Snap Reactions: Darrell Taylor benched as youngsters earn more snaps

Oct 3, 2022 - 5:00 PM

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The Seattle Seahawks improved to 2-2 on the season Sunday in a thrilling 48-45 victory over the Detroit Lions in a game in which it appeared both teams left their defenses at home. There’s been no shortage of ink spilled on the offensive explosion by both teams, so there’s no need to focus on that, and rather the attention here will go on the players who were on the field and made one of the highest scoring games in NFL history happen. On both sides of the ball.

On the offensive side of the ball, there were no real surprises for the Hawks, with the snap counts coming largely in line with what most had expected. 2021 second round pick Dee Eskridge did set a new season high for snaps at receiver, with 19, nearly matching his total through the first three weeks of the season of 23. However, in spite of that new season high, Eskridge continued to see fewer snaps than Marquise Goodwin, who was on the field for 29 snaps.

On the other side of the ball is where the first big surprise of the day came, with waiver claim Darryl Johnson getting the starting nod over 2020 second round pick Darrell Taylor.

Johnson played just 14 snaps prior to leaving with an injury, and from that point on Boye Mafe and Taylor split the available snaps evenly, with Taylor finishing the day at 34 snaps to 32 for Mafe. Also potentially noteworthy is that Cody Barton was on the field for just 62% of the snaps the defense played, which is the first time in 2022 in which he has played less than 94% of the snaps in a game.

As for special teams, outside of Nick Bellore and Jason Myers, the special teams snaps leaders were all players who were acquired in recent weeks. Cullen Gillaspia was a street free agent signed earlier in Week 4. Isaiah Dunn was claimed off waivers at final roster cuts. Teez Tabor was poached off the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons. And Xavier Crawford was signed to, and then promoted from, the practice squad after he failed to survive final roster cuts with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And now it’s on to Week 5 and the New Orleans Saints.