Seattle Seahawks Week 3: The good news and the bad news of a big win at home

Geno Smith took control in the second half

You know what's not a winning formula, 12s? Four field goals, a punt, and an interception. Geno Smith was just 11-23 in the first half, had zero touchdowns, and threw that first pick of the season. That is not the definition of a good game in anyone's book, and certainly not in Smith's lexicon. On Seattle's first three drives, Smith connected on eight of eleven passes. On the next three possessions, he was just three for twelve. That's a far cry from the quarterback who routinely completes 70 percent of his passes in a game.

The good news is we saw that guy in the second half. For all those Geno Smith haters, you're right. He didn't do much in the second half. I mean, I think completing 12 of 13 passes is pretty good myself, but obviously, I'm wrong. Sure, the first play of the half stalled, and Jason Myers hit his fifth field goal of the game. Smith had to throw the ball away on third and three, but that was the last pass he'd miss. And even that wasn't an actual attempt to complete a pass. But the Seahawks took the lead on Myers' kick, a lead they would only increase as the game went on.

After that, Smith carved up the Panthers secondary with surgical precision. Five of his last eight passes were for more than 10 yards, but the final pass was probably his best of the game. Make that definitely his best. The Seahawks had just scored to go ahead 35-20, but Pete Carroll wisely wanted to make it a three-score lead. I mean, Andy Dalton had a hot hand, so it made sense. Relax, 12s, I'll get back to that scoring play.

So, two-point conversion time. Geno was under heavy pressure, spun away from the rush, scrambled to his left, then around to his right. He was now at least five yards outside of the right hashmark at his own 22-yard line. Uh-oh, we've seen this before, right 12s? Except this time, Smith makes the play. He found Tyler Lockett on the NFL logo in the left corner of the end zone to extend the lead to 37-20. That, my friends, was very good news indeed.