GLENDALE, Ariz. — Seattle Seahawks center Patrick Lewis offered the best compliment that rookie guard Mark Glowinski could have received after the first start of his NFL career.
“He played like a pro today,” Lewis said of Glowinski after the Hawks’ 36-6 win over the Cardinals.
Glowinski, a fourth-round draft pick out of West Virginia, stepped in for injured J.R. Sweezy (concussion) against one of the best defenses in the league.
“He played his butt off,” Lewis said. “He was solid, and he did a good job communicating. We spent a lot of time this week making sure he knew what his job was.”
Joining Glowinski in the lineup was fellow reserve Alvin Bailey, who started at left tackle while Russell Okung nursed an injured calf.
The line helped quarterback Russell Wilson stay upright (only one sack), and cleared the way for 145 rushing yards, with Christine Michael picking up 102 on 17 carries.
Glowinski looked up to the challenge, handling his man in pass protection and firing off the ball well on rushes.
The nerves, he said, only hit him on the first play. “I feel like I got the jitters out in the preseason,” Glowinski said. “It was pretty awesome to just be a part of this.”
Tackle Garry Gilliam lined up next to Glowinski all game, and said the rookie played about as he would have expected.
“He does his thing in practice all the time,” Gilliam said. “It was just a matter of him getting the chance. I expected him to go out and succeed. I’m excited about watching his career grow.”
Gilliam said there were a few times during the game that he and Glowinski “had to improvise on things, but that’s the way it always is for the offensive line.”
Bailey also started last week against the Rams, a loss in which Wilson was under heavy pressure, taking 13 hits.
“It was good for us to collectively come out and be on the same page, especially after last week,” Bailey said. “The offensive line really needs to be one (unit) … you always have to step in and be a part of it. To put in a good week of work together and come out and showcase it like this, we were able to come in and get the win.”
The Hawks were able to handle the varied blitzes that the Cardinals like to run, and that discouraged them from blitzing more often.
“We picked up some of their favorite blitzes,” Lewis said. “On one of them we threw a touchdown against it and that took them out of their plan.”
Lewis said he was proud of the unit, especially the way the reserves stepped in.
“We worked hard through the week,” Lewis said. “We laid an egg last week, so we wanted to bounce back and show everybody we can play Seahawks football.”
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