Seattle Seahawks: Studs and duds vs. Buccaneers in Week 9

The Seattle Seahawks found their footing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half and pulled off a 40-34 overtime victory.

The Seattle Seahawks were heavy favorites over the struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Jameis Winston and Tampa Bay’s offense gave the Seahawks all they could handle. Despite their kicking struggles, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks persevered and advanced to 6-2 in overtime.

While all of the main players in Seattle’s offense were on a roll, but the same thing cannot be said for the other side of the ball. Any time an opposing team can score 34 points, something has gone wrong defensively. This was the second consecutive week where the Seahawks only won by a touchdown. The team has been too careless against weaker opponents in recent weeks.

Now, let’s examine some of the stars and flops from Sunday afternoon’s game against Tampa Bay.

Stud: Chris Carson, RB

The running game was jammed up until Carson broke free for a 59-yard run in the third quarter. At the time, the Seahawks were trailing 21-13. Soon, Seattle took the lead with a passing touchdown to Tyler Lockett and a two-point conversion. Carson finished the game with 16 carries for 105 yards and two receptions for 28 yards.

Carson did lose a fumble early in the fourth quarter, but it was a case of no harm no foul because Winston immediately returned the favor. Rasheem Green recovered the fumble and returned it to Tampa Bay’s 15-yard line. The Seahawks got a field goal out of the turnover.

What makes Carson’s success more impressive though is that the Buccaneers were the top run defense in the NFL entering Week 9. The unit shut down Alvin Kamara, Todd Gurley, and Christian McCaffrey twice, but they couldn’t handle Carson and the Seahawks. The Buccaneers were allowing fewer than 70 rushing yards per game, but the Seahawks went for 145 yards on the ground.

Dud: Rashaad Penny, RB

From the moment he was drafted, Penny was in for a turbulent future with the Seahawks. Selecting Penny was already a curious move for the Seahawks, but it became embarrassing when Chris Carson won the starting running back job. Even Mike Davis topped Penny on the depth chart last season.

While Penny occasionally flashes, he has failed to consistently deliver. He also pales in comparison to Carson in terms of production and scheme fit. This relegates Penny to a few carries per game and the former first-round pick might as well have been a late-round selection.

Against Tampa Bay, Penny carried the ball four times for 12 yards. He was targeted once but did not make the catch. The second-year running back looks out of place in Seattle’s backfield right now.