Seattle, WA

Labriola on the loss to Seattle

Published

3 months ago

September 15, 2025

It was the second week of the 2025 NFL regular season, and “September football” was in full bloom across the landscape. Missed assignments, mental mistakes, full-on brain cramps, injuries sometimes in bunches stressing position groups and weakening rosters.

The Steelers were guilty of playing “September football” on Sunday against Seattle in their home opener at Acrisure Stadium, but that wasn’t the only contributing factor in what ended up being a 31-17 loss that dropped them to 1-1. For the second straight week, their run defense and their pass protection were leaky, and one of the truisms about football played at any level and in every month is that games are won or lost on the lines of scrimmage.

From a statistical standpoint, the run defense against the Seahawks was better than it had been the previous Sunday. The Jets rushed 39 times for 182 yards (4.7 average) and 3 touchdowns, and the Seahawks managed 117 yards on 29 runs (4.0 average) and 1 touchdown. Thirteen of the Jets 23 first downs came via the run, compared to eight of Seattle’s 21 first downs; of the Seahawks 29 rushing attempts, 9 were good for no gain or for a loss of yardage.

All of that represented improvement from week 1 to week 2, but there was one visual that overshadowed any and all statistics and left a bad taste when it came to the state of the Steelers run defense.

There was 3:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, and despite all of their September football-itis to that point, the Steelers were still very much in the game. And part of that had to do with their defense. At the time, their deficit was 24-14, with one of Seattle’s three touchdowns having come on a full-on brain cramp when a Seahawks kickoff made it to the landing zone and bounced into the end zone where it was left unattended until George Holani fell on it.

So anyway, that negativity had been absorbed, and at the 3:47 mark, the Seahawks led, 24-17, and were looking at a third-and-goal from the Steelers 19-yard line following a 9-yard sack of Sam Darnold by Jack Sawyer. When Darnold took the next snap and simply handed the ball to Kenneth Walker, it seemed as though the Seahawks were playing for a field goal were willing to settle for a 10-point lead, 27-17.

But then Walker ran to the left, made a move upfield and covered those 19 yards virtually untouched into the end zone for the touchdown that was the dagger. The run defense on that critical play in the fourth quarter of a game whose outcome still was very much up for grabs had failed.

“There’s always an emphasis on (stopping) the run,” said T.J. Watt. “The first note of every single week is ‘smash the run,’ and you guys have heard me say for 9 years we’re always trying to smash the run, and it’s not a lack of trying. Schematically, effort, I don’t know, we’ll have to look at the film, but we need to be better, and we need to look in the mirror, and we need to turn over every stone we possibly can because this can’t continue to happen.”

That touchdown, which made the deficit 31-17, iced the outcome even though the Steelers got the ball back with 3:41 remaining, with all 3 of their timeouts plus the 2-minute warning. That’s because their passing attack was being plagued by consistent pressure on Aaron Rodgers, which didn’t allow for chunk plays through the air.

In fact, the Steelers managed only 3 chunk plays through the air all afternoon: a 65-yarder that was a short pass to Jaylen Warren, with the rest coming via spirited and determined run-after; a 22-yarder to Calvin Austin III on the play before the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter of a 31-17 game; and a 20-yarder to Pat Freiermuth on a perfectly thrown ball and a nice catch down the right sideline.

Besides those, it was either receivers not getting open or Rodgers running for his life, or some combination of both on the same play.

The Jets were credited with 4 sacks and 7 hits on the quarterback; the Seahawks were credited with 3 sacks and 9 hits on the quarterback. It’s too much, and it has happened two weeks in a row. And while a 3-for-3 in the red zone mitigated the Jets pressure on Rodgers, against Seattle the offense only got into the red zone twice and on one of those turned the ball over on an interception in the end zone that was the most September football thing ever.

“I look at myself first, and if we settle for a field goal, I probably wasn’t effective enough in a situation,” said Rodgers. “But I feel like we had a good couple of drives, defense is playing good in the first half, and we came out and just couldn’t do a whole lot in the third quarter. And obviously the play that took a lot of points off the board was the interception there on the 3-yard line or whatever.”

Actually, the situation was a third-and-goal from the Seattle 4-yard line in a 14-14 game with 4:17 left in the third quarter. Rodgers threw a dart at Pat Freiermuth in the end zone, only to have Calvin Austin III fly in and try to make a play on the ball. What resulted was a ball tipped into the air and then intercepted by CB Derion Kendrick 7 yards deep in the end zone. Touchback.

“And Cal’s the best kid ever, but he probably should have just stayed in the flat there,” said Rodgers. “He knows it … But Cal’s the best kid and, you know, it sucks because he’s such a great kid, but unfortunately that whole sequence took points off the board.”

A sequence that came later and added points to the wrong side of the board was the aforementioned brain-cramp with 12:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. A 54-yard field goal by Jason Myers had just given the Seahawks a 17-14 lead when his ensuing kickoff bounced in the landing zone and continued into the end zone where it stopped about a yard from the endline. Kaleb Johnson left the ball unattended, and when George Holani was ruled to have covered it in-bounds the Steelers’ deficit instantly grew to 24-14.

“Poor judgment by a young player,” is what Coach Mike Tomlin said about it in his postgame media briefing; a situation that’s covered in practice/meetings “every day of our lives.”

We’re two weeks into the 2025 installment of September football, and pending the outcome of Monday Night Football, there are 12 – and could be 14 – teams with 1-1 records, including the Ravens, Broncos, Lions, and Vikings. And defending AFC Champion Kansas City is 0-2.

“No, it’s week two. Come on. Come on. It’s week 2,” said Rodgers. “I mean, it’s good for us. Last week probably there were some people feeling pretty good because everybody outside the building was talking about how great we were on offense and (scoring) 34 points. That’s the league; you can’t ride the highs or ride the lows. You have to refocus every single week and be a professional, and it starts with practice and the preparation and so we get a chance to reset. Take a look at what we did last week, what worked, what didn’t work from the preparation standpoint. Do better next week.”

Best to start with run defense and pass protection.

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Seattle, WA

How Polanco’s departure impacts Seattle Mariners’ offseason

Published

8 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

How Polanco’s departure impacts Seattle Mariners’ offseason

The Seattle Mariners’ offseason will not be completed in a nice, neat, run-it-back bow, with reports Saturday morning that Jorge Polanco and the Mets are in agreement on a two-year, $40 million contract.

Drayer: Mariners’ plan for 2B and 3B coming more into focus

The number was stunning, with most industry insiders estimating Polanco would be looking at something closer to $12-15 million per year. Even ESPN’s Jeff Passan, one of the few to estimate Polanco would receive above $15 million per year, was likely to be surprised Saturday morning.

“He’s not getting $20 million a year,” Passan told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Tuesday. “I think at the end of the day, it’s probably going to be $14-17 million a year. If there are two teams duking it out at the end, maybe it goes up a million a year. It looks like it is going to be a three-year deal, but something along the lines of three (years) for $45-50 (million). I think that’s about right.”

The one move Passan says could make Mariners the AL favorites

The estimated $17 million salary sounded outrageous to the show hosts, but a lot can change this time of year, namely the Mets losing Pete Alonso to the Orioles. In comparison, Polanco is not exactly a splash after the loss of Alonso, but his versatility and offense when healthy (an .821 OPS in 2025) were attractive to the Mets.

Polanco going elsewhere was certainly a possibility – perhaps established as a good possibility when he failed to sign quickly, unlike the Mariners’ No. 1 target of the offseason, Josh Naylor. They were well aware of this with president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto recently admitting the odds were technically against them with numerous teams involved. The Mariners valued Polanco but were outbid by a team that needed to make a move. So they must move on.

While the Mariners remained engaged in talks with free agents this week, it is the trade market where the most attractive candidates reside, with the Cardinals expected to trade Brendan Donovan and the Diamondbacks making Ketel Marte available.

Donovan and Marte would be great fits on the field and on the salary spreadsheet for Seattle, but they would come at the cost of prospect capital with the Cardinals, and to a lesser extent Diamondbacks, dealing from a position of leverage.

The Cardinals do not have to deal Donovan, who has two years remaining under club control, but his value presents new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom the opportunity to make a significant early organizational mark.

In the case of Marte, the leverage he brings the Diamondbacks is short-lived as he will become a 10-and-5 player in the first weeks of the season, meaning he will be able to veto any trades at that point.

Can the M’s give up what Arizona wants for a Ketel Marte trade?

On the free agent market, despite reports that agent Scott Boras reached out to the Mariners about third baseman Alex Bregman having some interest in the team, the big-ticket players appear to remain off limits for the Mariners. They have maintained that the door would be open for Eugenio Suárez in the right circumstances. Assuming that would be a one-year deal, that signing seems unlikely to happen. The remaining free agent infielders appear to be more stopgap options of the take-a-chance variety with names like Willi Castro, Luis Rengifo or even Adam Frazier available.

The loss of Polanco and his production at the plate put Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander in the position where they are going to have to make a gamble. They have a track record of making trades that end up requiring lower-ranked prospects than expected. If that is not the norm this winter, then do they make that painful prospect trade, or trade a starter from the big league roster? Does ownership decide it can make a gamble in expanding the budget for a higher-priced free agent, or does it take the gamble of making smaller moves, essentially staying where they are, seeing how it plays out and attempting to make big moves at the trade deadline once again?

The Mariners and Mariners fans have just been hit with a large dose of uncertainty. In the uncertainty are opportunities, however, and the remainder of the offseason should not be quiet.

More Seattle Mariners offseason coverage

• Backup catcher target emerges for Seattle Mariners, per reports
• Salk: What we know and think about Seattle Mariners’ offseason needs
• Why Nolan Arenado could make sense as a Seattle Mariners trade target
• Seattle Mariners pick two, lose one in minor league phase of Rule 5 draft
• With a tweak, Jose Ferrer could be special in Seattle Mariners’ bullpen

Follow @shannondrayer

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Kraken fall to Mammoth 5-3 for 7th loss in 8 games

Published

20 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Seattle Kraken fall to Mammoth 5-3 for 7th loss in 8 games

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Dylan Guenther scored a go-ahead power-play goal in the third period and the Utah Mammoth beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.

Utah Mammoth 5, Seattle Kraken 3: Box score

Nick Schmaltz had a goal and two assists, and Kailer Yamamoto, JJ Peterka, and Lawson Crouse also scored for the Mammoth. Kevin Stenlund had three assists and Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.

Mason Marchment had two goals and Ben Meyers also scored for the Kraken in their seventh loss in eight games. Phillipp Grubauer had 26 saves.

After a scoreless first period, Marchment put Seattle on the board with a backhand shot at 3:35 of the second.

Schmaltz tied it at 8:09 with an unassisted goal. He attacked off a breakaway and chipped the puck over Grubauer’s shoulder from close range.

Yamamoto then gave Utah its first lead with 6:36 left in the middle period.

Seattle had several shots at an equalizer during a two-man advantage lasting nearly two minutes, but the Kraken came up empty.

Marchment then got his second goal of the night and fourth of the season at 7:50 of the third, slapping the puck home from long distance to tie it.

Guenther gave Utah a 3-2 lead with 7:05 remaining, successfully converting a power play.

Peterka and Crouse added empty netters over the final three minutes, and Meyers scored for Seattle with 43 seconds to go for the final margin.

Up next

Kraken: Host Buffalo on Sunday.

Mammoth: At Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Seattle Kraken dealt another tough blow on the injury front

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Seattle, WA

Brock: How rookie DL can fit in Seattle Seahawks’ defense

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Brock: How rookie DL can fit in Seattle Seahawks’ defense

The Seattle Seahawks focused heavily on their offense during the draft this past spring, using nine of their 11 selections to pick players on that side of the ball.

Just two of their picks were defenders: safety Nick Emmanwori and defensive lineman Rylie Mills.

Seattle Seahawks waive 2 players, have options to fill their roster spots

After returning from an injury suffered in the season opener that forced him to miss three games (and essentially four since he played on four snaps in Week 1), Emmanwori is making his case to be in consideration for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Mills, on the other hand, has yet to play a snap while recovering from an ACL tear suffered last December during his final season at Notre Dame. But the fifth-round pick appears to be nearing his NFL debut. Mills, who was designated to return to practice from injured reserve Nov. 26, was a full participant in practice for the first time last Friday. He was ruled out of Sunday’s game against Atlanta, but practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday as Seattle prepares for a matchup with Indianapolis this Sunday.

The Seahawks have until next Wednesday to decide if they will activate Mills to the 53-man roster or place him on IR for the rest of the season. So it may be another week until he makes his debut, and it’s no guarantee that he will play this season. If he is activated to the 53-man roster, how will he fit the Seahawks’ standout defense? Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard shared his insight about the role the Notre Dame product could play during his Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday.

“I do remember watching him a number of times and just, gosh, he was a good college football player,” Huard said. “He’s big now. He’s 6-5, 290 (pounds), and to be honest with you, you know where he fits a little bit more? He would fit a little bit more in a traditional, kind of old school Pittsburgh Steelers 3-4 defense. He would be that five-technique defensive end that could play that spot and be very stout.”

Mills is similar in size to star Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams, who measures in at 6-5 and 310 pounds. But one key difference is Williams has more length, which is a concern Huard has about Mills.

“The challenge and what I’m anxious to kind of see in how they utilize him eventually is he’s not real long (Mills had 32 5/8 inch arms at the draft combine)” Huard said. “He’s not like Leonard Williams with that length. He’s not necessarily like a (Quinton) Bohanna and a (Brandon) Pili at 330-plus pounds either. (He’s) 6-5, 290, fairly athletic, super smart, super savvy, but he’s a little different than all the rest of these D-linemen.

“He’s certainly not an edge player and he doesn’t have some of the size or the length of some of the interior (linemen).”

Every Rylie Mills sack (17.0) 👀💪
The best of @ryliemills99 ➡️ https://t.co/tBCRILE4Eh#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/kdxRT6F6c5
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) March 21, 2025

However, Huard is confident the Seahawks can figure out the best way to utilize Mills’ skills just like they have with another player on their defensive line who lacks some of the ideal measurables: 2024 first-round pick Byron Murphy II.

“Like they’ve done with Murphy, who also is not prototypical in some of the size, they will play to his skill set,” Huard said. “(Mills’) greatest skill set, frankly, might just be his brain.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks coverage

• What to expect if Colts start Philip Rivers at QB vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Seattle Seahawks Injury Report: OL starter may be nearing return
• Daniel Jeremiah: Seahawks rookie Grey Zabel ‘an elite guard now’
• Date and time for Seattle Seahawks’ Week 17 game at Carolina announced
• Seahawks Notebook: Coach leaves team; two players designated to return

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