fumble. If you watch the play again, though, it looks like an ordinary fumble. Even the announcers were confused as to why the ruling was overturned at first.
With star defensive tackle Jarran Reed suspended for the first six games of the season, Ford will be filling in as a starter alongside Earl Mitchell or Al Woods. The 2018 undrafted free agent from Texas started turning heads late last season and analytics preached his contributions.
Considering how well he played toward the end of last season and during this year’s preseason, Ford will likely start alongside Reed when the sack artist returns from serving his suspension. Their styles should complement each other well. Ford is a great run-stopper while Reed’s game focuses more on getting after the quarterback.