After profitable 4 straight video games to take over first place within the NFC West, the Seahawks have been in search of an enormous win over one other NFC playoff contender in prime time. As an alternative, the Packers jumped out to an enormous early lead and by no means seemed again on their method to a 30-13 win at Lumen Subject. To make issues worse, the Seahawks additionally noticed quarterback Geno Smith exit the sport early with a knee harm, a blow to their comeback possibilities and, relying on the severity of the harm, a priority for his or her playoff hopes going ahead.
Listed here are 5 speedy reactions to Sunday’s loss, which dropped Seattle’s report to 8-6:
- A foul evening obtained worse with an harm to Geno Smith.
Issues have been already going poorly for the Seahawks when, late within the third quarter, the sport took a flip for the more serious. Geno Smith, who had been below strain for a lot of the evening, took a low hit whereas delivering a cross. Smith initially limped to argue with the dearth of a flag for a low hit, then he sat down on the sector to be tended to by workforce docs and athletic trainers.
It was introduced that Smith was questionable to return with a knee harm, and Smith didn’t come again within the sport, with Sam Howell ending off that drive and enjoying the fourth quarter in his most vital 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 brief area that got here with it to attain their solely landing of the sport, a 24-yard run by Zach Charbonnet.
Going through powerful circumstances with the Seahawks having to be so cross heavy, Howell was below appreciable strain, and accomplished 5 of 14 cross 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 an enormous lead.
The Seahawks protection got here into Sunday’s sport on a roll, having performed very nicely in 5 straight video games, the final 4 of them victories, however that unit had a tricky time with the Packers offense within the first half.
Inexperienced 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 area aim on Inexperienced Bay’s subsequent six possessions, with the opposite 5 leading to a punt, punt, fumble, punt, and turnover on downs. Sadly, the offense, lacking its beginning quarterback for a lot of the second half, wasn’t capable of get again within the sport, then a late interception gave the Packers a brief area 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 harm they did within the first half, in addition to Seattle’s incapability to get a lot happening offense, that second-half turnaround by the protection wasn’t sufficient to vary the end result of the sport.