Seahawks All-22 Review: Elijah Arroyo leads Seattle rookies vs. Cardinals

The Seattle Seahawks rookies combined for 126 snaps in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals. The number could have been much higher if not for the injuries. Robbie Ouzts was placed on IR, and this should impact the total number of snaps, as he had been playing more than Elijah Arroyo and Eric Saubert until his injury.

All data used in this article was taken from PFF.

Let’s analyze some of the important plays from this game!

Grey Zabel, Offensive Guard (66 snaps)

If you watch just snippets of the game, I think you’ll have very different feelings about Zabel. On some plays, you might think, “That was his worst game” and on others, you might feel confident in his potential. I believe this stems from a larger problem, which we’ve discussed a few times here: the fact that the offensive line is young and therefore still very inconsistent.

The Seahawks call an inside zone shotgun. I think in this short fourth-down situation, it’s important to have the QB under center to at least create a sneak threat. But we won’t analyze the call choice here. Zabel has a “Welcome to the NFL” moment, dominated by the excellent nose tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. He’s pushed back a few yards and closes the gap for Zach Charbonnet, who tries to make the cut, but there’s no room.

Another week and once again he displays excellent footwork and snap release. He comes out almost at the same time the center snaps the ball and manages to seal the lane and open the gap for the RB.

This play was Sam Darnold’s fantastic pass to Elijah Arroyo. Zabel shows excellent vision/process. The snap happens and he starts to slide to help Charles Cross, but upon noticing the blitzer (#2), he quickly moves inside and blocks him. The Cardinals also call a late stunt in the defensive line, and Zabel is also ready to make the block.

Nick Emmanwori, Defensive Back (0 snaps)

Injured.

Elijah Arroyo, Tight End (36 snaps)

In this game, the Miami rookie posted his best performance. He had the most snaps (36), targets (4), and receiving yards (44). On four targets, he had two receptions and 44 yards. Furthermore, Arroyo had his most consistent game blocking the run game.

Starting with the blocks, I believe they used Arroyo to their best advantage in this game. Here he is in-line, moving out with Charles Cross acting as lead blockers. Arroyo takes a good angle and shows physical imposition to keep the defensive back away.

In this other blocking play, Arroyo is crucial. The Seahawks call a pin-and-pull, and Arroyo has to perform the well-known crack block to allow Charles Cross to advance into the open field.

The Seahawks use Arroyo on a flat route. The pressure forces Sam Darnold out of the pocket, and the rookie helps the QB to improvise. He sees the open space and attacks the backfield. I think a pass ahead of him could still lead to a bigger advance. But the former Hurricane keeps his eyes on the QB, adjust and goes for the pass at the highest point.

Excellent route execution on this play. Notice how he sells a post route looking at the QB and cuts toward the sideline where he would be open. Darnold chose to pass in the deeper route with Tory Horton, and we almost got the TD.

Jalen Milroe, Quarterback (0 snaps)

No snaps.

Rylie Mills, Defensive Lineman (0 snaps)

NFI List.

Tory Horton, Wide Receiver (24 snaps)

His fewest targets since his debut against the 49ers (when he had 0): just 2 targets and 1 reception for 10 yards. One of his targets was already discussed when we talked about Arroyo, where he displayed good speed but lacked some physicality in the contest and better tracking.

Another play I highlight, but this time negatively. The Seahawks call a toss, this time they hand the ball off to a wide receiver, JSN. Most of the blocks appear to have been executed very well, but Horton misses his block on the cornerback, resulting in the play being blown.

Robbie Ouzts, Fullback (0 snaps)

It will be interesting to see how the Seahawks adapt to his absence. Ouzts played a very important role in blocking the run game and his versatility was utilized, lining up as a FB and TE on several snaps. A tough loss.

Bryce Cabeldue, Offensive Lineman (0 snaps)

No snaps.

Mason Richman, Offensive Lineman (0 snaps)

Inactive.

Final Thoughts

This may have been the last game without a defensive rookie snap. Nick Emmanwori is expected to return for the game against the Bucs. In this game, Horton didn’t get much attention, Zabel had his ups and downs (like the entire OL), and Arroyo probably had his best game as a Seahawk.