For Pete's Sake: 5 critical observations from the Seattle Seahawks Week 11 loss

After having the opportunity to celebrate an exciting win over the Commanders last week, the Seahawks were brought back down to reality with a heartbreaking, last-second loss to a longtime rival, officially meaning the Rams swept Seattle in the 2023 season.

It was a game that had a lot of good, like Tyler Lockett breaking a new record and D.K. Metcalf coming in clutch when the offense needed him most, and a lot of bad, like a ridiculous amount of penalties and the absence of a pass rush, making the rest of the season a bit foggier, which isn't exactly the feeling you want at the end of Week 11.

It's a similar feeling after the loss to the Bengals earlier this season, a humbling that brought all the team's inefficiencies to light in a needed yet wished-to-be-ignored sort of way. That's unfortunately where the Seahawks find themselves now as they prepare for a challenging four-game stretch against the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles.

It would be best to believe the more optimistic route of how they can go about handling this latest loss since they are more than halfway through the season and know exactly what they need to be better at for next week. But the same issues continue to haunt them every week, making it seem less likely that the rightful improvements will be made to stand a real chance against some of the top teams in the league.

Kenneth Walker's game-ending injury significantly impacted the offense

It's never a great start to a game when one of your team's top-performing players on offense goes down with an injury on the first drive.

Unfortunately, that happened to the Seahawks on Sunday when Kenneth Walker III left the game with an oblique injury and never returned. He recorded just four carries for 18 yards before being ruled out, a significant hit to the offense's productivity in a tough divisional matchup.

Walker's absence put the entirety of the run game on the shoulders of rookie running back Zach Charonnet, which inevitably asked a lot of him to do on his own. He was able to contribute when called upon, totaling 15 carries for 47 yards plus six receptions for 22 yards, but it was clear early on that Walker's absence would make the chance to win a bit more complicated.

The running back has become a fixture within Geno Smith's offense since he was drafted last year. He rose to stardom with an impressive rookie season, racking up over 1,000 rushing yards and getting involved in the passing game as well. In a game that the Seahawks needed to win to increase their playoff chances and not be swept by the Rams, the void of Walker's production was felt for the entirety of the game.

After the game, Pete Carroll referred to his injury as "legit," which is a heartbreaking turn for the running back and the offense. Hopefully, it won't be too serious, and we will see Walker return to the field with teammates sooner rather than later.

Drew Lock proved he's not the guy, despite calls for him to replace Geno Smith

Much like other quarterbacks around the league, Geno Smith has received a lot of criticism since he became the Seahawks starting quarterback a few years ago. Despite leading the team to the playoffs last season, some have been calling for him to be replaced due to his up-and-down performance so far this year, with most suggesting backup Drew Lock be the guy to take over.

Although he was once presumed to be the next guy under center after Russell Wilson was traded, he was beaten for the starting role by Smith in 2022. He was named the backup for the Seahawks, and fortunately, due to a career-best season by Smith, he never took the field.

Fast forward to the Week 11 matchup with the Rams; Smith went down with an elbow injury on Sunday that kept him out of the game for nearly the entire fourth quarter. He returned despite the injury after an ill-timed interception by Lock allowed the Rams to take the lead with a field goal, leaving just 90 seconds for Seattle to get one of their own to win the game.

Smith led the offense within (hopeful) field goal range, putting a lot of pressure on Jason Myers to hit a 55-yard field goal. The kick was wide right, leaving just three seconds on the clock and officially sealing a Rams sweep of the Seahawks this season.

Despite the final score proving to be a close game, Lock proved he couldn't be the guy to rely on or to take Smith's job as the QB1. Smith certainly has his flaws and was likely never considered to be the long-term answer at quarterback, but he's proven to be effective and lead the team to success, all of which Lock has yet to do in his limited opportunities.

Seahawks lacked discipline which lead to an egregious amount of penalty yardage

How is it even possible to accrue 12 penalties for a total of 130 yards in a single game? Not only that, but your opponents also totaled a significant amount themselves, with nine flags for 92 yards.

Most will argue the officiating was horrific in this game and that it was, but when it comes to sloppy and undisciplined football, that encapsulated the Seahawks on Sunday.

Much like any game on any given Sunday in the NFL, not all the penalties on Seattle were correct. There were definitely a handful that could be labeled iffy, and unfortunately, it was just the latest example of the officials making their presence known far too much in a game.

It's becoming a serious issue that the league should seriously look into, but since it's remained problematic year after year, it seems fair to assume nothing will ever truly be done to improve it.

Tyler Lockett cements his place in Seahawks' franchise history

Coming into this game, Tyler Lockett was considered a game-time decision due to a nagging hamstring injury that kept him from practicing before last week's matchup. He was ultimately cleared to play, as he is known for playing through injury, and it proved to be worth it besides the eventual loss.

Sticking with the ol' reliable moniker that some have given him (like me), Lockett recorded 5/7 receptions for 51 yards, coming in clutch when the offense needed him. Because of his performance, he solidified himself within Seahawks' franchise history, becoming the second all-time leading receiver in receptions and yards and taking his place behind Steve Largent.

It's quite an accomplishment for a player of Lockett's caliber, whose career has had its ebbs and flows, unlike most others in the league. He's been the WR1 some seasons, and a reliable option in others, proving his value and importance for the team even more.

The defense was an all-around disappointment

Playing a divisional rival is never easy, no matter what teams are involved, and this was another case of the Rams getting the better of the Seahawks' defense.

Despite this being Matthew Stafford's first game back from a thumb injury that kept him sidelined for two games, the often dominant-looking Seattle defense could barely get any pressure on the quarterback for a full 60 minutes.

They recorded just one sack for a loss of five yards and three quarterback hits the entire game, often allowing Stafford to have what felt like 30 seconds in the pocket to decide what decision to make to further move his team down the field.

The run defense wasn't completely horrific, limiting Los Angeles to 27 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown, but they fell apart late in the game, which inevitably helped them move the chains and get into the end zone.

It will be a part of the team worthy of monitoring as they head into their schedule's most brutal four-game stretch with two games against the 49ers, visiting the Cowboys, and welcoming the Eagles to Lumen Field. They'll have to get disciplined and really work on their defensive presence if they want to have any shot against three high-powered offensive teams and hopefully make the postseason.

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