Russell Wilson: Brandon Marshall’s still got it, RBs catching passes, more from Seahawks’ mock game

All alone, maybe the most lonely man on this crowded Seattle SeaFair weekend, Chris Carson took the pass from Russell Wilson down the left sideline and sprinted unchallenged to the end zone.

“That was kind of nice,” Carson deadpanned.

Nice in more ways than one.

The 60-yard score on the starting offense’s first play of the Seahawks’ annual mock game—then the second play, and the fourth, and the sixth and seventh—exemplified one of the biggest takeaways from Saturday’s game-like scrimmage five days before the preseason opener.

New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is apparently going to have Wilson throwing to Carson and the running backs far more than Seattle has thrown to them in the Pete Carroll era. As long as those backs can finally stay healthy, that is.

Saturday’s no-tackle scrimmage of ones versus twos also showed:

• Contrary to what he believes the rest of the league thinks about him, Brandon Marshall’s not done yet.
  
  
• Rookie first-round pick Rashaad Penny has explosive speed—especially for a running back carrying 236 pounds.
  
  
• Carroll has had it with right tackle Germain Ifedi’s penalties. The coach benched Ifedi in a mock game for them Saturday.
• And Poona Ford is an undrafted rookie to watch for on the defensive line that needs depth and speed.
  
  

“We saw some good stuff today,” Carroll said following the semi-full rehearsal, minus tackling, before the first preseason game Thursday against Indianapolis. “Really happy to see Russ with the first group function like that.

“It’s a big deal for us, knowing we are inside of a week already before a game. This is as close as we are going to get to situations and mentality and changes and things that have to happen. So we are ready to go.”

Wilson and Marshall looked particularly ready.

Unofficially, Wilson completed 16 of 19 passes and threw four touchdown passes in four drives, albeit against a second-string defense that is behind Seattle’s changed top defensive unit. Wilson’s first TD throw was to Marshall. For the third time this week, the 34-year-old six-time Pro Bowl receiver coming off two surgeries schooled rookie converted cornerback Tre Flowers. Marshall deftly moved around Flowers as Wilson’s pass approached them in the end zone. Then Marshall snared the ball for what he’s done more than all but two active players in the NFL: score touchdowns.

“He still has it,” Wilson said.

Marshall remains somewhat limited working back from his surgeries. Yet he has already shown in a few days why he was a preeminent receiver in this league for about a decade, until his last fully healthy, 100-catch season. That was 2015 with the New York Jets.

“He’s a big-play guy,” Carroll said. “For the shots that he’s had...I mean, he’s probably got three or four touchdowns out of about seven throws (in camp scrimmaging so far).

“He’s making big things happen. He’s REAL savvy. He’s got a lot of stuff. He’s got a lot of game to him. Russ knows it. Nate (Carroll, the receivers coach) knows it. Schotty knows it. ...

“He’s made a great first impression.”

That’s a huge development for the Seahawks’ offense that was again without injured wide receivers receiver Doug Baldwin (out indefinitely with a knee injury), David Moore and Amara Darboh.

Marshall has six 100-catch seasons in the league, more than 12,000 yards receiving and 89 touchdowns. There’s a starting job waiting for him to win, though Carroll said the Seahawks will continue a steady return and not rush Marshall back from toe and ankle surgeries that ended his season with the New York Giants last year after five games and a career-low 18 catches, then a hamstring injury last month.

But Wilson is apparently going to have more than just wide receivers to throw to this season. Schottenheimer’s been splitting running backs all over formations and crossing them to free them into open spaces. That’s how Carson fooled the second-team defense on Saturday’s first play.

On the second play by the starting offense, Wilson threw in the flat to fullback Tre Madden. Then the starters went into I formation on consecutive plays, with Carson plowing off tackle for 12 yards behind Madden then Wilson faking a handoff to Carson and throwing incomplete into the end zone.

Heck, the team that has seemed for years to not know the screen pass has already been invented even threw those to running backs, including J.D. McKissic.

Ford, the impressive undrafted rookie from Texas, hustled outside from his defensive-tackle spot to ruin that play and tackle McKissic immediately. But, hey, at least the Seahawks actually threw a screen pass or two.

“They are trying to utilize us. They know we’ve all got good hands,” Carson said of this new running-backs-in-the-passing-game emphasis by the new coaching staff. “Scotty does a good job using us in the backfield and also using us as receivers.

“I like it a lot. Any way I can get the ball in minds, I like it.”

Last season, Wilson threw 553 times and completed 339 passes. The only running back to catch more than 15 of those was McKissic. And he’s a converted wide receiver.

Carson caught seven passes in four games before he broke his leg Oct. 1 and went on injured reserve.

“It’s always a big asset when you can have versatility with your guys (at running back),” Carroll said.

Carroll made the point that not only is he looking forward to more throws to the backs this season, he’s looking forward to the backs simply being healthier than they were last year. By November, Mike Davis was the Plan-E starter at running back, after Carson, Thomas Rawls, Eddie Lacy and C.J. Prosise. The 49ers had waived Davis in the spring of 2017, and he’d spent the first 10 weeks of last regular season on Seattle’s practice squad.

Now it’s Carson, Penny, Prosise, Davis, Madden, McKissic all contributing. And in far more ways than Seattle’s previous offense asked them to.

“Just to have the running backs there when we play would be really nice,” Carroll said. “Just showing up would be good. It’s been pretty difficult the last couple years.”

Penny, the third running back Seattle’s ever taken in the first round after Curt Warner and Shaun Alexander, remained the number-two back behind Carson. But Penny shined. He broke off right tackle on the second drive running with the second-team offense and out-ran every member of the starting defense for about 60 yards, before free safety Tedric Thompson finally caught up to Penny at the 7-yard line.

Thompson was playing free safety on Earl Thomas’ eighth day holding out of training camp, and Bradley McDougald was against the starting strong safety. Thomas’ fines for staying away passed $750,000 on Saturday.

Carson called himself the power and Penny the speed. That’s even though Penny is 14 pounds heavier than Carson’s listed weight.

If Penny can master pass blocking, which Carroll demands of his running backs, the rookie will get many carries sharing a top role with Carson. If not, Carson will remain the clear lead tailback. But the Seahawks believe their stable of options is so much deeper this year—healthy depending.

The starting offensive line was the same it’s been, with one exception: left tackle Duane Brown, left guard Ethan Pocic, right guard D.J. Fluker and right tackle Ifedi. The exception was Joey Hunt starting Saturday at center. That was after Justin Britt’s back tightened in warmups.

Ifedi was the most-penalized player in the NFL last season. He was often slow to get outside to pass rushers or edge responsibilities and holding. Saturday he was caught holding by the visiting NFL officiating crew. He also committed a false start. Carroll immediately pulled him from the scrimmage after the second penalty. New line coach Mike Solari then spent multiple moments lecturing the Seahawks’ first-round pick from 2016. Isaiah Battle replaced him.

Getting benched from a mock game is a good way to invite competition at right tackle. George Fant is still getting back from reconstructive knee surgery last summer and so far continues to work at left tackle.

Ford is just 5 feet 11 but runs much better than a 310-pound defensive tackle should. That showed up on consecutive plays against the starting offense. He burst through the gap between Fluker and Ifedi and ripped the helmet off Davis’ head to stop the running back’s sweep in the backfield before it ever got started. On the next play, Ford ran through traffic and tackled McKissic from behind to stop the screen pass for no gain.

Every summer there is an undrafted rookie or two who make Carroll’s Seahawks, and then contribute during the season. For years, Seattle has led the NFL or been at the top of the league in undrafted free agents on the roster.

Saturday, Ford looked like he had potential to be the next one, on a defense that was wearing its Shrek-green jerseys as it usually does in the annual mock game.

“He’s really active,” Carroll said. “He’s got his own little way about him. You know, he’s not very tall, but he’s got good length. He utilizes his leverage. He’s a very instinctive kid. And he’s got quickness for the nose-tackle spot that allows him to penetrate; you’ve already seen that a number of times.

“He’s done well. He’s done very well.”

EXTRA POINT: Starting left cornerback Shaquill Griffin stood on the sideline during the scrimmage, not practicing for the first time in camp. Akeem King was the started for Griffin. Carroll said Griffin had a minor hamstring strain.

This story was originally published August 4, 2018 at 5:15 PM.