night with a victory Rashaad Penny Color Rush Jersey , defeating the Broncos 22-14 in what was easily the biggest game ever contested between the two former division..." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesField Gulls homepageHorizontal - WhiteField Gullsa Seattle Seahawks communityFollow Field Gulls online:Follow Field Gulls on TwitterFollow Field Gulls on FacebookLog in or sign upLog InSign UpSite searchSearchSearchField Gulls main menuFanpostsFanshotsSectionsSeahawksOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 321 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections VideosCoffee and CigarettesGame AnalysisThe Numbers GameCigar ThoughtsHow 5 players on the roster bubble performed on Thursday night New,8commentsPDTThe Seahawks kicked off their preseason campaign on Thursday night with a victory, defeating the Broncos 22-14 in what was easily the biggest game ever contested between the two former division rivals. While some starters, most notably Russell Wilson, did not feature at all for Seattle, players on the bottom half of the roster saw considerable playing time in their bids to make the final 53. Some took advantage of this opportunity and boosted their stock, others, not so much. Here are the players on the bubble who grabbed attention on Thursday, good or bad: Bryan MoneThe massive UDFA defensive tackle, listed by the team at 366 pounds, saw a considerable amount of playing time (41% of snaps) at the 1-tech. Mone absolutely made the most of his opportunity, playing stout against the run, and quite surprisingly, disruptive against the pass. He registered a tackle for loss, in addition to two other tackles. Time and time again, Mone absorbed double teams on the inside, allowing second level defenders such as Austin Calitro, to flow freely to the football—at one point letting Calitro arrive, unblocked, into the backfield to drop the running back for a loss. The Seahawks defensive tackle group is pretty open, and if Mone continues to play as he did on Thursday, he could very well make the 53. Shaquem GriffinThough I strongly belief Griffin’s roster spot is quite secure, with a loaded linebacker corps he will need at least a solid preseason to maintain that security. As is the case when he was drafted Doug Baldwin Color Rush Jersey , Griffin’s path to making an impact is on special teams. He nearly made an immediate impact there against the Broncos, forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff. He was later the first man downfield on a punt, only to miss on the tackle. Griffin also kept contain on a third down, with Denver nearing Seattle’s end zone, which drew praise on the broadcast. In a new position on defense, Griffin’s comfort will grow, and with it, his impact. (Austin Calitro stood out positively as well, as Mookie Alexander wrote here. Calitro looked good, covering running backs out wide and out of the backfield, forcing a fourth down incompletion and a stop short on a third down. He was the benefactor of Mone taking on a double team early in the second quarter, as well. The best case scenario for Calitro may be a strong preseason landing him on another team’s 53-man roster; either way, he got off to a strong start.)Ethan PocicIf everyone is healthy along the interior of the Seahawks’ line—Mike Iupati, Phil Haynes, Justin Britt, D.J. Fluker and Jordan Simmons—Pocic’s path to the 53 is likely as a backup center. After starting the game at left guard, Pocic slid over to center when Britt exited the game early, and looked sound before Joey Hunt took over in the second half. Pocic handled the Broncos’ hulking nose tackle, Mike Purcell, one-on-one a few times, a great endorsement for a player who has lacked functional strength in the past. Pocic looked to be communicating well and had a good understanding of where, and when, to slide over to the left or right to help. Wes SaxtonA recent addition to the roster C. J. Prosise Color Rush Jersey , the tight end is a long-shot to make the roster—his most likely path would come if Jacob Hollister continues to battle injuries. However, it’s worth mentioning the South Alabama product had a crunching crackback block on Bo Scarbrough’s best run of the night. He later had a 26-yard catch and run, where he smoothly secured the pass, turned up field and moved with appealing fluidity. With Will Dissly and Ed Dickson unlikely to play much, if at all, this preseason, we should see more of Saxton. Barkevious MingoAhead of Seattle’s first preseason game, Mingo confirmed he had made the switch to EDGE full-time, after playing LB/EDGE during his first season with the Seahawks. Perhaps it was born out of necessity, with Seattle lacking numbers on the outside. Or, maybe it was trying to maximize a great athlete in a new role. Either way, he got a big opportunity on Thursday, playing 56% of the defense’s snaps. Though he did add a sack late in the game, Mingo struggled to win one-on-one against Denver’s right tackle... late in the fourth quarter of a preseason game. That’s awfully discouraging. Aside from the sack, Mingo’s best pressure came looping through the G-C gap. In fairness to Mingo, he again played well on special teams, as he did throughout 2018, posting a pair of tackles in the third phase. Quick Notes:A pair of rookie wide receivers, Jazz Ferguson and John Ursua, positively stood out as well. That’s been covered here, by our own John P. Gilbert. Ferguson’s ability above the rim is incredibly appealing. Paxton Lynch making it a legitimate competition shocked me, but it’s an encouraging sign, particularly with Geno Smith set to miss some time. Lynch threw with anticipation on a couple of throws Tre Madden Color Rush Jersey , including Ferguson’s first two catches. It was awesome to see DeShawn Shead, back with the Seahawks, making a big play. There is a logjam at wide receiver for (what will likely be) the sixth and final spot. Among those competing is Keenan Reynolds, who had a nice kickoff return. He later made a poor choice to bring a kickoff out of the endzone, though. If Reynolds can take away the need for Tyler Lockett to return kicks regularly, it could give him a bit of an edge in the wide receiver competition. Seattle will return to preseason action next Sunday, in Minnesota against the Vikings. RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Now that it's over, Russell Wilson's belief in the comparison of where the Seattle Seahawks were during his rookie season in 2012 and this season has only grown stronger.Seattle fans can only hope Wilson is correct in his vision because, if so, 2019 could end up being a special year for the Seahawks."It makes you a little sick to wake up this morning and know you don't get to compete with your guys today," Wilson said Sunday, a day after a 24-22 wild-card round loss at Dallas. "It's part of the journey. I look at this season very similar, as I've said 100 times over to you guys, like 2012 a lot. We weren't able to beat Atlanta at Atlanta, but coming off the field, we felt like great things were in store. "We feel like with this team great things are in store."While there was a healthy dose of optimism as the Seahawks packed up their lockers Sunday, there also was a level of regret after Seattle lost its opening game of the playoffs for the first time since January 2005. The loss to the Cowboys on Saturday was littered with missed chances and what-ifs all around.Whether it was an offensive game plan that was seemingly too stubborn to make adjustments away from the run, a defense that gave up a handful of big plays in the fourth quarter, or the special teams issues, the Seahawks were left with plenty to lament about the loss."It's still frustrating, especially watching football and knowing you still could be competing," Seattle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "We had to do a little bit more to win the game and we didn't do enough."Seattle's loss was the first time it dropped its opening playoff game since losing to St. Louis in the NFC wild-card game after the 2004 season. Whether it was the wild-card or divisional round Kam Chancellor Color Rush Jersey , Seattle had won at least one game in nine straight postseasons until losing to the Cowboys.A major issue was the struggles on offense as the best running team in the NFL couldn't get going against a stingy Cowboys front. Seattle had just 73 yards rushing against Dallas and seemed almost determined to run no matter the success rate. Wilson compared it to Seattle's win at Carolina in late November when the Seahawks were held to 75 yards rushing and Wilson threw for 339 yards.This time, though, the switch to being more pass heavy didn't happen in time for Seattle to have enough offensive success."We were throwing it pretty well in the game and I think we could have kept doing that some more, but you also want to stay true to running the ball, too," Wilson said. "So I think that, like I said, this game was kind of similar to the Carolina game, I felt like, a little bit. They did a pretty good job stopping us on the run and in that game we had to throw the ball and make some plays, and I think this game was kind of similar in a sense."While there was anger among fans about the lack of adjustments on offense, the Seahawks also had defensive breakdowns in the fourth quarter that played just as large a role. Dallas had 234 total yards through the first three quarters, then had 148 in the fourth quarter with a pair of long scoring drives. Dallas had touchdown drives of 67 and 54 yards in the final quarter, the last one capped by Dak Prescott's scramble to convert third-and-14 and led to the deciding touchdown."To let him have a third-and-14 and allow him to get that close to scoring again is bad," Wagner said. "But you know, I'll see him again."Seattle doesn't have many major contract issues going into the offseason with K.J. Wright, Frank Clark, D.J. Fluker and J.R. Sweezy the most notable unrestricted free agents among starters. Carroll has made clear they want Clark back coming off a career-high 14 sacks, which could mean using the franchise tag for the first time since 2010.While they are both under contract through the 2019 season, the contract situations with Wagner and Wilson will be two of the more interesting stories of the offseason for Seattle. Both said Sunday they would like to have contract certainty with the Seahawks beyond 2019, but both indicated they would be willing to play out the 2019 season without a new deal if necessary."I know essentially after (the 2019) season I can be a free agent," Wilson said. "I don't think that way. I see myself being in Seattle. I love Seattle. It's a special place for me. I also understand it's a business world and everything else."