The Seattle Seahawks lost badly in Week 1, but we are only a few days away from Week 2. Will Seattle rebound and get a quality victory over the Detroit Lions? Or will Seattle start 0-2 in what could be a very tough season?
Week 1 might already be forcing some changes for Seattle. The Seahawks suffered a number of injuries, including both starting offensive tackles. Seattle might already be looking to temporarily replace one (more on that in just a second).
Seattle doesn't truly face a must-win game against the Lions, but the backend of the schedule is rough. Of course, the way Seattle looked in Week 1 they made it seem as if every game could be rough for them. But here's some news for your Wednesday.
Seahawks sign offensive tackle Jason Peters
Seattle lost starting left tackle Charles Cross in the second half of Week 1 due to an injured toe. The injury appears to be turf toe which is especially bad for a player that must be able to push off quickly when blocking a large defensive lineman. There is currently no timeline for Cross' return - it's possible that Cross is back very soon, or he could miss many weeks. But what Seattle did this week doesn't make one feel hopeful about the Cross situation.
One move the Seahawks made was to re-sign offensive tackle Greg Eiland. Eiland has been in the Seattle system off and on since he was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021. Eiland was added to the practice squad and he could be activated for a few game days. That doesn't mean he will be good if he does play, however.
One player who has been good in his career is Jason Peters. Seattle brought in Peters for a look this week and decided to sign him which might mean Cross is out for a while. The issue is that Peters is 41 years old and that is extremely long in the proverbial tooth for a football player. Peters was a full-time starter as recently as 2021 with Chicago and he continued to grade pretty well, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). The truth is that Seattle could do worse than signing Peters, but 12s should still rather have Cross be healthy and play.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith yelps at Aaron Donald in Week 1
One reason that Geno Smith has endeared himself to many 12s (not all; I know some 12s really don't like Smith for some reason) is that he just seems to relate to other people in a more human way than did former quarterback (and the very robotic) Russell Wilson. So in Week 1 when Geno Smith had dropped back to pass and saw Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald sprinting towards him, and Smith exclaimed, "Oh my God!," we could all empathize. Most of us might have reacted in the same way as Smith.
Donald is a big, scary dude on the field. I wouldn't want to be tackled by the behemoth. In fact, if I saw Donald approaching me and I had the ball in my hands, I might just fall down on the field, take the fetal position, and hope for the best. Geno Smith is still braver than I am (not that that should be a surprise to anyone).
Geno Smith screaming "OH MY GOD" in fear Aaron Donald charges him is very understandable as well as acceptable pic.twitter.com/MariwkpvAB
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) September 10, 2023
One of the questions about the play, however, is whether Geno Smith was uttering the phrase loudly enough for the field mics to pick up because he was in fear of Donald coming towards him or if he was simply frustrated by the breakdown in blocking. My guess is that Smith simply reacted in a truly human way.
Also, Smith kind of lost his cool a bit on the play too as he rushed his throw and the pass could have easily ended up in a pick-six. Still, heading into Week 2 Smith needs to get some help from his receivers. The trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba should be talented enough to find ways to get open that they were not doing in Week 1.
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll says DK Metcalf just needs to stop it
DK Metcalf would have to be an interesting case study for a psychologists. Off the field he appears to be a good due, humble, funny, and like he'd be a great friend. But on the field there are two different DK Metcalf's. There is the one who is playing well and playfully jawing at opposing players, and then there is the frustrated Metcalf who goes far overboard in reacting to the taunting of other players.
Since DK Metcalf entered the league in 2019, he has been flagged for an NFL-leading eight penalties that are either for taunting, unsportsmanlike conduct or unnecessary roughness. All of these penalties are simply because Metcalf lost his cool, and he often draws these flags at the worst parts of games.
To be fair, DK Metcalf could have been kicked out of the game for what he did in Week 1. He placed a blindside block on Rams cornerback (and former Seahawk) Ahkello Witherspoon. The referees didn't notice the play, apparently, as no flag was thrown. The flag against Metcalf for taunting wasn't thrown until the teams lined up on the ensuing play and Metcalf and the Rams sidelines were involved in a screaming match.
On his in-season weekly show on Seattle Sports 710 AM on Monday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said he had a one-on-one discussion with the receiver post-game and told Metcalf he must "elevate above" drawing 15-yard penalties. At this point, however, Metcalf should already know better. The NFL might likely fine Metcalf for the hit he put on Witherspoon. Maybe that will be more of a motivator for Metcalf to stop getting silly penalties than having a discussion with his coach.