No DK Metcalf. No problem(s): Jake Bobo, Jaxon Smith-Njigba TDs send Seahawks over Cards
No DK Metcalf. No problem(s).
Without him, Seahawks wide receivers made team history. And one didn’t have a personal foul, for a change.
With Metcalf missing a game for the first time in his career with an injured hip, undrafted rookie Jake Bobo turned into Tyler Lockett. Bobo made a brilliant toe-drag touchdown catch of a Geno Smith pass inside the end-zone boundary for the most improbable touchdown reception this NFL season.
“Freakin’ circus grab,” coach Pete Carroll said.
Without Metcalf, rookie first-round draft pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba fully joined Seattle’s offense, in its sixth game. He got his first career touchdown reception.
It was the first time in Seahawks history two rookie wide receivers caught a touchdown pass in the same game.
Kenneth Walker ran on half of Seattle’s plays into the third quarter. He finished with 105 yards on 26 carries, his sixth 100-yard game of his two-year career.
And Seattle won at times despite its offense again, 20-10 over the one-win Arizona Cardinals Sunday at Lumen Field.
“With 14 (Metcalf) out, we knew we were going to have to step up,” Bobo said. “I was looking to semi-fill his big shoes.
“I felt like we did a little bit of that today.
“I knew was going to do a little bit more today.”
Smith committed two more turnovers while completing 18 of 24 passes for 219 yards and the two scores for the still-uneven Seahawks (4-2). They won for the fourth time in five games, often the hard way.
“It was not to our standard,” Smith said. “Personally, I feel like we left a lot out there.
“But it’s the league. Any win you get you are going to be happy with. ...But it’s kind of this weird feeling that I got, specifically, that I haven’t done enough, I haven’t played my best game.”
That was evident, for the second consecutive week. But after almost winning it for him last week at Cincinnati his defense won it for Smith and the offense this week.
Jordyn Brooks flew across the field for key stops. Rookie defensive back Devon Witherspoon wowed again inside at nickel and outside at cornerback. The pass rush (four sacks, eight hits) caved in onto Arizona fill-in quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Seattle held the Cardinals to 88 yards and zero points after halftime Sunday.
Their last three games the Seahawks (4-2) have allowed three points, 17 points and 10 points. Because of Smith’s and the offense’s inconsistencies, Seattle only won two of those games.
“Where the consistency showed up with our defense. They did a fantastic job again today,” Carroll said. “Go back out after halftime and shut them down.
“To answer the bell: We had three horrible turnovers in this game. It’s so hard to win minus-3 (in turnover margin), so it stays close because of that. But the defensive guys did a great job answering the bell.
“They got three points out of those three turnovers. That’s huge. That’s a great source of pride with us.”
NFL Research found it was the first time the Seahawks won a game with a turnover margin of minus-3 or worse since week 9 of Seattle’s 2013 Super Bowl-championship season, a 27-24 win over Tampa Bay.
They had help, from the Cardinals (1-6).
Smith fumbled a direct-from-under-center snap from fill-in rookie starter Olu Oluwatimi in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Smith’s fourth turnover in two games gifted Arizona the ball at the Seattle 34.
But after a Cardinals first down to the 15-yard line, Arizona center Hajalte Froholdt sent a shotgun snap over Dobbs (19 for 33 passing, 146 yards, seven rushes for 43 yards). That put the Cardinals back to the 29 and ruined the drive. The Cardinals’ Matt Prater then missed a 44-yard field goal try wide left.
The fortunate Seahawks stayed ahead 17-10.
Jake Bobo’s gem
Because of Metcalf’s absence Bobo, the undrafted rookie and summer preseason star from UCLA and Duke, got his most important and extensive playing time of his short career.
He got the lead back for the Seahawks in the third quarter.
After Smith completed passes to Lockett on consecutive third downs to extend a drive, Smith lofted a ball to Bobo running one on one down the right sideline. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver leaped over 5-10 cornerback Starling Thomas to catch the ball over the Arizona cornerback’s helmet. Then with his left foot on the ground Bobo deftly tapped the top of his right cleat inside the sideline boundary of the end zone before falling out of bounds with the ball.
It seemed a stupendous catch of a technically incomplete pass. Carroll threw his red challenge flag from the sideline onto the field. He was hoping to reward Bobo’s effort and get replay officials in league headquarters in New York to see Bobo’s drag of that second foot in bounds for the touchdown.
They did. When referee Scott Novak announced the successful challenge and a Seahawks touchdown, Bobby Wagner raised his arms to the gray Seattle sky. The Lumen Field crowd roared. And Seahawks teammates mobbed Bobo for his crazy catch.
“Thank God for replays,” Lockett said.
NFL NextGen Stats said it with 0.4 yards of separation and the toe drag, Bobo’s catch was the most improbable touchdown reception in the league this season.
The catch probability: 15.9%.
“I learned from the best: 16,” Bobo said, using Lockett’s jersey number.
The Seahawks led 14-10 into the third quarter. Carroll had two successful challenges in the same half for perhaps the first time since television was invented.
Bobo’s other key play came with 3 minutes left. On a third and 5, Smith connected with him for Bobo’s fourth reception. The rookie smartly lowered his shoulders immediately after his catch and stretched across the line to gain. His first down forced Arizona into calling time outs on defense, as the clock went down to 2 minutes.
Two runs by Walker totaling 11 yards extended the drive. Jason Myers’ second field goal of the day, from 48 yards with 2:17 remaining, made it a 10-point game and finally ensured Seattle’s win.
Smith’s other touchdown pass of his 12-for-15 first half was righting a wrong he had made the previous weekend in Seattle’s galling, 17-13 loss at Cincinnati. In that game, he missed Smith-Njigba wide open in the left slot for what would have been a touchdown pass that likely would have extended the Seahawks’ winning streak to four games.
“For sure, he was open. He should have gotten the ball. That would have given us the lead,” Smith said Thursday.
Sunday, it happened again.
On a similar-looking play as in Cincinnati, Smith-Njigba was again left alone in the left slot. Arizona double-teamed Lockett outside of the rookie, outside left. This time, Smith was ready for Smith-Njigba to be open. His pass hit the 20th pick in this year’s draft on the hands at the goal line for a 28-yard touchdown.
The Seahawks led 7-0.
“Kinda similar,” Smith-Njigba said of Sunday compared to Cincinnati. “I knew was a big read during that play, so I’m happy that we could get the job done this time.”
How much did his teammates want to see Smith-Njigba get that score and involved in the offense?
Rookie guard Anthony Bradford picked up Smith-Njigba in the end zone and held him aloft like a proud father in The Lion King.
Fellow rookie first-round pick and cornerback Devon Witherspoon sprinted onto the field to celebrate with Smith-Njigba. Defensive players Jamal Adams, Quandre Diggs, receivers coach Sanjay Lal and darn near every man on the Seahawks’ sideline hugged and slapped hands with Smith-Njigba on the sideline after the rookie first career touchdown.
“I don’t think they get any more open than that,” Smith said.
“It’s great for him to get that first touchdown.
“It was huge not only for Jaxon and for Bobo, but I think it was huge for our overall offense, to see those continue to step up and make big plays. For their confidence, and obviously for what we are building together.
“For those two guys, I’m just so proud and so happy for them.”
Witherspoon INT taken away
The Cardinals took the lead benefiting from the NFL’s rules protecting quarterbacks.
Seattle’s Boye Mafe and Darrell Taylor closed in on a drop back to pass in the second quarter by Arizona’s Joshua Dobbs, starting for injured franchise quarterback Kyler Murray. As Dobbs threw a short, wobbly pass under that pressure to the end zone that Witherspoon intercepted, Mafe’s hand came down onto the side of Dobbs’ facemask.
That’s not actual “roughing” of the passer, But that’s how the NFL wants it called. So referee Novak called it.
The penalty plus offsetting personal fouls on each team resulted in a first and goal for Arizona from the 25-yard line.
On the next play, Dobbs’ ran outside left, off a bump attempt at a tackle by Seattle cornerback Riq Woolen and into the end zone for a touchdown.
Instead of Witherspoon’s second interception in the red zone in three games and Seahawks ball, Arizona led for the first time, 10-7.
In the fourth quarter Witherspoon had a sack taken away by an illegal-contact penalty on cornerback Riq Woolen down the field, when there was minimal contact on the Cardinals receiver Woolen was running with.
That Arizona drive ended with the Cardinals lining up backup quarterback Clayton Tune in punt formation on fourth and 9 and then moving him up into shotgun. Tune’s short pass outside right had no chance; the Seahawks noticed it was a QB and not a punter back there.
The turnover on downs gave Smith and Seattle’s offense the ball back at midfield with 5 minutes left up 17-10.
Keeping Arizona in it
Smith and the Seahawks offense continued their problems in the red zone.
Twice in the third quarter Seattle had prime chances in close to increase its lead to two scores. Twice, the Seahawks failed.
Up 14-10 and taking up half the third quarter on their opening drive of the second half, the Seahawks lined up in shotgun formation from the 1-yard line for two runs by Walker inside. Both went nowhere. On third down Smith threw short to tight end Colby Parkinson, who was tackled immediately at the 2. Myers kicked a consolation field goal for a 17-10 lead.
On the next drive, late in the quarter, Smith rolled left and threw way short and late toward the covered Bobo. Cardinals rookie Garrett Williams intercepted that pass at the 1.
It was Smith’s third interception in two games. He had one in the first four games.
Seattle remained ahead only 17-10 into the fourth quarter.
Jordyn Brooks’ continued return
The Seahawks began the game on defense playing three safeties at once, Adams, Diggs and Julian Love. That was more than they used all three at one time in Cincinnati. When Seattle went to nickel, five cover cornerbacks, the three safeties stayed in, Witherspoon went inside to slot nickel and Tre Brown played left cornerback where Witherspoon had started the game.
That took linebacker Jordyn Brooks off the field — but not out of the game.
Brooks again showed his remarkable recovery and return to full speed nine months after he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. He sprinted across the field to run down Dobbs, stopped suddenly and tackled Arizona’s quarterback short of the line to gain for a 0-yard sack on third down. That ended a Cardinals drive and kept the Seahawks ahead 17-10 in the third quarter.
Nwosu hurt
Top Seahawks pass rusher Uchenna Nwosu left the game in the first half with a pectoral injury. He stood on the sidelines during the second half with his upper body heavily taped.
Carroll said the team does not yet know the extent of his injury,
Seattle hosts the Cleveland Browns (4-2) next Sunday.
This story was originally published October 22, 2023 at 4:06 PM.
