The Seahawks are at a ‘crucial point.’ They lack identity. Geno Smith needs help. Now.
Pete Carroll gathered his Seahawks around him in their quiet locker room after their biggest rival routed them for the fourth consecutive time.
There wasn’t much more to say about Seattle’s 31-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in a Thanksgiving showdown that wasn’t for the NFC West lead at Lumen Field. So the veteran coach challenged his players on where they go from here: 6-5, two games plus a tiebreaker out of the division lead with six games remaining and games at Dallas (8-3), at San Francisco (8-3) and against Philadelphia (9-1) next.
“We’re at a crucial point,” Carroll said he told his players late Thursday night. “Yeah, it’s crucial that we make sure we’re together.
“This is a really challenging stretch coming. ...We’ve got to get our minds right and make sure that we’re focusing on doing the right thing, executing, playing ball really hard with great effort and intensity and that all the kind of stuff that we like to build this team around.”
It shouldn’t be, in week 12 for a game for first place in a national NFL Thanksgiving night showcase, that effort is an issue.
But it was for these Seahawks Thursday.
Veteran defensive tackle Jarran Reed said so.
“Guys need to check with themselves and ask themselves: Are they playing with the passion and the heart that they need to play with for us to win games?” Reed said. “Because right now, we’ve got to pick it up.
‘We have GOT to pick it up.”
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks, who scored Seattle’s only touchdown against San Francisco returning his first career interception for a touchdown, said effort and readiness were problems Thursday.
“I think we didn’t come out ready to go,” Brooks said. “First drive they were running the ball, throwing the ball. I don’t think we were all the way there mentally. That’s why they ended up with seven points right out of the gate.
“Look at ourselves. Hold ourselves accountable and be truthful for what we see on the film and how we can get better,” Brooks said.
“We’ve got six games left? It’s playoff mode right now.”
San Francisco rolled up 235 yards of offense Thursday before Seattle had 16. It was 24-3 at halftime.
And it really wasn’t that close.
“You can’t spot them 24 points in the first half,” Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs said.
Third downs. Again.
Carroll said he’s worried about his team that’s lost of three of its last four, and specifically an offense that hasn’t consistently converted third downs all season (3 for 11 against San Francisco). Seattle is 30th in the NFL converting third downs and extending drives this season, 31.3%.
It’s 30% on third downs the last three games, the Seahawks’ last-play field-goal win over Washington then losses to the Rams and 49ers within four days this week.
The last frustrating sequence of not gaining a first down came with 1 yard to go with 5 minutes left. Seattle was at the 49ers 21-yard line trying frantically to rally from San Francisco just having scored to go up 31-13.
On second and 1, quarterback Geno Smith got pressured yet again and threw into tight coverage by Charvarius Ward on Tyler Lockett in the back right of the end zone. That nearly became Smith’s second interception of the night.
On third and 1, elite 49rs linebacker Fred Warner shot the gap beside the center. Seahawks center Evan Brown wasn’t quick enough to stop him. Warner stuffed Smith’s quarterback sneak a half yard from the line to gain.
Fourth and inches, the Seahawks go into shotgun formation. That got what it deserved. San Francisco’s Nick Bosa tossed aside Seattle tight end Noah Fant then smashed into running back Zach Charbonnet trying to bounce a designed inside run outside. Loss of 1 yard.
A final loss of a game that was already long lost for the Seahawks.
Seahawks have no identity
Carroll agreed with what’s become obvious: The Seahawks lack an identity on offense.
“I don’t feel that as much as I would like to. I would like to feel the effectiveness (of) the play(-action) passes that have been so effective for us. That is a factor. It accents the running game. It gives us a nice feel to it that we’ve got to get back.”
Here’s a challenge: Name something the Seahawks are consistently good at doing on offense.
Is Seattle a running team that can balance the offense enough to keep defenses honest and from focusing on pressuring Smith relentlessly?
No. Running backs got three carries in the first half Thursday, while San Francisco was on its way to sacking Smith six times and carrying a 24-3 lead into the third quarter. Seattle is 26th in the NFL in rushing offense.
Is it the passing team the numbers and having Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and three tight ends that play regularly say it should be?
No. The Seahawks are 11th in the NFL in pass attempts but just 17th in yards passing per game.
The years-long chorus of: The ball more to Metcalf!? He has 80 targets, but just 43 receptions, this season. He dropped two passes off both his hands Thursday night. He finished with nine targets but only three catches, for 32 yards.
Smith, playing Thursday with a bruised triceps on his throwing arm, has 10 turnovers in 11 games. That’s four fewer than he had all of last season.
Seattle’s offense has one touchdown the last two games, and just three total in the last four games.
“(It) starts with every guy individually really just looking at his own film, his own tape, kind of looking himself in the mirror and say, what can I do to help the team? How can I be more consistent? How can I be more effective on a down-to-down basis and play better so that we can score more points than we are right now?” Smith said.
“It directly starts with me.
“But as you know, we’re all connected out there, all 11, so every single guy has to look himself in the mirror, starting with me.
“We get time reflect on this. It’s tough. We get the time to reflect on it, figure out ways to get better.”
His touchdown passes have gone from 30 last season when he made his first Pro Bowl and his first career postseason start to 12 through 11 games this season.
“It’s been hard for him,” Carroll said.
“It was smoother last year.”
Again Friday, Carroll said: “We need to help him.”
That’s in catching the ball, running routes, running the ball better, blocking better, calling better plays — and on third downs.
Smith appeared to turn his ankle while getting sacked one of six times Thursday. He limped to the sidelines.
Carroll said Friday “as far as we can tell it should be OK” for Smith to play against Dallas next Thursday.
Carroll said he’s going to continue to be involved in making third down better for his offense. That’s the main job of offensive coordinator and play caller Shane Waldron.
“I’ll continue to keep challenging our guys to look for everything...”
“I’m concerned,” Carroll said. “I’m concerned about our club. I’m concerned about everything we’re doing. That (Thursday) night will make you challenge everything. That’s why you are asking all the questions, you know. There are questions to be asked, and answers to be found.
“That’s where we are right now.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2023 at 1:55 PM.
