Some might have thought a game against a Tennessee team coming off a 3-14 season would have been a strange one for Grey Zabel to point to as one he was looking forward to when the schedule came out last spring.
Zabel had one reason for doing so — Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.
As he goes through his rookie season, Zabel says he wants to test himself as much as he can and knew that a game against Simmons — who made the Pro Bowl three of the last four years — would do just that.
“You see a player like that and you know how well he does it, how good he is for the game, this game was definitely circled on the list to go up against him, Zabel said.
The thought he might miss that chance was one that went through his mind when he lay on the turf at SoFi Stadium last Sunday late in the fourth quarter with an aching knee after being rolled up on by teammate Olu Oluwatimi.
In that moment, Zabel said he figured there was no way he was playing Sunday against Tennessee in a 30-24 win.
“No, no," he said. “That was kind of the worst part is the shot kind of hits you right away and all the thoughts start going through your head about what happened."
He sat out the last series in a 21-19 loss to the Rams, while Christian Haynes filled in and had to wait until tests on Monday came back to see what the damage was.
The tests revealed nothing significant which Zabel said was an obvious sigh of relief. He put together a plan with the trainers and began practicing on a limited basis Thursday.
He was listed as questionable for the game Friday.
The knee recovered quickly and he was back in the starting lineup Sunday.
“I'll tell you what, this guy is unbelievable," coach Mike Macdonald said. “He wanted to go in against their front, and I mean, what else can you say about the guy? Just elite competitor, tough as crap. Yeah, we love him. It felt like he played really good football, too, so happy for him."
Zabel wasn’t as sure about the last part of that sentiment, saying he felt Simmons got the better of him at times, though Simmons was only listed with two tackles and one quarterback hit.
“He humbled me really quickly," Zabel said. "... He’s an All-Pro player and I mean as a rookie you just go out there and you just try and stay in front of him and we’re going to go back, watch the film and I’m going to learn a lot from it.’’
Darnold says process same, results better
The Seahawks all week tried to downplay quarterback Sam Darnold throwing four interceptions against the Rams. He’s been through this before, he and Macdonald said, and they were confident he’d play well again soon.
Still, there had to be at least a bit of a good feeling that Darnold didn’t throw an interception for the first time in the last five games and only the fourth in 11 games this year.
It was only the second time all year the Seahawks didn’t have a turnover, and the third time for the offense.
Darnold finished 16 of 26 for 244 yards and two touchdowns to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, including a 63-yarder on a third-and-six play in the second quarter.
“Actually, he was a spark for us," Macdonald said. “The big touchdown to Jax, to see his emotion and his excitement I thought really got the team going, which is something that we needed. Like we said, same guy. Just ripped it, did a great job. There's some plays that we want to improve on and we want back, and we'll learn from those plays just like the rest of the team."
As Macdonald hinted, Darnold had three passes that could have been interceptions, including one in the first quarter on an out route to Kenneth Walker III in which Walker prevented an interception by breaking up the pass as Titans cornerback Marcus Harris tried to reel it in. On another, a ball glanced off AJ Barner at the goal line and fell incomplete.
“The ball was in jeopardy a couple times," Macdonald said. “The ball hit the guy in the chest once and the ball was up in the air, so we've got to look at that and make sure we're cleaning those things up."
Darnold said he didn’t think there was much difference in the games, just a few bounces going his way this time.
“I think my process has always been there," Darnold said. “I think it was just a better outcome this week. And yeah, I think that's about it."
Okada leaves with injury
The Seahawks got dangerously thin at safety when Ty Okada — who is filling in for the injured Julian Love — had to leave with an oblique injury. That forced them to use D’Anthony Bell the rest of the way. Bell is in his fourth year in the league but had played sparingly this season — 43 snaps — before Sunday.
“I think it might have happened on that fourth down or in the drive before the fourth down (in the second quarter)," Macdonald said of the injury. “Then D'Anthony being ready to go, it got a little hairy there out at safety, so we had to be ready for a contingency plan. But great job. (Safeties coach) Jeff Howard did a great job of getting him ready to go, and we didn't have to change the game plan. We called our stuff. And that's a tribute to him."
Macdonald said he didn’t know how long Okada would be out. Love is eligible to come off injured reserve, but Macdonald said it was too early to say if that will happen.
“He's got a process that we've got to go through. We've got to take it day by day," Macdonald said. "We're hopeful, but part of the reason of putting him on IR and taking this time is to ensure when he comes back that he's ready to go, and he can go rip it the way that he plays, and we're not asking second questions. We want to make sure he's ready to go.’’
O’Connell steps in for Jones
The Seahawks had to play without starting middle linebacker Ernest Jones IV, out with a knee injury that he played through last week but proved too much this week
O’Connell has been with the Seahawks since 2023 and had seen action in eight games before Sunday. But most of that had come on special teams as he had played just eight defensive snaps, all against Arizona two weeks ago.
O’Connell didn’t play every snap Sunday as he came out of the game when the Seahawks went with six defensive backs.
He finished with eight tackles and his first career sack in the first quarter.
“It's funny, we have an ongoing joke on our ready squad that you can't block Patty-O (O’Connell) on a daily basis," Macdonald said. “So I'm glad he had his opportunity today, and happy for him. He went out and played winning football for us and made some great plays, so I'm excited to watch the tape and see what he did."
Note
* Running back George Holani left the game with a hamstring injury and backup linebacker Chazz Surratt with an ankle. Said Macdonald: “We were kind of getting a little thin there towards the end of game, so guys stepped up and played. Chazz has an ankle, George has a hamstring. So we'll see.
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