Lumen Field was supposed to be the site of redemption following the (3-1) Seahawks first loss of the season last week against the Detroit Lions 42-29, but the (1-3) New York Giants had other plans.
As the Seahawks kicker Jason Myers lined up for a 47-yard game tying field goal with 55 seconds left, the unthinkable happened. New York Giants linemen Isaiah Simmons leaped over the offensive line to block the kick and Bryce Ford-Wheaton returned it for a touchdown resulting in a 29-20 loss for Seattle.
Although the play was a dramatic end to the game, it was not the reason the Seahawks didn’t come out victorious. For the 2nd straight week Seattle was unable to stop the run giving up 175 yards on the ground, 129 of which came from back up rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. They also lost the time of possession battle by 15 minutes and allowed a struggling quarterback in Daniel Jones to complete over 75% of his passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns. In short, the defense was suspect.
The offense struggled as well unable to find the balance synonymous with the Ryan Grubb offensive scheme. Third and Second year running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined for a mere 30 yards on seven carries and for the 2nd straight week. While two-time Pro Bowler Wide Receiver DK Metcalf lost a fumble that resulted in points for the opposing team.
Even with the offensive ineptitude and the suspect defense, the Seahawks still gave themselves a chance to win in the closing minutes, but an untimely drop by receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba on 3rd down halted the game winning drive forcing Seattle to settle for a game tying field goal attempt.
After 2 weeks of subpar play by the defense and costly turnovers on offense the Seahawks still find themselves leading the NFC West by one game, but they host the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers Thursday on a short week. If they don’t clean up their mistakes and find a way to stop the run, they could very well relinquish their division lead for the first time all season. It will be interesting to see how this team responds to adversity.
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