The Seattle Seahawks escaped their opener with a win, but one of the team’s most expensive offensive linemen came away with an uncomfortable Week 1 trend attached to his name.
Right tackle Abraham Lucas, who signed a three-year, $46 million extension last year, was flagged by analytics reviews after Seattle’s 13-10 victory over the New England Patriots.
Seahawks analyst Dan Viens charted nine pressures allowed by Seattle and put Lucas at fault for five of them.
Charting the 9 pressures Seattle allowed, I’ve got Lucas as the worst offender on 5 of the 9.
Diving into just how the OL fared against the Pats and what we might expect in AZ on tomorrow’s
ESPN analytics writer Seth Walder also placed Lucas among the NFL’s bottom five tackles in pass block win rate for Week 1, using ESPN Analytics and NFL Next Gen Stats.
(ESPN Analytics / NFL Next Gen Stats)
With this Seahawks offense dealing with Sam Darnold’s hip injury, the protection issue gives Seattle something significant to clean up before a Week 2 road matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Lucas Draws Multiple Red Flags in Pass Protection
Viens’ review was especially pointed.
“Oh boy. I hadn’t realized what a tough day Abe Lucas had in pass protection Wednesday,” Viens wrote on X on Sept. 14. “Charting the 9 pressures Seattle allowed, I’ve got Lucas as the worst offender on 5 of the 9.”
Walder’s data surfaced an additional unfavorable snapshot, with Lucas appearing among the five lowest Week 1 pass block win rates at offensive tackle.
The exact pressure count can vary depending on the charting source, but the wider look is hard to miss. Pro Football Focus credited Lucas with three pressures allowed on 28 pass-blocking snaps, including one sack and one quarterback hit. PFF gave him a 45.8 pass-blocking grade.
There was a counterweight in the same evaluation with Lucas earned an 84.2 run-blocking grade, the best mark among the small group of qualifying tackles on PFF’s Week 1 page at the time. His overall grade landed at 71.7.
Seattle didn’t get a poor all-around game from its right tackle. The trouble was concentrated in the area that becomes important when an offense is forced to turn to a backup quarterback.
Darnold exited early with a hip injury, leaving Drew Lock to play most of the opener. Lock completed 16 of 22 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown as Seattle erased a 10-point deficit and won 13-10.
Lucas Has Chance for Quick Reset Against Cardinals
A single rough night in pass protection is unlikely to change how Seattle views Lucas.
The Seahawks made that clear when they extended the former third-round pick in September 2025. The three-year, $46 million deal locked up a player the organization described as one of its top offensive linemen and a “tone-setter” for the offense.
That investment also raises the need to perform well.
Lucas played all 50 offensive snaps against New England, ushering in continuity on a line that came into the season with growing expectations. NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said before Week 1 that he believed the Seahawks’ offensive line could develop into a top-10 unit.
Seattle now gets extra time before visiting Arizona on Sept. 20, with the Cardinals arriving with some momentum after upsetting the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14 in their opener.
Arizona produced only one sack in that victory, so the matchup doesn’t spell an overwhelming pass-rush test. For Lucas, that could make it an ideal spot to steady things after a tough opener.
The Seahawks got away with their protection issues against New England because Lock delivered in relief and the defense generated three fourth-quarter interceptions.
Depending on that formula every week would be asking for trouble, though.
Seahawks’ $46 Million Starter Lands Among Brutal Week 1 Showings Despite Win Over Patriots