Seahawks 'Need To Get Better In A Hurry' Following Week 5 Loss To ...
Oct 06, 2024 at 07:28 PM
There was a valiant comeback attempt that included a 95-yard touchdown drive from an offense that had otherwise struggled, and there were a couple of key stops late by a defense that wasn't able to make enough of them for the first three quarters, but in the end it wasn't enough for the Seahawks.
And following a 29-20 loss to the Giants, there wasn't much of an attempt by players or Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald to put a positive spin on the team's second straight loss. Simply put, it wasn't nearly a good enough performance from a team that has higher expectations than just showing some fight late in a game that was a struggle most of the way.
"We got outplayed and outexecuted today," Seahawks coach Macdonald said of his defense. "That's what happened. I thought we made some good adjustments as the game went on. I'm not sure what the numbers are saying, but when we did create third downs in the first half, we didn't get off the field. And then I think there were some penalties there in the second half. It's kind of all the way around—all three phases, all three levels of the defense, myself included. We got outplayed today on defense."
Said quarterback Geno Smith, "We played bad. That's the reality. Played bad. I don't think we executed well. I thought we came out slow. (We) talk about starting fast. That's not how we want to start. Turned the ball over, not finishing drives. I mean, all the above. That will get you beat in the NFL on any given Sunday."
Seattle's defense, which showed so many positives during Seattle's 3-0 start, allowed 175 rushing yards to the Giants, while Daniel Jones completed 23 of 34 attempts for 257 yards and two touchdowns, including a 30-yarder to Darius Slayton, who had 122 yards on eight catches. The Giants totaled 420 yards, 24 first downs and went 7 for 16 on third down, allowing them to build a 10-point second half lead despite a huge early swing in which Seahawks linebacker Jerome Baker forced a fumble at the goal line, with Rayshawn Jenkins returning the loose ball 102 yards for the score.
"We just didn't execute," said Baker, who had a team-high 14 tackles. "No matter how you look at it, we didn't execute. We need to get off the field. We just didn't do enough."
"They just played together better than us. At the end of the day, it's still football, so if you play your technique, your assignment better than us, you're going to win. That was the outcome."
Of the run defense in particular, which saw a second opponent in five games gain at least 175 yards, Macdonald said, "We have to call a better game. When we're in those plays, we have to execute better and tackle and numbers the ball better. It's fundamental football and we're coming up short. That's what's disappointing right now."
The defense, of course, was only part of the issue on Sunday. Seattle's offense struggled to move the ball consistently for much of the afternoon, and saw one promising third-quarter drive end with a DK Metcalf fumble in Giants territory. Smith and company were able to lead a 95-yard scoring drive late in the game, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba scoring Seattle's only offensive touchdown, then they got back into field goal range for a game-tying attempt that was blocked and returned for a game-clinching touchdown. But those late-game drives weren't enough on a day in which too many miscues, in all three phases, allowed the Giants to take control of the game in the first place.
"I think it came down to execution," said safety Julian Love. "I don't think in any phase we played good enough today to win. Obviously, we had a shot, kind of, there at the end. You can't win in this league if you don't play well."
The Seahawks, who were playing on a short week coming off a Monday night game, while the Giants had extra rest after a Thursday game in Week 4, now face another short week with the 49ers coming to town on Thursday.
It's a tough stretch for the Seahawks, but all they can do is move forward and focus on cleaning up their mistakes before the 49ers get to town later this week.
"Doesn't matter how hard it is; nobody cares," Macdonald said. "We've got to work harder. That's the way it is. I mean, it's an opportunity to go make it right in four days. That's really what we need to focus on."
While a short week will present its challenges for both teams, both in terms of physical recovery and game-planning, the quick turnaround also represents, for a team coming off consecutive losses, a chance to quickly put the negatives behind them and move forward.
"We want to get this taste out of our mouth," guard Laken Tomlinson said. "We'll go right back to work tomorrow. It sucks, but we'll watch the tape, correct our mistakes, we're going to get better for it. It's a short week, that's the good thing about Thursday night, because it's right there. We have an opportunity to correct our mistakes on Thursday."
With the 49ers losing to Arizona Sunday, leaving both of those teams with 2-3 records, the 3-2 Seahawks are still in first place despite their recent losses, but to stay in that spot, they know they have to clean up some of their mistakes in the next few days.
"This game's already behind us," said Smith, who went 28 for 40 for 284 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 72 yards on four carries. "We've got to learn from it, and we've got a quick turnaround. Tough opponent Thursday night. Divisional opponent. It means everything to us. This is a big game. It's about as big of a game we've had this season, we better be ready."
Said Love, "I know we have the guys in the room that can go in and attack it. I'll try to lead that charge. Hey, this is the NFL. You're going to win games; you're going to lose games. It's a marathon. We have to keep clicking. This is the first time as a staff, as a team, as a unit, in that building, where we're seeing adversity, and so now we got to feel each other out and just grow together. I think in the NFL, it's been said this week, you have to learn how to struggle well. You can struggle and just shut down, or you can face adversity and just solve some things with everyone having that approach, that growth mindset. And so we have to have that, this week, for sure."
As Macdonald, Smith and others rather bluntly stated, there wasn't a lot to like about Sunday's loss. A short week, however, means there's not much time to dwell it either.
"The message is we don't have enough time to sit around and put our heads down," Macdonald said. "We've got to keep our heads up, take it on the chin and move forward. We've got a game, in three, four days and we need to be ready to go. We need to get better in a hurry."
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Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) and Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Tyrel Dodson (0) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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≈Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (1) and Seahawks cornerback Dee Williams (33) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Trevis Gipson (50) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks tight end Brady Russell (38) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins (2) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) and Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) and Seahawks guard Laken Tomlinson (70) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (1) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet (26) at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
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Seahawks players at the Week 5 matchup against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on Sunday, October 6, 2024.
