2 winners (and 1 loser) from Seahawks Week 4 loss versus the Lions

The Seahawks couldn't make it seven in a row over the Lions, but they certainly gave it their best shot. Even though they fell to 3-1, Seattle showed their mettle with more than a few winners in this game.

No one can be too surprised by the outcome of this game. I'm not claiming, "I told you so", like some talking head that only mentions their predictions when they pan out. I never went on record, but I did expect the Hawks to win this game, 31- 27. Seattle and Detroit have a pretty long history of offensive slugfests over the past few years. There was no reason to think this game would be an exception.

This would have been a tough matchup even with a Seahawks roster at full strength. As they were missing so many key defenders, the Hawks were basically playing behind before the first kickoff. The Lions knew that Seattle would be missing their two best pass rushers, and two of their best run defenders in the middle. The Hawks would have their hands full, and unfortunately, it was just too much to handle.

The Seattle Seahawks fell short, but they never gave up

Yes, we'd all have liked a win and seen the Hawks go to 4-0. But the odds simply weren't in Seattle's favor in this one. The phrase "next man up" truly is a mantra in the NFL. It's clearly one that head coach Mike Macdonald believes in. But there's a reason those players are the next man, not the first one in the lineup. If they were just as good as the starter, they'd be starting. I mean, usually. We all know about Wally Pipp. Oh, just google him, this isn't Sports History 101.

Back to the Seahawks. Could things have gone better? Oh, yeah, no doubt. There were more than a few players who were on the cups of being winners and losers. Most notable of those was DK Metcalf. He had an excellent game, another 100-yard effort. But he also fumbled the ball for a critical turnover, and later committed a penalty that killed a Seattle drive. So...neither fully a winner, nor a loser. Now, on to the real deal.

Winner: Kenneth Walker III

Walker looked like he wasn't going to get it done in the first half. Five carries for six yards is not the definition of 'getting it done' in anybody's book. He did score the Seahawks lone touchdown of the first half, though. But six carries simply wasn't enough to get him or the Hawks running game into any kind of rhythm.

Walker found that in the second half, though. K9 exploded for 74 yards on just 7 carries after the half. He showed his incredible quickness in his cuts and his top-end speed, ruining away from Lions defenders on a 21-yard dash to pull the Hawks within one score. There is a clear difference between Walker and his stablemates in the Seattle RB room, and he showed it Monday night. As to why he only got 12 carries, well, that's a subject for another time.

Loser: Seahawks pass defense

The Seahawks missed a lot of top defenders, yes. The pass rush was certainly impacted by that. Seattle did sack Lions QB Jared Goff three times, though, so it's not like he didn't get any pressure. Just not enough. Not nearly enough, as he set an NFL record for most passes without an incompletion.

When the opposing quarterback actually has one more receiving touchdown than incompletions, your secondary has had a bad night. It didn't help that safety Julian Love was knocked out of the game in the first half, but the damage was already underway, There were blown coverages, yes, but even when the Seahawks had good coverage, they just couldn't get to the ball in time. The secondary clearly missed the pressure from Nwosu and Mafe.

Winner: Geno Smith

Yes, the haters are out in swarms, I know. 'What was Geno thinking, throwing that sad pick to end the Hawks chnaces?' I imagine he was thinking, it was the last chance the Hawks had, exactly that. Considering the pressure Smith was under all night, he played an exceptional game.

Was it a flawless performance? No, but you don't see too many of those. It's ironic, I know, that Goff did just that. Still, Geno Smith led the offense time and again in record-setting fashion. 38 first downs is a phenomenal number. So is 516 yards. Yes, the Hawks lost the game, but Geno Smith isn't the guy who gave up 42 points. Let's keep things clear, 12s. Smith did all he could to win this one.

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