George Holani found space on the outside and increased the Seahawks’ lead with a touchdown.
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In his Seattle debut, Sam Howell threw for 130 yards and a touchdown, leading the Seahawks to a 16-3 victory over the Chargers in the preseason opener under head coach Mike Macdonald. This marked Jim Harbaugh’s first game as the head coach of Los Angeles.
Howell, who joined the Seahawks from Washington during the offseason, orchestrated two scoring drives in the second quarter. He completed 16 out of 27 passes over ten series before his day ended around the middle of the third quarter.
“Offensively, we did some good things. I thought we could have scored a few more points and would have liked to finish a drive early in the third quarter,” Howell stated.
Seattle’s starting quarterback, Geno Smith, did not participate due to knee and hip issues that caused him to miss practice last week. Other key offensive starters, including wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett as well as running back Kenneth Walker III, were also inactive.
Macdonald expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying, “I thought our operation was fairly clean overall. I’ve noted several things we want to address from the game, but I see it as a foundational first game that we can build on.”
While the Seahawks managed to move the ball effectively, the Chargers faced difficulties. They went three-and-out and accumulated only 21 yards in their first six offensive possessions led by quarterback Easton Stick.
With Justin Herbert sidelined due to a foot injury, Stick took most of the first-team snaps and completed 5 of 13 passes for 32 yards and an interception during his eight series in the first half. He described his performance as “frustrating.”
“It’s always a mix of factors, but ultimately it’s about executing better to move the football, and that starts with me,” Stick noted, now in his sixth season.
Apart from Herbert and running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards, the starting offense saw playing time. Since Herbert’s health remains uncertain, it presents a challenging few weeks ahead for Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL after a successful season with Michigan.
“There’s work ahead, and a lot of it,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve made a start, which is a positive step. There were some good things offensively, but they weren’t enough.”
Howell opened the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brady Russell with 12:27 left in the first half. Russell received the ball at the Los Angeles 10-yard line, evading a tackle attempt by Chargers linebacker Nick Niemann to reach the end zone.
“I was just hoping to get the first down, but it’s great to have a player who can make plays after the catch,” said Howell. “Brady’s had an excellent training camp, and I’m going to keep looking for him.”
Seattle followed with another score after Coby Bryant intercepted Stick. George Holani scored an 11-yard touchdown, putting Seattle ahead 13-0, although Jason Myers missed the extra point.
Stick managed to secure the Chargers’ first first down with an 11-yard run five minutes before halftime. He also connected on a 15-yard pass to tight end Stone Smartt, advancing to the Seahawks’ 40-yard line. However, the drive stalled, prompting Cameron Dicker to kick a 58-yard field goal, which would have been the second-longest in franchise history during regular-season play.
Myers added a 47-yard field goal for Seattle, marking the only points of the second half with 4:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.
In defensive highlights, the Chargers gained momentum midway through the second quarter by stopping the Seahawks on two running plays from the LA 1, resulting in no points for Seattle on a lengthy 14-play, 84-yard drive. Holani was stopped for no gain on third-and-goal by Matt Hankins and Tony Jefferson, followed by a fourth-and-goal stop that resulted in a 1-yard loss for Holani by Shane Lee and Niemann.
Lee’s father, Mark, recently recovered from a heart attack and surprised his son after Thursday’s practice.
In a return to familiar faces, Macdonald served as Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator in Michigan in 2021. Jay Harbaugh, Jim’s son, is the special teams coach for Seattle.
Next up: Seahawks will face the Tennessee Titans on August 17, while the Chargers will host the Los Angeles Rams the same day.