The Seahawks got a cold reception from the Chiefs. Seattle lost their third straight game Saturday. Several of Seattle’s best could have done better.
The Seahawks continued their long, slow spiral out of the playoff picture with a 24-10 loss to the Chiefs on Christmas Eve. It wasn’t much of a Christmas present, that’s for sure. It isn’t much of a surprise that our guys lost – although a few of us at 12thManRising did predict the Hawks would get the upset. It’s been a crazy year, right? I mean, the Texans finally won their second game, so anything could happen. But it was not to be.
However, I doubt anyone expected the game to play out the way it did. The Hawks’ defense finally showed up, holding the Chiefs to just 287 yards. The run defense was stout, too, as they only allowed 77 yards on 22 carries.
But for the second week in a row, Seattle’s offense couldn’t get on track until the game was out of reach. Losing Tyler Lockett will do that to an offense, for sure. But so will converting only two of fourteen third-down opportunities. With Lockett in for almost the entire game against the Niners, Seattle only converted four of thirteen on third down, so it was hardly all due to the loss of Lockett. No, the problems went deeper than that.
Seahawks offensive line came through – well, half of it
It may seem odd to call out the offensive line in this one. After all, Seattle outgained Kansas City by nearly 40 yards and had the ball for ten minutes longer. Sadly, those stats mean nothing when the team only puts 10 points on the board. It’s even worse when you consider that the Hawks’ sole touchdown came with just over two minutes left in the game. As Lee Vowell wrote, the game wasn’t nearly as close as the score would lead you to believe.
The right side of the offensive line bears much of the responsibility for that. Tackle Charles Cross and guard Damien Lewis held up on the left side of Austin Blythe. To the right of center, the picture was pretty bleak. Tackle Abe Lucas had arguably his worst game of the season. When he was injured in the third quarter, Stone Forsythe stepped in. In this game at least, he showed why he’s the backup. Gabe Jackson and Phil Haynes rotated at guard, and neither lived up to their past performances. Their PFF grades, as reported by USA Today’s Seahawks Wire, reflect that.
Seahawks still can’t cover tight ends
The fallout wasn’t as severe as we saw in the Niners game, but once again, the Hawks seemed incapable of covering the opposition’s tight end. Patrick Mahomes only passed for 224 yards, and Travis Kelce had more than half of that. Considering that the Chiefs averaged 429 yards a game with Mahomes passing for 321 of that, it seems crazy to single out anyone on Seattle’s defense.
Yet I can’t overlook that for the second week in a row, the Hawks’ defense was absolutely shredded by a tight end. As Bob Condotta reported in his grades for The Seattle Times, Kelce picked up 79 of his 113 yards on two plays. Safety Teez Tabor gave up a 27-yard strike that took the Chiefs to the Seahawks’ 9-yard line. KC took a 14-0 lead just two plays later. Jordyn Brooks gave up a 52-yard pass and catch to Kelce in the third quarter that put the Chiefs at the Hawks’ 8-yard line. Three plays later, Kansas City put the game on ice with a 24-3 lead.
Yes, the defense played remarkably well overall. This was the first time the Chiefs were held to under 300 yards since December 5th of 2021. Still, just as we’ve seen in too many games this season, a few key mistakes were all it took for the Seahawks to take the loss.
The Seahawks biggest star can’t pull this one off
You may argue the point that DK Metcalf is the star of this team, but frankly, you’d be wrong. Okay, maybe he is. After all, he has enough talent and charisma for a dozen players. But if you can say one man is responsible for a team’s success, Geno Smith is that man. He’s the only reason the Seahawks ever had a chance at the postseason.
So when I single out Smith as one of the reasons for this loss, it’s painful, believe me. What he’s done for this team is nearly beyond belief. He’s headed to the Pro Bowl, and the honor is definitely well-deserved. Even after a sub-par game, he leads the league in completion percentage, ranks fourth in touchdowns, fifth in passer rating, and eighth in yardage. In the red zone, Smith has thrown 15 TD passes and zero picks.
But as I said, this was a sub-par game for Geno. He only connected on one scoring pass, and that was with the game out of reach. His interception in the end zone on second and 12 killed a Seattle drive that would have pulled them with one score of the Chiefs. Now, it must also be said that DK Metcalf blew a sure touchdown by failing to get both feet down. Had that been Tyler Lockett on the receiving end, that would have been six points. Still, Smith underperformed, and he was the first to say so.
Yes, the Hawks have a losing record for now and may wind up with no more wins this season than last. Still, no one can doubt their effort. Each of the players I mentioned here has played better games and will play far better in the future. The past few weeks have been bitter, it’s true, but I still believe the future looks bright for this team.