5 Takeaways from Seahawks preseason-opening tie vs. Raiders

Holani looks like the clear option there, at least through one game. He has sneaky speed, good vision and an impressive contact balance. It was a good start to Holani’s campaign to be kept on the 53-man roster.

Running back sleeper: UDFA Jacardia Wright had an impressive debut. He had a 45-yard run negated on a holding call, but Wright showed deft vision on a short 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Wright saw a stone wall in front of him and cut it back to find a hole and six points. He finished with seven carries for 34 yards and the score and will be one to watch through the rest of the preseason.

Mike Macdonald got a little spicy

It’s just the preseason, but Macdonald wasn’t afraid to dip into his bag of tricks with Pete Carroll on the other sideline. Late in the second quarter, Macdonald sent a disguised blitz at Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell — forcing him to throw early and into a trap coverage. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, a 2024 fifth-round pick, jumped in front of the pass for the interception.

It was a nearly impossible situation for O’Connell to win unless he had the rapid wherewithal to throw the ball away. Unfortunately for the Raiders, he did not.

Rapid-fire defensive standouts

Rookie second-round safety Nick Emmanwori looked as good as advertised in his first game action at Lumen Field. The do-it-all defender nearly had a sack on former Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith on the first Las Vegas drive of the game, and he had a tackle for loss later on in the first quarter.

Nose tackle Brandon Pili impressed in the middle of the defense with two tackles in limited action. He was consistently penetrating the Raiders’ front line and disrupting the offense.

UDFA wide receiver-turned-edge rusher Connor O’Toole had the only sack of the night by either team in the fourth quarter, taking down Raiders quarterback Cam Miller. O’Toole finished with three total tackles.

Pritchett finished his day with four tackles, two pass deflections and his interception. He’s in a battle with Josh Jobe and Shaquill Griffin for the third cornerback spot. Jobe also had an interception in the first half.

Gaines deserves major credit for denying Carroll his first win in Lumen Field as an opponent, also. He used all of his 6-foot-3 frame and long wingspan to bat down Carlson’s would-be game-winning kick.

About that Tory Horton hype train …

It’s rolling, with a full head of steam. Horton totaled three catches for 31 yards and a spinning touchdown that saw him weave through three Las Vegas defenders to get into the end zone. 

It was anything but ordinary, as Horton caught a simple stick route pass from Drew Lock and did the rest himself. This train isn’t slowing down any time soon, and Horton looks to be the real deal.

Up Next

The Seahawks host the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the preseason at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15. That will be their final home game before returning home for the regular season opener on Sept. 7.