Two Michigan products put on a show for the Seahawks in their loss to the Lions

Detroit – The Detroit Lions knew facing the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night in Week 4 would be a daunting challenge.

The Seahawks were one of the few teams to be 3-0 after the first three weeks of the 2024 season. And since 2003, the Lions had lost nine of the previous eleven direct duels.

Lions coach Dan Campbell noted that the Seahawks “played complementary football in all three phases” and that the return of running back Kenneth Walker III complemented their game preparations. Walker finished the game scoring three of the Seahawks' four touchdowns. However, the Lions were able to prevail 42:29.

Walker, a former Spartan, finished with 80 yards rushing and 12 carries in his first game back after missing the past two weeks with an oblique strain.

“First of all, I have to give credit to the Lions, they played great,” Walker told The Detroit News. “They performed well. I feel like we were able to perform better as a team – myself included.

Walker has established himself as one of the NFL's most productive running backs. Since being drafted as a second-round pick in 2022, Walker had rushed for 2,058 yards entering Monday night's game. Although he spent his first two college seasons at Wake Forest, Walker believes his one year at Michigan State had the biggest impact on his professional career.

Walker said the professional offense he ran under former MSU coach Mel Tucker made his first three seasons with the Seahawks an easy transition. With 14:48 left in the fourth quarter, he showed what he had learned with a 21-yard touchdown that put Seattle up 35-27.

“My coaches at Michigan State, my teammates at Michigan State, they put me in position and taught me how to make plays,” Walker said. “We had a pro-style offense. So when we came into the league there wasn’t much of a difference – just different terminology.”

While Walker continued to use the lessons he learned in East Lansing, AJ Barner is using similar experiences he had not too far away at the University of Michigan.

One of 13 Wolverines selected during the 2024 NFL Draft — which set a program record at Michigan — Barner had his most productive game of his young career. He caught two balls for the best yardage of his career: 27 yards. Its highlight came in the third quarter when Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith connected with the rookie tight end on a 9-yard pass for a touchdown for his first career touchdown.

Barner came into the game with 75 snaps under his belt, but he feels like he's already reaped the benefits of playing for the defending national champions.

“I felt like because of the tough competition we played against, we won the national championship, and then also because of the guys we competed against in practice, just most of the guys got drafted in the NFL, and “We're going to have more this year,” Barner said. “I think the combination of those two things helped me a lot.”

Michigan State has been vital in showcasing some of the best football prospects and teams at the college and professional levels.

The Lions have taken over as the state's strongest team with a 3-1 record entering game week. Aidan Hutchinson, a former Michigan star, recorded three quarterback hits in the win and leads the league with 6½ sacks through the first four weeks.

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