INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Sam Howell threw for 130 yards and a touchdown in his Seattle debut and the Seahawks had a successful preseason opener under Mike Macdonald, defeating the Chargers 16-3 on Saturday in coach Jim’s first game. Harbaugh with Los Angeles.
Howell, acquired from Washington during the offseason, directed two scoring drives in the second quarter. He completed 16 of 27 passes in 10 series and played until just over halfway through the third quarter.
“Offensively, I did some good things. I could have scored a little more points, I thought. I would have liked to finish that trip around the beginning of the third quarter,” Howell said.
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith did not play after missing practice last week with knee and hip issues. Wide receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, along with running back Kenneth Walker III, were among the Seahawks’ other offensive starters who did not see action.
“I thought our operation was clean for the most part,” Macdonald said. “I have a lot of notes jotted down as the game unfolds, things we’ll want to pursue and discuss, but overall I’d say it’s a fundamental first game. It’s something we want to build.”
While the Seahawks were able to move the ball, the Chargers struggled. They scored three times and gained just 21 yards on their first six offensive possessions with Easton Stick at quarterback.
Stick, who has been playing most of the first-team snaps this past week with Justin Herbert sidelined with a foot injury, was 5 of 13 for 32 yards and an interception in his eight series of work during the first half.
Stick used one word to describe his performance: “frustrating.”
“I think it’s always a combination of things, but at the end of the day we just didn’t execute at a high enough level to move the football. And that starts and ends with me,” said Stick, who is in his sixth season.
With the exception of Herbert and running backs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards, the rest of the starting offense saw playing time. With Herbert’s injury status remaining unknown, it should be an interesting few weeks for Harbaugh, who returned to the NFL after leading Michigan to a national championship last season.
“There is work to be done. There’s a lot of work to be done,” Harbaugh said. “Now we have started, which is positive. Offensively there were some good things, but not enough.”
Howell – who started all 17 of the Commanders’ games last season – opened the scoring with a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end with Brady Russell with 12:27 left in the first half. Russell caught the ball at the Los Angeles 10-yard line and avoided a tackle attempt by Chargers linebacker Nick Niemann before reaching the end zone.
“I was hoping to get the first down, but it’s great when you have a guy that can run after the catch and make guys miss,” Howell said. “Brady had a really good camp and is doing a great job. Every time he’s there, I’ll try to find him for sure.”
Seattle extended its lead in the next series after Coby Bryant caught Stick in a pass through the middle. George Holani left on the right 11 meters away to make it 13-0. Jason Myers connected on the extra point attempt.
Stick gave the Bolts their first down on an 11-yard keeper with five minutes left in the first half. Then came a 15-yard completion to tight end Stone Smartt to the Seahawks’ 40.
The drive stalled, but Cameron Dicker got the Chargers on the board with a 58-yard field goal. If this were a regular season game, it would be the second longest kick in franchise history.
Myers provided the only points of the second half with a 47-yard field goal with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter.
DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHT
The Chargers’ defense gained momentum midway through the second quarter when they stopped the Seahawks on two plays from LA 1, resulting in zero Seattle points on a 14-play, 84-yard drive.
Holani was stopped for no gain on the third goal by Matt Hankins and Tony Jefferson. On fourth-and-goal, Holani was tackled for a 1-yard loss to Shane Lee and Niemann.
Lee’s father, Mark, suffered a massive heart attack at the family’s Maryland home on May 12. Mark Lee was recently cleared to travel and surprised his son after practice on Thursday.
HELLO AGAIN
Macdonald was Harbaugh’s defensive coordinator at Michigan in 2021. Jay Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh’s son, is Seattle’s special teams coach.
NEXT
Seahawks: At Tennessee on August 17.
Chargers: Host the Los Angeles Rams on August 17.
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This story originally appeared on ABCNews.go.com read the full story
