Rapid Reactions: Seahawks Lose To Packers & Geno Smith Exits ...
After winning four straight games to take over first place in the NFC West, the Seahawks were looking for a big win over another NFC playoff contender in prime time. Instead, the Packers jumped out to a big early lead and never looked back on their way to a 30-13 win at Lumen Field. To make matters worse, the Seahawks also saw quarterback Geno Smith exit the game early with a knee injury, a blow to their comeback chances and, depending on the severity of the injury, a concern for their playoff hopes going forward.
Here are five rapid reactions to Sunday's loss, which dropped Seattle's record to 8-6:
Things were already going poorly for the Seahawks when, late in the third quarter, the game took a turn for the worse. Geno Smith, who had been under pressure for much of the night, took a low hit while delivering a pass. Smith initially limped to argue with the lack of a flag for a low hit, then he sat down on the field to be tended to by team doctors and athletic trainers.
It was announced that Smith was questionable to return with a knee injury, and Smith did not come back in the game, with Sam Howell finishing off that drive and playing the fourth quarter in his most significant playing time as a Seahawk.
With Smith out and with the Seahawks having to play a one-dimensional brand of offense playing from behind, the Seahawks went three-and-out on their next two possessions before using a Packers turnover and the short field that came with it to score their only touchdown of the game, a 24-yard run by Zach Charbonnet.
Facing tough circumstances with the Seahawks having to be so pass heavy, Howell was under considerable pressure, and completed 5 of 14 pass attempts for 24 yards and an interception.
The Seahawks defense came into Sunday's game on a roll, having played very well in five straight games, the last four of them victories, but that unit had a tough time with the Packers offense in the first half.
Green Bay opened the game with a 63-yard touchdown drive and scored points on all four of its first half possessions to build a 20-3 halftime lead. That first half saw the Packers gain 235 yards and 15 first downs while averaging 7.6 yards per play, and running back Josh Jacobs rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, while adding 38 receiving yards on three catches.
The Seahawks settled down on defense after the break, allowing just a field goal on Green Bay's next six possessions, with the other five resulting in a punt, punt, fumble, punt, and turnover on downs. Unfortunately, the offense, missing its starting quarterback for much of the second half, wasn't able to get back in the game, then a late interception gave the Packers a short field they would turn into their only touchdown of the second half.
The Packers totaled only 134 yards in the second half and were 2 for 8 on third down after going 3 for 4 in the first half, but given the damage they did in the first half, as well as Seattle's inability to get much going on offense, that second-half turnaround by the defense wasn't enough to change the outcome of the game.
Linebacker Ernest Jones IV has been a great addition ever since joining the Seahawks in a midseason trade. For the second straight week, he came up with a big play that led to a Seattle touchdown.
Last week, Jones had an interception that set up a one-play touchdown drive for Seattle's offense. On Sunday, with the Seahawks really needing a spark, he forced a fourth-quarter fumble, punching the ball away from Packers running back Josh Jacobs, and safety Julian Love recovered the loose ball. Five plays later, Zach Charbonnet broke free for a 24-yard touchdown run, Seattle's first of the game. Jones also finished the game with a team-leading nine tackles.
Geno Smith did not throw an interception in either of the Seahawks' previous two games, and he completed each of his first 11 attempts on Sunday. His 12th pass attempt, however, was nearly intercepted by Carrington Valentine. Then Smith's next attempt on third down was picked off by Valentine. Had the Seahawks gotten a touchdown out of that red zone possession, they'd have been down 14-10 and right back in the game, but instead the Packers added two more field goals in the second quarter to take a big lead at halftime.
Thanks to the defense turning things around in the second half, the Seahawks were still in the game in the fourth quarter, trailing by 10 with plenty of time left to make things interesting. However, that's when interception No. 2 came, with Sam Howell getting picked, giving the Packers a short field they would use to add the touchdown that put the game out of reach.
For the seventh straight game, second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was Seattle's leading receiver, finishing the game with 10 catches for 83 yards. His latest strong outing gives Smith-Njigba 994 receiving yards through 14 games, right on the doorstep of his first 1,000-yard season. With six more yards next week, Smith-Njigba would be the 10th player in franchise history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
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Seahawks players at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (87) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) and Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Jaelon Darden (1) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) and Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) and Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) and Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61) and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks guard Sataoa Laumea (63) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Sam Howell (6) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks free safety Julian Love (20) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27), Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13), and Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
