Seahawks’ have last-ranked defense. But rest of uneven NFC West keeps Seattle in it early
The Seahawks are in an odd place with their division rivals.
They actually appreciate them.
As in, thanks for not running away from us in the NFC West already.
As uneven and troublesome as their 2-3 start has been, wide receiver DK Metcalf, coach Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are encouraged. That’s because the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are also 2-3, and the first-place San Francisco 49ers are only one game better at 3-2.
Seattle’s defense is statistically — and practically — the NFL’s worst through five games. It’s allowed 84 points the last two games. The Seahawks are coming off a mistake-filled, 39-32 loss at New Orleans they felt they should have won. They got steamrolled at San Francisco last month. They went six quarters without scoring a point on offense to begin the season.
Yet quarterback Geno Smith’s career revival atop the league’s passing charts plus the rest of the division’s scuffling has kept the Seahawks from falling way back in the West.
“One thing I think we have to continue to do is not look at last week and completely change who we are,” Metcalf said Wednesday. “I think we just need to continue to build on what we have, and not look at last week and say, ‘Oh, we need to do this and do that.’
“We have a good football team. We have a good game plan. We have great players. Just continue to build on the pieces that we have, and not try to drastically change who we are, as a team. I think we’re already headed in the right direction with that.
“And looking at the division, you know we’re all still right there with each other.”
This time last year the Rams were 4-1 coming off win at Seattle, on their way to winning the Super Bowl. Now they looked like the rest of the league has caught up to their offense, and largely figured out how to get by Aaron Donald and L.A.’s defense. Dallas won 22-10 at Los Angeles last week.
The Cardinals come to Lumen Field Sunday having lost three running backs to injury and the game last week to Philadelphia, 20-17. James Connor, Jonathan Ward and Darrel Williams got hurt last weekend. Connor and Williams missed Arizona’s walk-through workout Wednesday.
The 49ers have a previously discarded, now-resurgent Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback after Trey Lance got hurt. They have the division’s best defense. It smashed Seattle 27-7 last month — back when Carroll and Seattle offensive coordinator Shane Waldron had Smith throwing the shortest passes in the league.
No more. Smith is chucking the ball deep more than any quarterback in the league the last two weeks.
NFL NextGen Stats says Smith’s average of 12.6 air yards on completions led all NFL quarterbacks last week. Smith also led all quarterbacks in passer rating (139.7), and completion percentage over expectation CPOE (+7%). He leads the league in completion rate over expectation this season (+9.6%).
“I think in about two to three weeks, things are going to start clicking for us and we are going to start heading in the right direction,” Metcalf said. “We got a young team. It’s all about chipping away and just focusing on what we have in this building.”
Smith’s play and the offensive line’s protection of him particularly with rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas excelling have Carroll optimistic.
Shocker. The sun is always out with the 71-year-old coach.
“A lot of teams in our division are still trying to get up on it, and we are one of them,” Carroll said.
“This is a really important week for us, so I’m anxious to get back at it.”
Carroll also admits the Seahawks are, well, lucky the rest of the division has stayed back with them.
“It’s been hard for teams to get up on top of the schedule here. It’s fortunate for us,” he said.
“We are within striking distance of doing something really special. So we are going for it.”
