Undrafted rookie WR stars in Seahawks’ mock game

By Bob Condotta / The Seattle Times

BOTHELL — If you wanted an exciting ending to the Seattle Seahawks’ mock game Saturday in Bothell, you got one, even if it took a little bit of finagling by coach Pete Carroll.

In front of a full house at Pop Kenney Stadium in what was their first off-site practice of the Carroll era, the Green team (consisting of the backups) beat the Blue (the starters) 23-20, overcoming a late 20-3 deficit.

But they got some help from Carroll’s decision to award the Green an onside kick following a late touchdown (there actually was no kick) and the Green converted on the final play to get the win on an 11-yard pass from Geno Smith to Jazz Ferguson, an undrafted free agent who began his college career at LSU.

That came after a pass interference penalty on a Hail Mary by Tre Flowers got the ball close.

Flowers had also been on the bad end of a play on the drive before when he tipped a Smith pass that instead went into the hands of Ferguson who then ran to the end zone for a touchdown that covered about 42 yards. It looked as if Flowers could have had a pretty easy interception before the ball went off his hands.

“I think he tried to bat the ball away,” Carroll said of Flowers’ tip.

The Green had also used a pass interference for another TD just a few minutes earlier when Austin Calitro was flagged defending running back Travis Homer in the end zone, setting the ball at the 1-yard-line. Carroll said later that would likely have been a play he would have wanted to have reviewed with the NFL now allowing for reviews of interference (and he indicated the other on the Hail Mary he might have wanted to have looked at, as well).

Until then, the Blue team — and to be fair, there was liberal substituting throughout with defensive starters such as Bobby Wagner and Bradley McDougald playing little and Jarran Reed also held out — had rolled, with Russell Wilson leading two touchdown drives and two field goal drives on his six total possessions, completing 11-of-17 passes for 158 yards. Wilson returned to practice after missing Friday’s to attend the funeral for his grandfather, Harrison Wilson, in Norfolk, Virginia.

The starting offense scored on runs of three yards by Rashaad Penny and 17 by Chris Carson. Quarterback Paxton Lynch and Bo Scarbrough also each scored 1-yard TDs on the same drive (yep, it’s that time of year) when Carroll decided to have the offense run another goal-line play.

Jason Myers, kicking for both sides, converted field goals of 58, 44 and 24 yards.

Lynch was 7-for-11 for 91 yards and Smith 5-for-10 for 87 and two touchdowns, both to Ferguson.

Ferguson’s big ending made him the receiving star of the day with four catches for 69 yards. Tight end Jacob Hollister had four catches for 47. Other receiving standouts were David Moore (2-48), Keenan Reynolds (2-42), Gary Jennings (2-37) and Penny (2-25).

There were no turnovers (an apparent sack by K.J. Wright resulting in a fumble was officially ruled an incomplete pass). And Carroll also said there were no new apparent injuries “which is great. That is as important as anything right now.”

Play of the day

It didn’t count, but a play that may be most remembered by everyone there was turned in by 5-foot-11, 310-pound defensive tackle Poona Ford, who caught a pass thrown by Geno Smith that bounced hard off the cross bar and into Ford’s hands right past the goal line. Passes that hit the cross bar are officially dead. But Ford didn’t care, turning and running through traffic and then down the field and into the end zone.

“I’m counting on that,” Carroll deadpanned when asked about Ford’s running ability. “He’s going to do that again sometime.”

Injury report

While there were no new injuries, there was plenty of injury news afterward.

Wide receiver DK Metcalf did not play after suffering what Carroll called “a little oblique strain” on the final play of practice Friday. Metcalf was in attendance and did some pretty hard running during warmups. Carroll said he hoped Metcalf will be back on Monday.

Tight end Ed Dickson sat out with a sore knee and Carroll said he has had an MRI and the team is reviewing the results to determine the severity.

Linebacker Cody Barton sat out with what Carroll said is a first degree groin strain and he may not be ready for Thursday’s preseason opener against Denver.

Running back J.D. McKissic also sat out with a sore foot that Carroll said occurred in practice earlier this week, calling it a mild foot strain.

Quotable

“I thought it was great. This was cool. We should do this more often, just to get out, change of scenery a little bit, just have all the fans. It feels like it’s a big-time state championship game or something,” Russell Wilson on playing at Pop Keeney Stadium.