Getty Seahawks TE Will Dissly
The Seattle Seahawks offense feature three talented tight end who’ve received targets this season in Noah Fant, Will Dissly, and Colby Parkinson. However, heading into the Seahawks Week 10 matchup with the Washington Commanders, the pass-catchers on the end of the line aren’t getting a ton of love from Geno Smith and play-caller Shane Waldron. Ahead of this Seahawks-Commanders tilt, Dissly explained why that’s the case this season.
Will Dissly Says Seahawks TEs Have a Ton of Responsibilities
In an NFL era where tight ends are gaining more importance with players like Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, T.J. Hockenson, and even rookie Sam LaPorta dominating passing games, the Seahawks are not focusing on their in-line pass-catchers.
Fant (17 targets, 14 receptions, 226 yards) and Parkinson (18/12/138) are the fifth and sixth options in the passing offense at best, and Dissly (7/6/56) is no better than the ninth option. None of this trio has a touchdown this season either.
This is quite a departure from last season when both Fant and Dissly were in the top five on the Seahawks in targets, receptions, and yards, and Fant was No. 3 in all those categories. They also combined for 7 TD catches in 2022.
On the Friday, Nov. 10 episode of the Wyman and Bob show on Seattle Sports radio, Dissly joined the hosts to discuss the season. When the hosts asked the TE about his season so far, Dissly sounded conflicted.
“It’s uhh, it’s been an interesting season,” Dissly said. “I try not to complain because we’re 5-3. You know, I’ve had seasons where we went to the playoffs and dudes were just miserable, so obviously I wish I could contribute a little bit more to the pass game but we’re winning games. We’re playing good.”
Dissly went on to explain what makes the Seahawks offense a little different this season and what he thinks is leading to a lack of pass-catching opportunities for the position group.
“We’ve had some stuff go on this season where [the offensive line] needs help, and we wear a lot of hats in the tight end room,” Dissly explained. “We do a lot of pass protection. A lot of run blocking. And certainly, we can all catch the ball … we’re just here to do our job and make sure the team wins.
To Dissly’s point, the Seahawks have struggled mightily with injuries this season. Right tackle Abraham Lucas only has one game under his belt, and no lineman has played all eight games this season. Center Evan Brown and guard Damien Lewis are closest, with seven appearances each.
The Seahawk’s Week 10 matchup with the Commanders might be the week to let the TEs loose, though.
Seahawks Should Get the TEs Going in Week 10 vs. the Commanders
Seattle tight ends are having a tough season in 2023, but so is the entire Seahawks passing game. The team’s 1,716 passing yards ranks 23rd in the NFL this season.
There is good news, though, ahead of Week 10, and that is that the Commanders have allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the league this season (2,274). And they are among the defenses that give up the most catches and yards to tight ends.
In 2023, the Commanders are T-14 for most receptions given up and tied for the most touchdowns allowed (5) to tight ends this season, according to Football Database.
Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, the Seahawks offense was generationally bad, earning just 6 first downs in the entire game. Smith and Waldron need to find a way to move the chains more efficiently, and hitting the tight ends underneath would be an excellent way to do that.
The Seahawks are already in a good spot heading into Week 10 against the Commanders, as FanDuel has the home team as +5.5-point favorites. Heavy Sports’ projections, powered by Quarter4, like Seattle even more, giving them a +7 edge.
Working in Dissly and the Seahawks’ tight ends on Sunday could help the team cover these numbers.