The all duds edition of studs and duds from the Seattle Seahawks Week 9 loss
The Seattle Seahawks were embarrassed by the Baltimore Ravens. As is always the case with a loss like this, there was no shortage of duds in this contest. You may be shocked, but I do have a couple of studs to mention as well.
I know we all thought - or at least hoped - the Seahawks played their worst game of the season in week one versus the Rams. At least we got a decent half out of that game. Against the Ravens, the Hawks managed just one big play. In fact, that single play produced almost exactly one-third of Seattle's offense. I'll come back to it, don't worry.
Other than that, the Hawks were dominated in every phase of the game. The running game was virtually non-existent. With one exception, the receivers were shut down time and again. The defense was absolutely leveled by the Ravens rushing attack. If you were wearing a purple jersey, you were picking up yards. Seattle came into the game allowing just 3.6 yards per carry. Baltimore averaged 7.6 yards. You don't have to be mathy to know that's bad. Want to know how bad this game was? Odell Beckham Jr. actually had a good game. And that was far from the worst of it.
The Seattle Seahawks had more duds than uniforms in this game
They definitely had more duds than uniforms. How? Well, the coaching staff certainly isn't going to earn any praise for this game. The Seahawks didn't just surrender the most points of 2023. The 37 points Baltimore hung on Seattle was the most since Las Vegas scored 40 last November. Yes, it went into overtime, but it's a sickening coincidence that the Hawks gave up over 290 yards rushing in that game as well. And yes, obviously I remember the playoff loss, but I think we have quite enough on our plate as it is. As for the offense, it was their lowest score since the Packers shutout two Novembers ago. At least they had the excuse of Russell Wilson not being nearly healthy enough to play. Come to think of it, that was on Pete Carroll, too.
How else do you explain a team so woefully unprepared in all phases of the game? How do you explain that the Ravens' backup quarterback practically had a better game than Lamar Jackson? T Huntley was 5-7 for 38 yards and threw Baltimore's only touchdown pass. Not that they needed it. He had a higher completion percentage and more yards per reception. He only picked up eight yards on four carries, but two of those were the standard victory formation kneel and take a one-yard loss. How embarrassing is that on third and goal at the Seahawks' four-yard line with 1:15 to go, the Ravens kneel. Twice. It was classy on Jon Harbaugh's part, to be sure.
I haven't even mentioned that four Ravens that rushed for at least 40 yards each. Who the heck were the Seahawks playing, Notre Dame in 1943? Unbelievably, they were led by a player who up until this game had a grand total of two snaps on offense. Yes, the Ravens have been saving their secret weapon all season just to unleash on the Hawks. Keaton Mitchell - yeah, I know you never heard of him - is an undrafted free agent out of East Carolina. 138 yards later, everybody knows his name. This was a real throwback to 2022 when the Hawks couldn't stop anybody from running them over. Yes, the players have to play, but Clint Hurtt's defense had no answers in this game.
As for the offense - well, it was offensive, alright. Geno Smith was certainly a dud, but why on earth did the tight ends only get two targets in the entire game? Yeah, they had to stay in to block, but they've done that in several games, and still get at least half a dozen targets. Smith tried to connect with Tyler Lockett eight times and managed just three completions. He only hit DK Metcalf once on four tries, although that was on a spectacular 50-yard bomb.
I've been a big supporter of Smith all season. But at some point, Shane Waldron has to tell Pete Carroll that Geno just doesn't have it today. I'm not at all convinced that Drew Lock would have been any better. But what difference would it make if he was terrible, and threw four picks on four straight possessions? This game was over. At least see if you can get some life in the offense. After making great adjustments at the half for most of the season, Seattle was outscored 20-0 in the second half in Baltimore. The Seahawks coaches were the true duds in this loss.