Five things to watch in Saturday’s Seahawks-Titans preseason game

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – During the Pete Carroll era, there tended to be a lot of subterfuge when it came to the Seahawks’ preseason plans. Even if all signs pointed to the starters playing little, if any, Carroll kept to his “Always Compete” mantra and generally kept his plans to himself.

Maybe it’s easier to be more open about preseason plans now that few teams play their starters much, if at all, while using joint practices to get their starters needed work – as the Seahawks did this week in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans.

But Macdonald this week declared that Seattle’s starters “probably won’t play’’ in the Seahawks’ second preseason game here Saturday at 4 p.m. against the Titans.

That was before Seattle’s starters got what amounted to at least a regular-season game’s worth of live, contact snaps against the Titans in 90-degree heat Wednesday and Thursday.

Seattle’s starting defense also got two series last Saturday against the Chargers.

Macdonald pronounced himself satisfied overall with the work the team got in Nashville following Thursday’s practice, saying “the guys came out ready to practice …. The mentality (is) to come out and practice and be sharp and try to put our best foot forward and improve. I think you see that across the board, especially with the vets.’’

Titans coach Brian Callahan also said Thursday his team’s starters won’t play and that third-team QB Malik Willis will get the start.

“Obviously, two really hard, physical, heavy days of work for them (the starters),’’ Callahan said. “No reason to put them in the game. We got our controlled work here against their ones.’’

So, this looms as another backup bowl for the Seahawks.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons to watch, though.

Here are five that stand out.

More work for Sam Howell

Geno Smith likely got all the scrimmage work he will this preseason in the practices here, leaving the QB duties in the final two preseason games to backups Sam Howell and PJ Walker.

Howell also played three quarters of the preseason opener against the Chargers and put up credible enough numbers – 16-of-27 for 130 yards and a TD. He also got ample work against the Titans (including a final two-minute drill with the backups Thursday that ended with him throwing an interception to linebacker Chance Campbell over the middle.)

Of course, Howell’s numbers might look better if he got the chance to throw to DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Only Smith-Njigba played in the first game, but after getting a lot of work here, it will be interesting to see if he plays in the game – any snaps would figure to be minimal.

Alternately, Howell will be playing against a Tennessee defense going with its backups – and that has a banged-up secondary anyway.

What the Seahawks will be looking for from Howell as much as anything is good decision-making and avoidance of interceptions and drive-killing sacks.

Tyrice Knight’s development

Knight, a fourth-round pick out of the University of Texas-El Paso, continues to work with the starting defense at weakside linebacker with Jerome Baker, who has been out the last two weeks, still sidelined with a hamstring injury – and no clear ETA on when he will return. Baker also missed the offseason program while rehabbing from previous injuries.

Asked if he was concerned about Baker’s absence, Macdonald said Wednesday: “Just the same mentality. Just get the other guys ready to go, and when he comes back, we’ll be rolling.”

Knight played much of the first preseason game, and while he got a lot of work in the joint practices, he could get some more time in the game as the team continues to try to get him ready if he has to play in the regular season.

“Yeah, we’re throwing a lot at him, on purpose,’’ Macdonald said this week. “But just keep on coming along man, keep finding new stuff to screw up, and you’ll keep growing.”

Backup middle linebacker Jon Rhattigan also missed the joint practices with a heel injury, meaning two of the team’s top four inside linebackers have been out – and the reason Seattle in the last 10 days signed Blake Lynch and brought back Easton Gibbs, both of whom got some work here as backup ILBs.

The backup running back battle

Don’t expect Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet to play – Charbonnet is also dealing with a back issue that held him out this week, though Macdonald said he doesn’t think it’s serious.

That figures to leave the early running back work to undrafted rookie free agent George Holani and second-year player Kenny McIntosh, who appear in close to a dead heat for the third running back spot – or could just compel Seattle to keep each of them on the initial 53-man roster.

Holani worked as Walker’s backup this week with the number one offense and McIntosh typically with the twos – which seems to indicate Holani is ahead on the depth chart.

But it was McIntosh who was with the starting offense during a final 11-on-11 two-minute drill Thursday, catching a pass for a short gain from Smith on one of Seattle’s eight plays on that drive. That seems to indicate Seattle still views McIntosh as a contender for the third-down, two-minute role. One big question about McIntosh is his pass blocking, something Holani did well in a few opportunities against the Chargers.

The sudden competition at right guard

While most starters may not play, the Seahawks could still give what is for now their starting interior offensive line trio some work as they continue to sort things out. Olu Oluwatimi is the starting center for now, but newly-signed free agent Connor Williams may start practicing next week, and Oluwatimi could get more work against the Titans to continue to get the second-year player experience.

Seattle also shook up its guard spot here, inserting rookie third-round pick Christian Haynes with the starting unit at right guard on Thursday, consigning Anthony Bradford to the backups (Bradford went with the ones on Wednesday.)

Haynes also played a tiny bit of left guard against the Chargers (three of his 41 overall snaps, according to Pro Football Focus) behind starter Laken Tomlinson. Bradford has been the presumed starter at RG after starting 10 games a year ago. But Haynes appears to be closing the gap and could get more chances to do so against the Titans.

Will a backup WR step up?

As noted, don’t expect Lockett (who sat out practices here) or Metcalf to play. Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo also might not do much, if anything, having gotten a lot of work here.

That should leave a lot of snaps for players such as Dareke Young, Laviska Shenault Jr., Easop Winston Jr and Cody White to state their case for a fifth and/or sixth WR spot. One player who could miss out on that opportunity is Dee Eskridge, who did not practice here while sidelined (no specific injury was given), the latest setback for the 2021 second-round pick who may be close to running out of chances.