CINCINNATI — This time, Jamal Adams not only started, but he also finished.
And that was victory enough, even though the scoreboard at the end read that the Bengals had beaten the Seahawks 17-13.
Adams played throughout Sunday’s game, finishing with four tackles, one for a loss, as well as a quarterback hit.
He began the game in his familiar spot at strong safety, starting alongside Quandre Diggs.
Adams also started Seattle’s 24-3 win against the New York Giants on Oct. 2 in a three-safety set but played just nine snaps before being forced to leave with a concussion.
But Adams cleared concussion protocol this week and returned to the starting lineup.
“Grateful heart,” Adams said of playing the entire game, though he was taken out at times as the Seahawks tried to keep him fresh in his first full game since the 2021 season. “Obviously, that was the goal. I was just taking it one quarter at a time. Obviously, I was on a little rep count. That was killing me to be on the sideline but I understood the routine, and I understood the plan. I feel great.”
Coach Pete Carroll said of Adams playing the entire game: “That’s a good accomplishment, and now he can take the next step.”
Adams initially resisted being taken out of the Giants game and later wrote an apology note to the NFL’s designated concussion adviser. Adams would likely not have been able to play had Seattle not had a bye following the Giants game, but he was cleared to practice on Wednesday and to play on Thursday.
“Obviously, that was a lot going on,” Adams said of the concussion and its aftermath. “Obviously, I was just focused on the next week. I was excited to get back out there.”
Adams’ return, though, means fewer snaps for Julian Love, who had started in his place. Love played regularly in relief of Adams and when the team went to three-safety sets. He said he’s willing to do what the Seahawks feel is necessary.
“I think we were pretty effective when all of us were on the field today,” Love said. “It’s different, for sure. Last year [when he played with the Giants], I didn’t leave the field too much. … But I understand that my goal is for us to be winning games, and to win games, Jamal needs to be on the field. So I think that was pretty effective, and I know we’re going to do some fun things moving forward.”
Brown steps in at left cornerback
Seattle answered one question early on when Tre Brown sprinted on to the field to play left cornerback when the team went into its nickel formation. Brown didn’t play against the Giants after suffering a concussion against Carolina. Michael Jackson played left corner in the nickel, in which Devon Witherspoon moves inside from the left corner spot to the slot.
Jackson also played some, but Brown got most of the reps. He again showed why when he picked off a pass intended for Ja’Marr Chase on the opening drive of the third quarter.
Brown was in man coverage on the play and said any time he was one-on-one with Chase, he expected the ball might come his way.
“I knew I was by myself,” he said. “I saw him look back early, turned around, turned into him, caught the ball.”
Brown’s performance likely means he will remain as the starting left corner in the nickel, with Witherspoon starting in the base defense, and Riq Woolen on the right side.
“It was another impressive game from him,” Carroll said. “Terrific with the interception. It was perfect coverage, and he finished the play, which was great.”
Metcalf shaken up, but stays in
Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf, already playing through some sore ribs, left the game briefly in the third quarter to have his hip examined.
“He got hit in the hip,” Carroll said.
But Metcalf returned and finished the game.
“He sucked it up and went back in,” Carroll said.
Metcalf also was called for a personal foul for a late hit in the second quarter — Seattle recovered to get a first down on a 32-yard pass to Tyler Lockett before the drive ended in a punt.
Metcalf was also the target on a Geno Smith pass that was picked off by Cam Taylor-Britt in the fourth quarter.
While some wondered if Metcalf stopped running on the play, Smith took the blame, saying, “That’s on me.”
Taylor-Britt, though, said he thought the pass got altered by the pass rush.
“It was altered because [defensive end] Sam [Hubbard] or [defensive end] Trey [Hendrickson] got back there,” he said. “But I knew the ball got altered because I heard the crowd, so I looked and the ball was coming and I was like, ‘Oh.’”
Hilton says he sniffed out Seattle’s plan
Smith was also picked off in the third quarter by Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton when trying to hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba on a play that snapped at the Bengals’ 18.
Hilton said he thought something was up when he saw Smith-Njigba go in motion cutting behind Seattle’s offensive line and then breaking down the sideline in what is commonly referred to as a wheel route.
“They have certain formations with him in the backfield,” Hilton said. “But it’s usually 16 [Tyler Lockett]. So when you know 11 is back there, something’s up. I just made a play when I needed to.”
Notes
— As expected, Charles Cross returned from a toe injury suffered against the Rams that held him out for three games to start at left tackle.
— Seattle’s inactives included one player who had been listed out due to injury — cornerback Artie Burns (hamstring) — and one mild surprise, linebacker Devin Bush. Bush, signed to a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million, was not listed on the injury report this week so he is assumed to be a healthy scratch. Bush played in three of Seattle’s first four games, sitting out the win at Detroit due to injury. But Bush only played 10 snaps against the Giants as the Seahawks went often with a nickel formation on defense in which Seattle has just two linebackers on the field.
Seattle’s other two inactives were backup offensive linemen McClendon Curtis and Raiqwon O’Neal. Seattle had to make only five players inactive after placing cornerback Coby Bryant on injured reserve Saturday with a toe injury and elevating receiver Cody Thompson from the practice squad.
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