The Division leading (8-5) Seattle Seahawks came into this matchup against the (9-4) Green Bay Packers with a four-game winning streak. This streak came to an abrupt halt after a resounding defeat against the Packers 30-13 on Sunday at Lumen Field.
From the onset, it was apparent that the NFC West division leaders, the Seahawks, were in for a long afternoon. The Packers, smarting from their loss to the Detroit Lions, scored a touchdown on their first possession and, after a Seahawks punt, drove 80 yards down the field to take a commanding 14-0 lead.
Packers fifth-year quarterback Jordan Love played a nearly flawless game, going 20 for 27 for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Josh Jacobs was also a big contributor by rushing for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Although Green Bay’s offense was clicking on all cylinders, the stellar play of the defense stood out in the victory. The Packers held the Seahawks to 80 yards on the ground and sacked the quarterback seven times throughout the game. In addition, the swarming defense knocked Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith out of the game in the second half, and he could not return.
The Smith injury led to the season debut of backup quarterback Sam Howell, which was underwhelming, to say the least. Howell went 5 for 14 for 24 yards and an interception while being sacked four times in the game.
“I mean, it wasn’t good enough to win. I know he’s disappointed,” coach Mike Macdonald said about the offense’s poor play. “Just didn’t feel like we were getting the ball out on time, and then it wasn’t complemented with our pass protection.”
The defense reverted back to their old ways giving up 140 yards on the ground and big explosive plays inside the red zone. The secondary was not in sync, the pass rush was almost non-existent, and costly penalties from Riq Woolen extended drives that led to touchdowns.
The defense reverted to their old ways by giving up 140 yards on the ground and big explosive plays inside the red zone. The secondary was not in sync, the pass rush was almost non-existent, and costly penalties from Riq Woolen extended drives that led to touchdowns. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV held himself personally accountable for the defense’s poor performance.
“I’d like to start with me. I’ve got to do a better job, coming out, making sure that I’m going so we don’t wait until later on in the game to get going,” Jones IV said about their slow start. “We just started too late. We just got going too late.”
The lone bright spot of the game was the play of Jaxon Smith Njigba. He became the first player in the Seahawk’s 48-year history to have six consecutive games with 70+ receiving yards.
“This guy has been making plays since he walked in the door. There is a reason we drafted him in the first round last year,” said coach Macdonald while praising his young receiver. “This guy is a dynamite player; he brings it every day; he’s the guy that we thought he was. He’s playing great; doing a great job.”
Next for the (8-6) Seahawks are the (12-2) Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings are currently tied for the division lead in the NFC North and have an opportunity to win the conference outright. Should Geno Smith be unavailable this week and the defense does not make the critical adjustments needed to stop the run game, the Seahawks will face an uphill battle in this pivotal NFC clash, which is full of playoff ramifications. Stay tuned.
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