After profitable 4 straight video games to take over first place within the NFC West, the Seahawks have been searching for a giant win over one other NFC playoff contender in prime time. Instead, the Packers jumped out to a giant early lead and by no means regarded again on their strategy to a 30-13 win at Lumen Field. To make issues worse, the Seahawks additionally noticed quarterback Geno Smith exit the sport early with a knee harm, a blow to their comeback probabilities and, relying on the severity of the harm, a priority for his or her playoff hopes going ahead.
Here are 5 speedy reactions to Sunday’s loss, which dropped Seattle’s document to 8-6:
- A nasty night time bought worse with an harm to Geno Smith.
Things have been already going poorly for the Seahawks when, late within the third quarter, the sport took a flip for the more severe. Geno Smith, who had been underneath strain for a lot of the night time, took a low hit whereas delivering a go. Smith initially limped to argue with the shortage of a flag for a low hit, then he sat down on the sphere to be tended to by group medical doctors and athletic trainers.
It was introduced that Smith was questionable to return with a knee harm, and Smith didn’t come again within the recreation, with Sam Howell ending off that drive and enjoying the fourth quarter in his most important enjoying time as a Seahawk.
With Smith out and with the Seahawks having to play a one-dimensional model of offense enjoying from behind, the Seahawks went three-and-out on their subsequent two possessions earlier than utilizing a Packers turnover and the quick discipline that got here with it to attain their solely landing of the sport, a 24-yard run by Zach Charbonnet.
Facing robust circumstances with the Seahawks having to be so go heavy, Howell was underneath appreciable strain, and accomplished 5 of 14 go makes an attempt for twenty-four yards and an interception.
- The Seahawks protection settled down within the second half, however not earlier than the Packers constructed a giant lead.
The Seahawks protection got here into Sunday’s recreation on a roll, having performed very properly in 5 straight video games, the final 4 of them victories, however that unit had a troublesome time with the Packers offense within the first half.
Green Bay opened the sport with a 63-yard landing drive and scored factors on all 4 of its first half possessions to construct a 20-3 halftime lead. That first half noticed the Packers acquire 235 yards and 15 first downs whereas averaging 7.6 yards per play, and operating again Josh Jacobs rushed for 73 yards and a landing on 14 carries, whereas including 38 receiving yards on three catches.
The Seahawks settled down on protection after the break, permitting only a discipline objective on Green Bay’s subsequent six possessions, with the opposite 5 leading to a punt, punt, fumble, punt, and turnover on downs. Unfortunately, the offense, lacking its beginning quarterback for a lot of the second half, wasn’t capable of get again within the recreation, then a late interception gave the Packers a brief discipline they might flip into their solely landing of the second half.
The Packers totaled solely 134 yards within the second half and have been 2 for 8 on third down after going 3 for 4 within the first half, however given the injury they did within the first half, in addition to Seattle’s lack of ability to get a lot occurring offense, that second-half turnaround by the protection wasn’t sufficient to vary the result of the sport.
