Following the disastrous outcome in Week 1 versus the Rams, the Seahawks are slowly coming together. The offense is beginning to look potent and the defense is starting to see some positive progress. While they are still a level below the 49ers and Eagles, a 2-1 record is just fine.
By the same token, beating a toothless Panthers team isn't going to scare anyone as such. It also doesn't help that the Seahawks are continuing to accrue injuries at an alarming rate. There's still plenty to do, but again, they're on the right track.
As always -- win or lose -- there's been plenty of passionate reactions from the Seahawks faithful. Sports fans in general are not exactly renowned for their calm and objective takes. In this respect, here are three of the biggest overreactions from the Week 3 game versus the Panthers.
Seahawks overreaction No. 1: Lumen Field is back to being the ultimate home-field advantage
Sunday represented a special trip down memory lane, as members of the Super Bowl XLVIII team returned for the 10-year anniversary celebration. (Has it really been a decade already since that championship?!?!) Their presence also resulted in the return of the 12th man. More specifically, the crowd was as raucous and loud as it used to be on a regular basis.
This was most clear in the amount of false starts the Panthers had, with their two starting offensive tackles struggling in particular. When it was all said and done the Seahawks fans had helped cause eight false starts, the most in the NFL for any team since 2011. The record for the most ever by an opposing team in Seattle is 11, by the Giants back in 2005.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich called the number of false starts given up as pathetic and inexcusable. However, he shouldn't be too tough on his players -- even though he will be -- with the Lumen Field crowd deserving some credit. Everyone from Jarran Reed to Jordyn Brooks to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll raved about the impact of the fans during the game on Sunday.
At the same time, this doesn't necessarily mean the Seahawks fans are back. One game does not a season (or crowd) make. It's one thing to get motivated when your only Super Bowl-winning team returns - the question is whether or not you can be 'up' on a more consistent basis moving forward.
This is still the same stadium where the Seahawks had gone just 11-13 in their previous 24 games with fans in attendance. (We haven't included the 2020 season when they went 7-2, with no fans allowed due to COVID-19.) Members of the local media had put the lack of home-field advantage down to fans being spoiled over the years by success. The implication was they just weren't as fired up to cheer on their team, with them arguably almost expecting the team to just turn up and win.
In fairness, other members of the local media also made reference to the increasing cost of attending an NFL game. To a certain extent, the more 'rabid' and passionate fans have been pushed out thanks to the almighty dollar. Combine this with not being as fired up, and it's no wonder Lumen Field just isn't as loud these days.
Of course, this doesn't mean Seahawks fans aren't still capable of helping the stadium return to its position as the loudest in the NFL. Sunday's game versus the Panthers proved that Lumen Field can still be a place for opposing teams to fear. At this stage though, it's too premature to claim the home-field advantage has returned to Seattle.
Overreaction No. 2: The offense can't convert on third downs
As of Tuesday morning, the Bills have the best third-down conversion rate in the NFL at 51.22 percent. Almost at the other end of the spectrum are the Seahawks. After three weeks of action, they rank a lowly 28th in the NFL, at just 30.30 percent.
For some more context, the Seahawks weren't particularly great in this area last season. They finished the 2022 campaign ranked just 20th, at 38.32 percent. The season before they were just 23rd, with a 37.31 percent conversion rate on third downs.
With this in mind, Sunday's effort was in keeping with this lack of productivity in crucial circumstances. The Seahawks finished the game a lowly 3-for-13 on third downs. Even the ultimate optimist Carroll admitted the situation is starting to concern him.
Along these lines, the Seahawks were particularly awful during the first half versus the Panthers. They went just 1-for-8 on third down during the opening 30 minutes, while also going 0-for-3 in the red-zone. This contributed to having to settle for four Jason Myers field goals. (Although it was good to see Myers back in form with five field goals, given the recent criticism he had received.)
However, as worrying as the third down issue might be for those concerned, not all hope is lost. At least not yet. Consider how the Seahawks offense turned things around after the half-time break on Sunday.
When the game was on the line, the offense stepped it up by scoring 25 points in the second half. They went 3-for-6 on third and fourth downs combined, helping to sustain drives for longer. The result was replacing field goals with touchdowns, going 3-for-3 in the red-zone.
We won't go as far as to conclude the third down conversion rate doesn't need improving overall. However, it's too early to be concerned this is an issue that can't be fixed. The second half on Sunday showed it can be resolved, especially when considering the weapons Carroll has at his disposal.
Overreaction No. 3: Geno Smith is just too inconsistent
It's not exactly a news flash to highlight the link between the third-down conversion rate and the play of Geno Smith. As he goes, so does the Seahawks offense. And there has been some criticism of his inconsistent play to date in 2023.
The first example of this came in Week 1, at home to the Rams. The Seahawks and Smith looked good during the first half, as they staked their claim with a 13-7 lead which really should have been more. However, they couldn't have looked worse after the break, as they were blanked in the second half and went on to lose 30-13.
Week 2 saw a reverse of sorts, as the Seahawks could only manage seven points during the first 30 minutes in Detroit. In fairness, Myers did miss two field goal attempts, but regardless it wasn't a good showing in general. Now contrast this with the second half and overtime, as the Seahawks exploded for 30 points and the comeback 37-31 win.
Finally, we come to Sunday's game, when Smith just couldn't get going during the first half at Lumen Field. He was missing throws all over the field and had his first pick of the season on a particularly awful pass. That they were able to cobble together 12 points and only trail 13-12 at halftime was actually impressive.
Regardless, it was a different game in the second half. Smith was tremendous, as he missed just one pass during the third and fourth quarters. He went 12-13, for 143 yards, one touchdown pass and no interceptions.
In addition, it's worth noting the 2022 Pro Bowler was not sacked during the second half, impressive considering how banged up the O-line is. And really, it's the offensive line's lack of a cohesive unit during the opening three weeks, which has contributed to any conception of inconsistency. Not that Smith is blameless -- think his sack late in the fourth quarter versus the Lions -- but it does play a part.
Overall though, it's tough to call Smith inconsistent, especially with the Seahawks ranked fourth in the NFL in scoring through three weeks. With the exception of the terrible second half in Week 1, he's seeing how the game starts out, making the necessary adjustments, and ultimately coming through with positive results. The 32-year-old showed what he was capable of last season, and is taking steps towards proving himself again in 2023.