NFL News & Analysis

MIA-SEA grades: Seattle, Miami defenses both impress in opener

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 11: Cornerback Richard Sherman #25 of the Seattle Seahawks, right, defends against Bobby McCain #28 of the Miami Dolphins at CenturyLink Field on September 11, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Seattle Seahawks 12, Miami Dolphins 10

Here are the highest-graded players and top takeaways from the Seahawks' 12-10 Week 1 win at home against the Dolphins.

Seattle Seahawks

Quarterback grade: Russell Wilson, 76.5

Russell Wilson accurate overall, battles through ankle injury

Russell Wilson couldn’t get the offense moving for most of the day, but came through when it mattered the most, leading the team on a game-winning drive. Wilson had to tough through an ankle injury that he suffered in the third quarter, however. Although the offense didn’t put many points on the board, Wilson was very accurate; he finished the game with a 81.3 adjusted completion percentage (taking out drops and throw aways), which ranked fifth among all Week 1 QB performances through Sunday.

Russell Wilson under pressure

Top offensive grades:

WR Doug Baldwin, 80.9

RT Gary Gilliam, 79.8

C Justin Britt, 77.1

QB Russell Wilson, 76.5

TE Luke Willson, 71.7

O-line proving to be major issue right away

The Seahawks' offense did just enough on Sunday, highlighted by Doug Baldwin’s game-winning catch, but showed some glaring holes in their offensive line. The Seattle offense often employs inside zone runs; that type of zone blocking relies a lot on interior linemen. Seattle’s two guards, Mark Glowinski and J’Marcus Webb, graded at 34.3 and 32.6, respectively, in run blocking, which is a bad omen if they want to build around their inside-zone game.

Top defensive grades:

CB DeShawn Shead, 90.7

CB Jeremy Lane, 85.7

DT Jarran Reed, 81.5

CB Richard Sherman, 81.0

DE Michael Bennett, 80.1

Seahawks secondary impressive in opener

The standout performance from Seattle’s defense came from the vaunted “Legion of Boom.” Three of the top-five graded defenders came from the secondary, and Kam Chancellor was not far behind. Sherman was only thrown at once, and allowed only 2 yards on the catch. Shead was thrown at three times, allowing only one catch and no yards. Michael Bennett helped them out immensely with four pressures, one hit, and a sack.

Miami Dolphins

Quarterback grade: Ryan Tannehill, 78.0

Ryan Tannehill earns top offensive grade for Dolphins

Tannehill graded out the best of all Miami offensive players, which was impressive, considering he was under pressure on 48.5 percent of his dropbacks—the highest rate for all QBs in Week 1 through Sunday. He did not perform well in such situations, though, completing only 33 percent of his passes when under pressure.

Top offensive grades:

QB Ryan Tannehill, 78.0

C Anthony Steen, 76.4

WR Jarvis Landry, 75.7

LT Branden Albert, 69.4

RG Jermon Bushrod, 56.5

Tannehill-Landry connection promising

The Dolphins looked to get the ball to their top weapon, Jarvis Landry, early and often. It was tough sledding against the Seattle secondary, but he caught seven of the eight passes thrown his way. Landry had 59 yards on those throws, 40 of which came after the catch. Those numbers will likely rise against lesser opponents.

Top defensive grades:

S Isa Abdul-Quddus, 86.3

S Reshad Jones, 83.9

DT Ndamukong Suh, 82.5

DT Jordan Phillips, 77.6

LB Kiko Alonso, 75.2

Solid performance from Dolphins' defense, despite loss

The Dolphins' defense stood out on Sunday with a great performance. Suh wrecked the interior of the Seahawks' line with four run stops, three hurries, and a sack. Abdul-Quddus came up with a big interception, and Reshad Jones continued his high level of play with a pass defense, only allowing 22 yards on two receptions.

Get access to grades for every player, complete with positional rankings, in our Player Grades tool.

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