Game-Winning Geno: Grading Seahawks QB Week 13 performance

In what many considered a must-win game for the Seattle Seahawks, they answered the call and snapped their two-game losing streak on the road against divisional opponent, Los Angeles Rams. Now, this game was way closer than it should have been given the injuries that kept many starters sidelined for Los Angeles.

Although it was really the Seahawks keeping them in this ball game with turnovers, they ultimately shut the door on any upset victory with a late game-winning drive led by Geno Smith. The win puts them back in the playoff picture and only 1 game behind San Francisco for the division lead.

More importantly, Geno Smith silenced a lot of his critics who felt that he hadn’t been delivering for his ball club late in games. As illustrated all season long, Geno’s resiliency was once again on display as he responded to the challenge of proving why he belongs as a starting quarterback in this league.

Evaluating Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s Week 13 

Stars shine bright, especially in Hollywood. But, just like all movies in Hollywood, they don’t come without a twist. An early injury to HB Kenneth Walker III put this offense in a tough predicament. Entering this matchup, I thought the Seahawks would have a chance to get back to running the ball effectively. An element that was missing in their last two losses.

To make matters worse, our back, DeeJay Dallas, also got hurt. HB Tony Jones was inserted into this offense with barely any reps in practice. This forced Seattle’s hand, once again putting a heavy reliance on the shoulders of Geno Smith. Without even flinching, Geno took the challenge head-on. Seattle threw the ball 39 times compared to their 22 rushing attempts.

I thought in the 2nd half on the crucial drives, in particular, Shane Waldron did a good job of incorporating the run, giving it some sort of balance. The urgency in this game was obvious. Bobby Wagner was playing with immense passion and D.K. Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey were jawing for the better part of the matchup. Through it all, Geno Smith delivered in what is rumored to be his flu game.

He made two mistakes that allowed the Rams to stay in it. In my opinion, the mistakes weren’t really on him. The first came off a strip sack, where he didn’t have much time in the pocket. The second came on an interception by Bobby Wagner that didn’t seem like an interception at all. It is also worth noting that Geno threw a dangerous pass to Noah Fant in the end zone that went off the fingertips of a Rams defensive back.

Those types of throws, especially in the red zone, are something that needs to be cleaned up as we head toward the final stretch of the season. But, as always, Geno responded to the mistakes. It felt as if he was in great command at the line of scrimmage. He threw some darts on big plays, none more important than the game-winning touchdown to D.K. Metcalf.

Early on in the game, the cameras caught Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker III arguing on the sidelines. I’m not exactly sure what the disagreement was about, but again, the urgency couldn’t be ignored when watching this game. This Seahawks team knew what was on the line against a divisional opponent they’ve struggled against in years past.

The ability to finish games is what separates great teams from good ones. I thought overall it was a nice complimentary game for the Seahawks. It showed that despite their flaws, they are capable of winning games. Our quarterback who is looking to get paid in the offseason made some big boy throws on a big drive.

Grade: A-