Seattle, WA

Observations from Seattle Seahawks' practice at Lumen Field

Published

1 year ago

August 4, 2024

Press Room

Observations from Seattle Seahawks' practice at Lumen Field

There will be a lot of firsts for new Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald over the next month or so.

Macdonald optimistic Seahawks QB Geno Smith will return next week

The 36-year-old Macdonald just checked another one off the list, coaching the Seahawks inside their home stadium for the first time.

The Seahawks departed from their training camp headquarters at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center to hold their annual “Football Fest” practice Saturday at Lumen Field. It was a festive atmosphere on a sun-soaked afternoon, with music blaring throughout practice and the occasional roar of Blue Angels soaring overhead.

“What an atmosphere, man,” Macdonald said. “It’s just really surreal being in the stadium, and then we’ve got the jets flying overhead. It’s just tough to beat.”

The event served as a way for players and coaches to replicate a gameday routine. But as Macdonald noted, it also added some extra buzz to help break up the day-to-day grind of training camp.

“It kind of kicks it up a notch,” Macdonald said. “I wouldn’t say the lights are on, but they kind of are, so it amplifies the intensity, for sure.”

Here are some observations from Saturday’s practice:

• Defense wins the day: With starting quarterback Geno Smith still sidelined after hurting his knee and hip in Tuesday’s practice, backup Sam Howell continued to work as the first-team quarterback and P.J. Walker took the second-team reps. Perhaps understandably, the defense held the upper hand for most of the day.

During a 15-minute scrimmage session, the first-team offense went three-and-out on its first two possessions and then drove into the red zone on its third possession before stalling in the closing seconds. Facing a fourth-and-2 from the 18-yard line, Howell couldn’t connect on an end-zone pass to receiver Laviska Shenault Jr., who was covered by veteran cornerback Artie Burns. The second-team offense also went three-and-out on its first possession before Walker led the unit on a 60-yard TD march on its second drive.

The defense also had its way during a red-zone drill where the offense started on the 20-yard line. The first-team offense settled for a field goal after being set back by a holding penalty, while the second-team offense went three-and-out.

• Another Bobo highlight: The lone touchdown drive in the 15-minute scrimmage session was capped by another highlight-reel catch from second-year receiver Jake Bobo. The former undrafted free agent made a twisting, acrobatic 8-yard TD snag in the front corner of the end zone, using great body control to corral the pass inside the right boundary. It came after the 6-foot-4 Bobo made a spectacular diving TD catch in Tuesday’s practice.

“I don’t see him drop a lot of footballs,” Macdonald said. “It seems like he comes down with a bunch of them. I think he complements our receiving room well, and then we’re really excited in the (special) teams phase. I think he provides more than a normal receiver would provide in that phase too. It’ll be fun to see how he fits into the receiver room and how that thing all shakes out, because we’ve got a lot of talent.”

• Defensive highlights: On a day dominated by defense, Seattle’s talented pair of young cornerbacks came up with two of the most noteworthy plays. During the 15-minute scrimmage session, third-year cornerback Riq Woolen used his 6-foot-4 length to make a diving deflection over the middle on a third-down pass from Howell. And on the first-team offense’s ensuing possession, second-year corner Devon Witherspoon blitzed off the edge and deflected a first-down pass from Howell.

• Murphy continues to impress: Rookie defensive tackle and No. 16 overall pick Byron Murphy II, described by one draft analyst as a “muscular ball of explosiveness,” has the potential to be a big-time disruptor in the trenches. The 6-foot, 306-pound Murphy showed some of that horsepower on Saturday, as he appeared to get considerable push up front in pass-rush drills.

“Let’s not crown him yet, but he’s on the way,” Macdonald said. “He’s a force in there, and I think the guys see it. I’m just pleased with his effort. The guy brings it every day. … He’s a savvy football player. He knows what he’s doing out there. He’s not lost. He plays fast, plays rugged. So I think the future is bright for Mr. Murphy.”

• Kick return options: The Seahawks experimented with a handful of different returners while practicing kickoffs under the NFL’s new rules. Among the returners were Shenault, Dee Williams, Dee Eskridge, Tre Brown, Dareke Young and WSU Cougars product Eason Winston Jr. The Seahawks had two returners on the field for each kickoff, as teams across the league are widely expected to do with the new rules encouraging directional kicking.

“It’s eval phase,” Macdonald said. “When you see it in the preseason, hopefully we get a lot of reps of that and opportunities to see who can do something with the ball.”

• Things get chippy: As players battle for starting jobs and roster spots under the summer heat of training camp, there are times when tensions can boil over. That happened twice on Saturday. The first instance was a minor scuffle between an offensive lineman and edge rusher during one-on-one pass rush drills. The second came after Eskridge hauled in a reception over the middle and was taken to the ground hard by safety Marquise Blair. Other players quickly converged on the scene for a brief skirmish before things cooled down.

“I think today’s an opportunity to say, hey, we wanna push the envelope, we want to be on the line, but we also want to be smart within the situation as well,” Macdonald said. “It is a balance. … Things are gonna happen. It’s training camp. Tempers are gonna flare. But hey, how do we respond to it? Cooler heads will prevail and let’s keep it moving.”

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• What Seattle Seahawks players are saying about Macdonald’s defense
• Will Seattle Seahawks’ Boye Mafe reap rewards in Macdonald’s defense?
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba among top candidates for second-year surge
• Is Seattle Seahawks LT Charles Cross poised to take next step?
• How concerning is Abraham Lucas’ status for Seattle Seahawks?

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Seattle, WA

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

Published

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

Published

17 hours 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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Seattle, WA

Seattle weather: Drier skies Friday, some rivers remain above flood stage

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Seattle weather: Drier skies Friday, some rivers remain above flood stage

SEATTLE – High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers came to an end Thursday with only a few lingering showers. A Flash Flood Watch remains in effect for the Mount Vernon area due to flood risks if local levees fail, which remains possible through Friday afternoon.

Our FOX 13 Weather Team is closely watching for potential flash flooding concerns over the Skagit River.

A Flash Flood Watch is posted until late Friday: there is a possibility of dike/levee failure. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Landslide and localized flooding will still remain an issue into the end of the week.

High river levels continue this evening after the heaviest showers come to an end Thursday.

We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for the state. We still have the likelihood of seeing record heights for the Skagit River at Mount Vernon this evening into early Friday morning as it crests. Most of our area rivers will continue to decrease overnight and throughout Friday.

We have seen three rivers in Western Washington reach record level heights, making this a historic flooding event for Western Washington.

Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.

Rainfall totals Thursday were significantly lower compared to Wednesday, which will help to lower river levels over the next few days.

Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.

Temperatures this afternoon were also significantly warmer compared to average, with highs in the mid to upper 50s.

What’s next:

Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington. High pressure will slowly build back in for Friday and Saturday, aiding in the rivers receding and for the soil to dry out.

Skies will be much drier Friday as we see the atmospheric river move out of Western Washington.

Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s. We will see dry skies and even some sunbreaks for Saturday. Our next round of showers return Sunday with scattered rain, then heavier showers and lowering snowlevels by the middle of next week.

Highs will remain very mild through the weekend, reaching the mid 50s.

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The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle Meteorologist Claire Anderson and the National Weather Service.

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