Snap Reactions: Notes on the Seahawks’ snap counts from Sunday’s win over the Cowboys

Everything was back to normal in Seattle, if only for a few hours on Sunday. The Seahawks got their first win of the season, an all-too-easy 24-13 win that was hardly ever in doubt. Plus, Seattle managed to get out of Sunday without any major (or minor!) controversy.

Though there won’t be any questions over the disappearance of Chris Carson this week, there’s still a handful of things that stand out from the Seahawks’ snap counts against the Dallas Cowboys.

Frank Clark is back, Dion Jordan is not yet

Slowed for a good portion of preseason following surgery, Clark’s start to the season has been a slow build. His snaps were managed in the first week and his performance grew from Week 1 to Week 2.

In Week 3, Clark looked like he was nearly back to his best. Though he finished with just a sack, Clark was terrific for Seattle all game long. He paced the Seahawks’ defensive ends, playing 77% of the defense’s snaps. Clark’s stepping into a bigger role with the team in 2018, but between 75-85% of snaps is where he should be all year.

Jordan has gone through a similar August and September to Clark, slowed by surgery and then eased into game action in Week 1. Unfortunately, Jordan’s return to full speed hasn’t been as quick as Clark’s. He played just 33% of snaps on Sunday, the second lowest among all defensive linemen.

Nazair Jones’ limited playtime

While Jordan played the second least amount of snaps for Seattle’s defensive linemen, Jones saw the least. Inactive in Week 1 and playing just 12 snaps in Week 2, Jones saw his time shrink in half to just six snaps in Week 3.

The Seahawks’ defensive tackle depth took a hit last week, but Jones’ workload didn’t grow as a result. One of the surprises of the season in 2017, Jones is yet to really kick off his 2018. Without Tom Johnson, there is a need for pass rush from the interior. Jones should still be the one to fill that role.

Jaron Brown’s emergence

Sunday saw Brandon Marshall have his worst game during his short time in Seattle, dropping three passes on third down. Sunday also saw Jaron Brown have his best game as a Seahawk, with two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown.

The two free agent additions had their playtime flipped in Week 3, with Brown playing 72% and Marshall 62%. During the preseason, it appeared as though Brown would play a significant role in Seattle’s offense. It’s taken a few weeks, but Brown may see his snaps grow moving forward.

The RB split is over, for now

The Seahawks’ lose in Week 2 was largely overshadowed by the curious usage of Carson and Rashaad Penny. Eventually, Carson’s disappearance from the loss in Chicago was explained away as an error by Carroll.

If that was the case, the error was corrected in Week 3. Carson played 72% of the offense’s snaps and carried the ball a startling 32 times. Penny, meanwhile, played just 14% of snaps and had just three carries. It makes complete sense to split the workload, but for now, it appears Carson’s finally solidified himself as the lead back.

A Justin Britt sighting

There was some cause for concern last week when former Seahawk Jake Heaps speculated Britt would be out much longer than reported. Whether it was a lack of depth or something else, Britt was active on Sunday despite not being in the starting lineup.

Though Joey Hunt played every single snap at center, Britt did see four snaps on special teams. If Britt’s injury was longer than day-to-day, it’s unlikely Seattle would’ve had him active, never mind sending him out for even a handful of snaps on special teams. Britt’s status for Week 4 will be something to watch as the Seahawks return to practice, but if Sunday was any indication, Seattle should get him back soon.

After making their home debut, the Seahawks head back onto the road in Week 4 to face the Arizona Cardinals.