Grading the 2022 Seattle Seahawks: The future is bright
By Jake Luppino
Seahawks quarterback play – Geno Smith
Geno Smith played a large role in why the Seattle Seahawks exceeded expectations in 2022. A team that was discounted by nearly everyone, turned many heads when they finished the season above .500 and clinched a playoff birth. It felt that as the season progressed, folks were waiting for Geno Smith to fall back down to earth.
But, he really never did. What he accomplished in 2022 was unprecedented.
The Good – Checking off the right boxes
Imagine that when a new quarterback is inserted into a starting lineup, the coaches treat his season as if they were scouting him. Going through their checklist, seeing if he has the traits to be a franchise quarterback. Throughout the course of the season, Geno Smith was consistent. Yes, he had some poor performances. Every single quarterback does. However, he did check off the important boxes.
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He lead game-winning drives, was a good game manager when he had to be, and most importantly, had his teammates buy into him. Geno had an incredible year, putting up excellent numbers and setting franchise records in doing so.
The Bad – Turnovers
Players often discuss how much emphasis Pete Carroll puts on protecting the football. During certain stretches of the season, Geno made some questionable decisions with the football. He finished the regular season with 11 interceptions (11th most). Even though all the interceptions aren’t necessarily Geno’s fault, it was an issue and is something that needs to be cleaned up.
Even in the red zone, I felt as if Geno would force throws often. Trying to squeeze it into a tight window rather than checking it down or using his legs to gain yards. I found myself often critical of Geno when he would hold the ball in the pocket too long and not use his legs. Rather than running for a first down, he would either get sacked or throw an incompletion.
Overall, I could not be happier with how Geno performed. He earned himself extra money by qualifying for incentives and played himself into what I think will be a long-term contract in Seattle.