Seahawks rookie cornerbacks Tariq Woolen’s, Coby Bryant’s 1st preseason game? Humbling

It may be time to consult with Richard Sherman again.

Days after the former Seahawks All-Pro Super Bowl-champion cornerback talked for the second time in a week with coach Pete Carroll about Seattle’s young, new cornerbacks, rookies Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant got humbled right away in their first NFL game. That was Seattle’s 32-25 preseason loss at Pittsburgh Saturday night.

It was a reminder if the Seahawks eventually choose to start their early stars of training camp as they did Saturday, no matter how talented Bryant and Woolen are, it will be a giant dare to opposing offensive coordinators and quarterback to relentless target and challenge the rookie coernerbacks outside.

Starting with Russell Wilson and the Broncos on Sept. 12 in the season opener at Lumen Field.

“I thought they got beat around a little bit,” Carroll said of his rookie corners, on his way out of Pittsburgh before the Seahawks returned to a practice closed to the media Monday.

“They had plays to make. Had some first-game jitters and all that. First drive, missed a tackle, for Woolen.

“Those guys can make all those plays. Every play that happened to them they’ve been making.

“They’ll do better. It was a great experience for them.”

The 6-foot-4 Woolen, Seattle’s fifth-round pick in April from Texas-San Antonio where he converted from wide receiver in 2019, is Sherman-esque. He’s long, and he like Sherman converted from wide receiver to cornerback in college. Bryant is lightning-fast. He’s run the 40-yard dash in 4.26 seconds.

But on Pittsburgh’s third play Saturday night in the Seahawks’ preseason opener he failed at something Seahawks coaches have been wondering about: his tackling. The Steelers’ Anthony McFarland broke through Woolen’s attempt to bring him down to turn a short gain into a 24-yard run on a third and 1.

It was the first time Woolen had tried to tackle for the Seahawks. They don’t bring teammates to ground in any practices — training camp, offseason or regular season.

“We tackled really poorly,” Carroll said. “First game. And that’s what it looked like.

“So we know where we’ve got to focus, because all the (bad) things that happened basically happened because the tackling was poor.”

Well, other bad things happened.

Blown coverage

The Steelers scored a touchdown to end that first drive by sending crossing receivers into the end zone at Woolen, on the right edge of Seattle’s secondary. One receiver ran a slant pattern inside while wide receiver Gunner Olszewski ran a flag route outside to the back left corner of the end zone. Woolen played man-to-man coverage, following the inside receiver.

But the Seahawks were in zone coverage on the play. Every other defender played zone. Olszewski ran alone into the area that was supposed to be Woolen’s zone to cover — if he’d been playing zone.

Mitch Tribusky could have thrown that pass with his eyes closed and still completed it to the lonely Olszewski for a 13-yard touchdown.

“Shoot, just I busted a coverage, really,” he said. “I mean, it ain’t nothing new. I see the same look throughout the week. It just was a bust. Just some early-game jitters.

“The jitters went away once another couple more drives went along.”

Woolen was later penalized for illegally hitting a Steelers receiver in the face mask during a pass thrown elsewhere. Pittsburgh declined that penalty and took their 10-yard gain instead.

Woolen was credited with one tackle and no passes defensed while tying rookie pass rusher Boye Mafe (two sacks, one forced fumble) for the most plays on defense Saturday (44).

Bryant’s debut

The Steelers went after Bryant to score their second touchdown of the first quarter.

Bryant was shoulder to shoulder with wide receiver George Pickens into the end zone on a fade right to the back right corner. Seattle’s fourth-round pick was in position to do what he’s done throughout the first 10 practices of training camp: perfectly time turning his head to deflect the pass away. The Thorpe Award winner last season as college football’s top defensive back had down that deftly to bat passes away from DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett numerous times in practices this month.

This time, Bryant did not turn his head back to Mason Rudolph’s pass. It dropped over his head onto Pickens’ hands for a 26-yard touchdown.

Bryant gave himself no chance to defend the ball, even though he was right with the receiver in great position to make the play in the end zone.

It’s a score Bryant and the Seahawks think should not have happened, given Bryant’s talent and performances in camp.

“Great throw. Great catch,” Bryant said.

Then he added: “I could have gotten my head around faster.”

Bryant’s game-turning tackle

It was all bad for the rookie cornerbacks.

Bryant’s most impressive play was not a pass defensed — he didn’t have any of those, either, Saturday.

It was a tackle.

It came after Michael Jackson replaced Bryant at left cornerback in the second quarter and Woolen stayed where he started at right cornerback. Bryant then re-entered the game as a fifth, nickel back inside against slot receivers and tight ends. He played 39 snaps in all Saturday, third-most on Seattle’s defense.

Bryant just started practicing at nickel this past week. Carroll said it was to give the rookie more chances to show off his play-making.

He did.

The 6-1, 193-pound Bryant is three inches shorter and 58 pounds lighter than Jace Sternberger. Yet Bryant thumped the Steelers tight end to the turf immediately after his catch right at the line to gain late in the second quarter. That forced Pittsburgh to punt with a 17-3 lead. Bryant’s play allowed Geno Smith back onto the field to run his best series of the game, an expert 2-minute drill to his 2-yard touchdown run.

Bryant’s play turned the game. The Seahawks scored touchdowns on their last drive 20 seconds before halftime and with Drew Lock’s touchdown pass on the first drive of the second half. Seattle tied the game at 17 without the Steelers’ offense having a drive from Bryant’s thudding tackle through Lock’s 3-yard scoring pass to rookie wide receiver Dareke Young 4 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.

Seahawks defensive backs coaches Karl Scott and Sean Desai plus defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt and Carroll all likely raved over Bryant’s tackle in film sessions into Monday.

“We’ve got coaches. We are all growing,” Woolen said.

“We are going to go and correct, and next week just capitalize.”

Those next chances come in a full practice Tuesday, a walkthrough Wednesday and the Seahawks’ second preseason game on a quick turnaround Thursday against the Chicago Bears at Lumen Field.

“You are a rookie. Just being out there your first game, it’s a big crowd. Traveling all the way from Seattle. It’s just a pretty different experience, really,” Woolen said.

“That’s a milestone, in general, just making it here to the NFL, but also being able to play your first game,” Woolen said.

“That’s something I take away. This was a great experience.”