Seattle Seahawks: The dud and stud of game 8 – L.A. Chargers

Stud of the Week

2nd honorable mention – Michael Dickson. The more 12s see the Seahawks Aussie punter, the more they love this guy. His booming punts flipped field position several times Sunday. On the day, Dickson had six punts that averaged 52.8 yards per kick with four downed inside the 20-yard line.

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1st honorable mention – Mike Davis. He isn’t Chris Carson and its unfair to think Davis can be Carson. He has a different kind of running style which makes him an excellent compliment to the bell cow back. When Carson went out, Davis stepped up. He had a combined total of 107 yards, The four year pro from Dallas, Texas ran for 62 yards on 15 carries and added seven receptions for 42 yards.

The Stud – Bobby Wagner/K.J. Wright. These two linebackers are so effective together, they deserve to be co-Stud of the week. The difference in linebacker play between now and the first six games of the season is clear to see. After Wright’s return for game seven, the defense has played with more control. Keenan Allen catching crossing patterns for 113 yards is on the secondary. Phillip Rivers having time throw is on the defensive line. How bad would it have been Sunday without the linebacker’s leadership?

Individually they are both very good and Sunday they were exceptional. When Wright got into the Chargers backfield, he made plays. One and a half of his seven tackles resulted in negative yards for Los Angeles. His value, like Wagner’s, lies in how he makes the defense, as a whole, tougher to play against. He’s the Robin to Wagner’s Batman.

On to Bobby Wagner, the heart of the Seattle Seahawks defense. It looked like Wagner was everywhere on Sunday. He played sideline to sideline for the 24 or so minutes L.A. had the ball. It’s a bit unusual to see a middle linebacker with three passes defended in a game. Add that to the 13 tackles Wagner made and that equals a fantastic performance. The defense can survive without any of the starters except Bobby Wagner, he’s the engine.

Although he didn’t make the stud list, ECS gives props to Jaron Brown for a touchdown reception and his celebration dance.