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# Instant Analysis: Seahawks Start Preseason Fast Behind Rookies, Settle For 23-23 Tie vs. Raiders
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/instant-analysis-seahawks-start-preseason-fast-behind-rookies-23-23-draw-raiders/
- Published: 2025-08-08T05:22:53.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:50.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Tory Horton, Drew Lock, Grey Zabel, Elijah Arroyo, Jacardia Wright, George Holani, Nehemiah Pritchett, Josh Jobe, Tyreke Smith, Preseason

[Embed from Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/2229015126?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)

SEATTLE, Wash. - Thanks to a crazy finish between former AFC West rivals, after squandering a 13-point halftime advantage, the Seattle Seahawks opened exhibition play with a 23-23 tie against the Las Vegas Raiders in Pete Carroll’s return to Lumen Field.

In the closing moments, Raiders kicker Daniel Karlson nailed a 51-yard field goal to tie the game, but when the visitors had a chance to steal the win in the closing seconds, undrafted edge rusher Jalen Gaines had other plans. The former Illinois State standout got a piece of Carlson’s attempted game winning kick, causing the football to fall way short of getting to the end zone and securing a preseason draw.

Recapping an exciting game by exhibition standards, here are five quick takeaways from Seattle’s home preseason opener:

### 1\. Offensive rookies put on a clinic in first two quarters of play to build early lead.

Watching incoming draft picks play in a game for the first time always ranks among the biggest highlights in the preseason opener, but that’s especially the case for the Seahawks with an exciting crop of 11 draft picks that have drawn rave reviews at training camp. In an exhibition audition, several of the marquee names from this latest class did nothing to slow down the hype train either.

On Seattle’s first offensive series, with Las Vegas playing all of its starters, including pass rusher Mason Crosby, fifth-round receiver Tory Horton got in the act early, catching an eight-yard pass from Drew Lock on the first offensive snap. Two plays later, fullback Robbie Ouzts showed he’s far more than just a 274-pound battering ram lead blocking out of the backfield, plucking a throw off a play action pass and turning upfield for a 17-yard gain to advance the team deep into Las Vegas territory. Unfortunately, those efforts didn’t lead to any points, as Lock underthrew a corner route to Horton and safety Isaiah Pola-Mao picked the pass off in the red zone.

> Robbie Ouzts is setting the tone tonight [pic.twitter.com/2fgeSO2SlD](https://t.co/2fgeSO2SlD?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)— Billy M (@BillyM\_91) [August 8, 2025](https://twitter.com/BillyM%5F91/status/1953647406106783796?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)

Quickly getting the ball back after a defensive stop, the Seahawks went back to work with rookies again making key contributions. In the trenches, Grey Zabel took Jonah Laulu’s lunch money on several consecutive runs, leading to frustration from the defender that resulted in two defensive holding calls trying to avoid getting put on skates by the first round pick. He later flattened fellow rookie Tonka Hemingway five yards downfield for a tasty pancake. After second round tight end Elijah Arroyo picked up a first down on a drag route, Ouzts stone-walled a defender off the edge coming out of the backfield to spring George Holani for a 24-yard touchdown run to open the scoring in the closing minutes of the first quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, while Ouzts and Zabel had checked out of the lineup, Seattle’s offensive rookies weren’t done making big plays just yet. After advancing the ball on two chunk pass plays to Holani and Dareke Young inside the Raiders 20-yard line, Lock fired a strike to Horton just short of the goal line and the shifty rookie pulled off a spin move that would make Super Bowl legend Jermaine Kearse proud, slipping out of a tackle and sprinting into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown to make it 13-3.

### 2\. George Holani once again looks the part of a viable every down NFL running back.

Shining in the preseason isn’t a new development for Holani, whose efforts last August eventually paved the way for him to suit up in five regular season games coming off the practice squad. Following the recent season-ending injury suffered by Kenny McIntosh, the door has now been opened for the former Boise State star to make the 53-man roster as a new third down option behind Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, and he couldn’t have made a louder statement in his first game action of the new season pursuing that role.

Starring on the opening offensive possessions for the Seahawks, Holani rushed three times for 32 yards, including a 19-yard run where he bolted towards the sideline and outran several defenders. Though that drive didn’t end with any points, the second-year runner made sure that didn’t happen on the next series, taking advantage of Ouzts’ block sealing the edge and shooting past an oncoming tackler as he sprinted wide left. In a race to the pylon, he demonstrated remarkable body control by managing to dive with the football inside of the pylon as he crossed the goal line and after initially being ruled down at the one-yard line, officials changed the call to a touchdown on replay review.

Holani wasn’t quite done making splash plays either, showcasing his value as a pass catching option as well. Helping set up Horton’s touchdown catch in the second quarter, the powerful back caught a screen pass on 3rd and 10 from Lock and broke through an arm tackle, turning on the jets to pick up 20 yards and extend the possession. He finished the night with 81 total yards on just eight touches, averaging more than 10 yards per touch as a runner and receiver in an impressive performance.

### 3\. Second stringers make a statement going against Geno Smith, Raiders starters.

Depending on how one interpreted Carroll’s comments earlier in the week, nobody truly knew whether or not the Raiders would play many starters, including Smith, who made his return to Lumen Field for the first time since being traded back in March. But as it turned out, Las Vegas did play the majority of its starters, including the quarterback, who took the field to mostly a loud ovation from the hometown crowd.

Playing behind most of the Raiders’ starters along the offensive line with the Seahawks sending an all-reserve unit onto the field, Smith started off his lone drive on a strong note, completing a 15-yard pass off a rollout on a play action fake to receiver Tre Tucker to move the chains on the first play from scrimmage. But his next two passes fell incomplete after first round pick Ashtyn Jeanty rushed for three yards on the ensuing first down, leading to a quick punt and an early switch from helmet to ball cap on the sidelines for the veteran signal caller following a four-play possession.

Following Lock’s unfortunate red zone interception, Seattle’s defense held firm again, starting with defensive tackle Mike Morris bulldozing his way into the backfield to blow up Jeanty for a four-yard tackle for loss. Though Las Vegas did manage to get a first down on a third and long completion from Aidan O’Connell to Dont’e Thornton, rookie safety Nick Emmanwori came on the blitz on the next play and ran down Jeanty from behind for no gain and after an intentional grounding call and third down “white flag” draw, the visitors were forced to punt.

After that point, the Seahawks started to rotate players out of the lineup, including Emmanwori, who wound up playing only those first two series. But aside from a couple busted coverages late in the first half that resulted in a Raiders field goal, the defense as a whole played quite well, allowing the home squad to race out to a 13-point halftime advantage.

### 4\. Capitalizing on poor QB play, defensive backs help turn turnovers into good field position and points.

As noted above, Seattle’s defense allowed just three points in the first half, and aside from forcing two punts to open the game, quick change situations came into play on interceptions thrown by O’Connell that set up the offense with good field position. And while they didn’t score off both interceptions, which each had penalties called for players rushing onto the field off the sideline, they did get a field goal off of the second one.

Just a couple of snaps after Holani wiggled his way in front of the pylon for the game’s first points, O’Connell dropped back with a prime opportunity to respond on a deep ball. Thornton had several steps on cornerback Josh Jobe running a vertical down the left sideline and with a well-placed ball, the young receiver might have made a house call. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the throw looked like a clay hit by a rifle at the firing range, fluttering several yards short of the target and allowing Jobe to play the ball as if he was fielding a punt for a gimme interception.

> Josh Jobe taking advantage of the arm punt [pic.twitter.com/KDoEzziQeb](https://t.co/KDoEzziQeb?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) [August 8, 2025](https://twitter.com/MikeDugar/status/1953650015253176419?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com)

Like clockwork, only three plays after Horton’s touchdown reception extended the lead to 10, O’Connell tried to squeeze a ball in to receiver Alex Bachmann on an out route. However, second-year cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett did an excellent job of baiting the quarterback to think that he was sitting on another route, quickly jumping the pass for an interception. After the Seahawks picked up one first down on a Lock quarterback sneak, that interception turned into a Jason Myers 48-yard field goal in the closing moments of the half, extending the advantage to 16-3 before intermission.

### 5\. A few under-the-radar players boost their case for a roster spot on both sides of the football.

With few starters playing tonight and high-profile rookies like Zabel and Emmanwori exiting after just two series, there was a lot of snaps to be had for reserves squarely on the roster bubble, providing a prime opportunity to put quality play on film. In particular, former fifth-round pick defensive end Tyreke Smith and undrafted rookie running back Jacardia Wright turned in outstanding efforts with their extended playing time under the lights.

Smith, whose career was set back from the start missing his whole rookie season with a hip injury before winding up in Arizona for a brief spell, has quietly had a stellar training camp and made several significant plays for the Seahawks on Thursday night. Aside from a quarterback hit and a pass deflection on a second down incompletion in the second quarter, he also drew a holding call that erased a 24-yard completion to Bachmann and added a tackle on special teams in kick coverage to open the game, leaving his mark on a first half where the home team surrendered only a field goal on six possessions. It’s safe to say he helped his cause, especially with Uchenna Nwosu possibly being out for the start of the season on the PUP list.

As for Wright, his final stat line doesn’t do his overall performance justice. The undrafted rookie out of Missouri State finished with 34 rushing yards on seven carries, but he had an explosive 45-yard run early in the third quarter wiped out by a hold on fullback Brady Russell, negating fantastic work making a linebacker miss at the line of scrimmage before exploding into the secondary. He bounced back nicely from that lost opportunity, however, following up a 10-yard run in the red zone with excellent vision to cut back at the goal line to plunge into the end zone for six points. He looks the part of a capable practice squad depth option at worst.