Opener for new, scrutinized offensive line: There’s 15 more chances to improve

SEATTLE One of the biggest things we learned from the Seahawks’ opener is something we already knew.

The offensive line needs to improve.

“I wish we had come out a little sharper,” new left tackle Bradley Sowell said after Sunday’s 12-10 escape past Miami with a touchdown with 31 seconds to go, “but that’s OK.

“It’s a lot easier to fix stuff after a win than it is after a loss.”

So, yes, there’s that.

But producing two field goals, three sacks, 3 yards per carry, three holding penalties and a false start for the first 59 minutes and 21 seconds is not going to win many more games this season. Probably zero.

Almost always-praising coach Pete Carroll used his pet tepid compliment to assess line Sunday: they “got through it.”

The same can be said of his team, which now goes from facing the Dolphins’ rich defensive line to the Rams’ attacking front next weekend in Los Angeles.

“We’re OK. It was a good first outing. That’s about as high-powered a bunch of guys as we’re going to face -- until next week,” Carroll said with a grin.

”It was a great start for those guys to get through it.”

So there’s that, too. They got through it.

As advertised, the least-paid offensive line in the NFL had new starters at four of the its five positions; right tackle Garry Gilliam was the lone returner.

And as expected, previous backup right tackle J’Marcus Webb started at right guard for rookie Germain Ifedi. The first-round draft choice "twisted" his ankle in practice Wednesday and is out indefinitely; Carroll said Sunday he had no update on Ifedi.

Third-year Seahawk Justin Britt made his first career start as a center.

In the first half, the line had three holding penalties. The second holding call of the half on Sowell started a 2-minute drill and had Seattle on its own 8. Gilliam had a false-start foul. Russell Wilson got sacked twice in the half, once after scrambling up the line for 0 yards.

Gilliam got beaten inside by Ndamukong Suh for the sack in the third quarter on which Russell Wilson injured his right ankle.

“We had three sacks, but -- I have to look at it -- but two of them were probably me just trying to get out and run,” Wilson said.

Speaking of run: On third and 1 in that third period, Thomas Rawls got stopped up the middle behind center Justin Britt for no gain. The Seahawks felt compelled to throw on fourth and 1 – incomplete.

In the fourth quarter, left guard Mark Glowinski stepped back and onto Wilson’s injured ankle. The quarterback fell and tried to flip his handoff back to Rawls. Miami recovered the fumble.

Seattle rushed for 112 yards on 32 carries. That was 30 yards fewer than the Seahawks averaged per game on the ground last season.

"Obviously, we have a lot of work to do," Britt said. "But it’s hard to win, and we’re grateful for the victory."

Sowell, signed in March, started for the first time since Dec. 29, 2013, when he was with Arizona.

"It felt good," Sowell said. "I felt I protected Russ really well. The run game could be a little bit better.

"We had a few penalties here and there but that was a great defensive line. They had some big ol’ dudes. But for the most part, I thought we stopped the penalties and stayed on time.”

This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 11:13 PM with the headline "Opener for new, scrutinized offensive line: There’s 15 more chances to improve."