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Four observations as Seahawks outlast Lions in shootout win

The Seahawks and Lions put up nearly 100 points combined in a shootout from the Motor City.
Credit: AP
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen celebrates his interception return for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

DETROIT — It might have been an earlier start than the Seattle Seahawks are used to, but their offense was awake and alert Sunday in a high-scoring win over the Detroit Lions.

The Seahawks scored 48 points, which proved to be just enough as Dan Campbell and the Lions managed to put up 45 points of their own.

Here are four takeaways as the Seahawks improved to 2-2 with a nice win in the Motor City.

Rashaad Penny, DK Metcalf go off

It had been a relatively quiet start to the 2022 season for two of the Seahawks' most important offensive players, but running back Rashaad Penny and wide receiver DK Metcalf both put on a show at Ford Field on Sunday.

Penny racked up 151 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. Both of his touchdowns came on lengthy runs, with carries of 36 and 41 yards resulting in two trips to the end zone. It was the third-highest rushing total of Penny's NFL career, not far behind the 170 he ran for against this same Detroit team at the end of the 2021 season.

Metcalf got his first 100-plus yard receiving game of 2022 with 7 catches for 149 yards. Metcalf took advantage of his matchup with young Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah, who had been the receiving end of some poignant trash talk from DK earlier in the week. Metcalf was carted off the field in the fourth quarter, leading many Seahawks fans to worry about their star wide receiver. However, the FOX broadcast reported that Metcalf left the field to use the restroom, and he clarified in his postgame press conference that he had a "tummy ache."

Tight end love

Geno Smith once again looked for his tight ends early and often in Sunday's win. Will Dissly hauled in his third touchdown catch of the season, one of four catches for 39 yards. Smith targeted his tight ends four times on the team's opening drive alone.

Colby Parkinson also caught a pair of passes for 28 yards.

Of Smith's six touchdown passes through the first four games, four of those have gone to a tight end. Expect to see plenty of targets for Dissly and Parkinson week in and week out.

Woolen demonstrates bright future

Cornerback is one of the hardest positions in the NFL due to recent rule changes and the shocking athleticism of today's wide receivers and tight ends, but Tariq Woolen continues to prove why he was a steal for the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.

Woolen hasn't been perfect in coverage, but made a play few others of any age in the NFL could have Sunday, leaping in front of a Jared Goff pass and intercepting it, his second consecutive week with a takeaway. Not only did he pick Goff off, but Woolen then managed to return it 40 yards for his first NFL touchdown.

Former Seahawks star and current NFL analyst Richard Sherman has been high on Woolen all season, and once again sent the rookie love after the big play.

Woolen's athletic gifts are rare for any position in the NFL, and as he continues refining his coverage skills and developing his knowledge of the league, the future is blindingly bright for the defensive back.

Shootout in Motown

48 points was the Seahawks' highest point total since the last time they faced the Lions in Week 17 of 2021, when they put up 51 in a blowout win at Lumen Field.

The final score also made some history Sunday, as the 48-45 final was a "scorigami," meaning it was the first game in NFL history to finish with that exact final score between two teams.

Smith's accuracy was been a huge part of the Seahawks' ability to put up points Sunday, and he joined some rare company with another strong performance in Week 4.

Only Tom Brady, Derek Carr and now Smith have put up a 70-plus percent completion rate in each of their team's first four games since 1950, per Seahawks PR.

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