The Seattle Seahawks defense has been struggling this season, but running back Ryan Neal has been able to help the team with his rushing abilities.
The 2013 seattle seahawks is a team that has had a rough start to the season. Ryan Neal, the Seahawks quarterback, has been shining while the defense struggles.
Getty Ryan Neal (left) congratulates himself on a huge play against the 49ers.
On October 3, the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 28-21 at Levi’s Stadium, snapping a two-game losing skid. The defense battled to contain an injury-plagued offense, but one guy stood up when it counted the most. Ryan Neal, a dime cornerback, was a constant presence on the field and made several plays to get the defense off the field.
At the start of the second quarter, the fourth-year corner made his presence felt. The 49ers faced a third-and-15 situation at the Seahawks’ 30-yard line. On a screen, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo connected with tight end George Kittle, but Neal tracked him down after just a seven-yard gain. This prompted punter Mitch Wishnowsky to try a field goal, which he failed while filling in for an injured Robbie Gould.
Late in the second quarter, Neal made another big play to keep the Seahawks in the game. He intercepted a ball intended for Kittle, forcing a 46-yard punt. This play finished the drive after just 1:37 and gave Russell Wilson and the wounded offense one more chance to generate good yards. The offense replied with a six-play drive that culminated with DK Metcalf scoring in the end zone.
After Trey Lance replaced an injured Garoppolo in the second half, Neal continued to make plays. He forced a punt by stopping the rookie on a run early in the third quarter. During the fourth quarter, he added another stop against Lance, forcing another fourth down.
Wide Receivers were still a problem for the secondary
While Neal made plays regularly throughout his little time on the field, the secondary as a whole struggled early and frequently. The game might easily have gone 49ers 21-7 at halftime, but wasted chances by Garoppolo and his teammates kept the Seahawks in it.
Sidney Jones made his Seahawks debut after being acquired through trade on August 30. He started in place of Tre Flowers across from DJ Reed, and he battled Deebo Samuel on many occasions. He, on the other hand, failed to keep rival players at bay.
On third-and-10, Jones gave up a 10-yard gain to Samuel for a first down. In the third quarter, he was also involved in a failed coverage that resulted in a 76-yard score. Jamal Adams had Samuel covered at first, but he shifted inside as the receiver bolted to the outside.
Jones made a mistake with the coverage on the play, according to head coach Pete Carroll in his postgame news conference. He was meant to go to the outside with Samuel, but instead he joined two other defenders on the inside with Brandon Aiyuk. The receiver was on his own and bounding for the end zone.
During the journey to the Bay Area, the Seahawks’ defense surrendered 314 passing yards. The team, on the other hand, made plays when it counted most. They were able to keep Lance and the offense out of the end zone long enough for Wilson to score 28 points.
Wilson Delivered a Legendary Performance
On both sides of the ball, the Seattle Seahawks’ journey to the Bay Area got off to a bad start. In the first half, the offense punted five times before eventually putting together a drive to tie the game. However, as the game proceeded, the group made strides, culminating in a historic performance for Wilson.
The Super Bowl champion quarterback won his 100th game in the NFL. He and Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning are the only quarterbacks in NFL history to achieve this milestone in their first ten seasons as starters.
In addition, during the 28-21 victory, the quarterback tossed two touchdown passes, giving him 276 for his career. He moved into sole control of 17th position on the all-time passing touchdowns list, overtaking Vinny Testaverde. Wilson is now within striking distance of Johnny Unitas, the great Indianapolis Colts quarterback (290).
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