Why Travis Homer was the best part of Thursday Night Football

Travis Homer was about the only excitable player on offense for the Seattle Seahawks in Preseason Week 2.

For some people who are unaware of the purpose of the preseason, that signals disaster and a slew of bad words on Twitter.

However, I don’t care what Geno Smith’s band of 60% starters did or did not do against the Chicago Bears. The Travis Homer thing is much more interesting.

Homer has been absolutely crushed by the fanbase for years, at an almost Rashaad Penny level at times.

He now has a very real shot at starting the season as the team’s second running back, deserving of touches.

I was in person at training camp in Homer’s rookie season, and he was the fastest guy on the field, sustained over a few drives. That year did not go well for him, however, and his reputation as being ineffective has largely carried the day among many fans.

But he carved a different role last season, one that should be paired with what else he’s done in the past and what he’s doing right now to create momentum that’s worth noticing.

Last season he flashed that speed a couple of times on special teams, earning ST Player of the Week in Week 13.

Before he ever did that, he was already a reliable part of the third-down game. One intriguing thing about Homer, besides his generally eye-popping pass blocks: a third of his carries and one half of his receptions last season turned into first downs. That’s an uncanny percentage, one quite useful to a team that would, say, like a fresh set of downs with which to work.

Following this flustercluck on Thursday, it’s hard to ignore the fact that he had a 33 yard run in Week 2 and a 10.3 Yards per Carry average in Week 1.

With the news that Kenneth Walker III will be on the mend from a procedure to deal with a hernia, it could be that Homer has surpassed DeeJay Dallas as the one who should see any time behind Penny in Week 1. I don’t think it’s Homer’s job to lose, as Walker has tremendous talent and potential, but Pete did say he “thinks” Walker will be ready by Week 1, so expect to see him start some light jogging in October.

Might this be the year that Homer finally is able to put all the tools together to stay consistent on the field in the regular season?