3 winners and 4 losers from the Seahawks Week 9 loss to the Rams

The Seattle Seahawks looked awful then great then awful then - well, you get the picture. Let's examine the multiple losers and winners of the Week 9 loss. Yes 12s, I said winners.

My first thought was that there wasn't much I could say that you don't already know, 12s. For long stretches in this game the Hawks defense looked like it was ready to take the team deep into the playoffs. Meanwhile the offense made it crystal clear they'd have to be dragged there like so much dead weight. Speaking of the offensive line specifically, at an estimated 1,570 pounds that's a lot of weight.

I have never seen a game that so starkly revealed the existence of an alternate reality. How else can we explain the performance of the Seattle Seahawks in their loss to the Rams? There were several losers, but several winners too. Well, kind of. Read on and puzzle this out with me.

The Seattle Seahawks played the most uneven game ever

Even in a game as frustrating as this loss, there are winners to be found. What was most puzzling to me is that two of the winners were also losers. Yeah, I know that's not how it's supposed to work but - did you see this game? Nothing else made sense about it, either.

Winner: Geno Smith in the second quarter

This won't be the most popular opinion, but what else can I say about a quarterback who puts the offense on his shoulders like Smith did? After a slow start, he drove the team 70 yards in 3:31 to take the lead with just 51 seconds left in the half? After a turnover gave Seattle the ball at their own 40, he engineered a second touchdown in just 22 seconds.

Smith wasn't done, either. After the offense stalled for most of the second half, Smith again took the game over. He was 4-6 for 76 yards in just 1:03 to tie the game with just 51 seconds left in regulation. He threw with pinpoint accuracy on all three of his touchdown passes. There is no way to describe that player as anything but a winner.

Loser: Geno Smith in the other three quarters

That is unless you look at the rest of his performance. Smith was terrific on the Seahawks three touchdown drives. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 201 yards and those three scores. The touchdown passes were for 30, 24, and 14 yards, and all were absolute dimes.

The problem lies in what Smith did on Seattle's other 10 drives. I'm not including their kneeldown to end regulation. In those drives, Smith was 11-20 for 162 yards. Not great, no, but not terrible either. Except for those three interceptions, that is. The first wasn't on Smith, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba bobbled a catch that wound up in a Rams defender's hands. That was on Seattle's second possession, so it wasn't exactly a game-killer.

But the other two - yikes. After Los Angeles tied the game at 13-all, the Hawks drove down to the Rams six-yard line. Smith had been 3-3 for 38 yards to that point. Then he inexplicably short-armed a pass to JSN by at least six yards, right into the hands of rookie Kam Kinchens. 103 yards later, the Rams had a 20-13 lead.

Unfortunately, Smith wasn't done. Two drives later the Seahawks were in the red zone again. And again, Smith threw an unexplainably bad pass. There's been a lot of conjecture that rookie tight end AJ Barner didn't release from his block in time, and wasn't where Geno expected him to be. Umm.., it was a three-yard route. Smith had time to adjust and either throw the ball away, take the sack, or anything but another awful play. His post-game apology doesn't make up for his performance.

Winner: Seahawks defense in the first, second and fourth quarters

For most of this game, the Hawks defense played like Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde drew it up. In the first half, Seattle held the Rams to 125 yards and a field goal. That included a mere 26 yards rushing. With the pressure on in the fourth quarter, the Hawks dialed it up again and held Los Angeles to 29 yards on four series. Overall they forced the Rams into seven three-and-outs. That's a stunning performance.

Loser: Seahawks defense in the third quarter and overtime

It might not be fair to label the defense as losers at any point in the game, I get that. But it looked like a completely different team in the third quarter and overtime. The Rams took the second half kickoff and launched a relentless 75-yard drive that ate up 6:32 on the clock. After a three-and-out from the Hawks, the Rams drove 62 yards to add a field goal to take the lead. I'll give the defense credit, they did force that kick after Los Angeles had first and goal at the Seattle 6-yard line.

Once we reached overtime, the defense took a dirt nap again. Four plays, 83 yards, game over. I get that they were tired. They had to come back on the field after seven punts and two interceptions. Smith saved them the trouble on his second turnover with that 103-yard pick-six. Overall, yes, the defense played well. But they were outstanding for most of the game, only to collapse at the most critical time. Sort of like Geno.

Winner: Jaxon Smith Njigba all day long

Yes, Smith-Njigba did bobble a catch that turned into Smith's first pick. After that, he showed why he was Seattle's other first-round pick of 2023. I think seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns should count as a good game, right? Those 12s who questioned his performance last year apparently didn't notice that Shane Waldron used him like Dee Eskridge - screens and three-yard routes. Given a chance, JSN is a big-game player.

Loser: the offensive line

This one is a big shock, right 12s? I'd say giving up seven sacks, 11 quarterback hits and eight tackles for a loss is more than a full days work, even for this pillar of ineptitude. Half of the Seahawks 12 penalties were on the offensive line. One of those gems was a holding call on Michael Jerrell that wiped out a 40-yard completion to Smith-Njigba. The Hawks would have had a first down at the Rams 36-yard line. Instead, they had to punt two plays later. At this point, it's simply numbing to watch this line.

Loser: Head coach Mike Macdonald

So far, I have to say that Mike Macdonald is not a big-game coach. The Hawks have now lost five of their last six games after their promising - and misleading - 3-0 start. We heard many of the same comments after this loss as we did after the other four. One comment from his press conference really stood out for me: "We're doing everything in our power and then some to create a nightmare at home."

The nightmare part certainly is correct. When he later said, "We got the right guys," I'm not so sure about that. No, I'm not talking about Geno Smith. He was absolutely terrible at times, there's no disputing that. He was also brilliant at times. Despite what his detractors would say - especially after Week 9 - he's played well this season. But there is no way Mike Macdonald and John Schneider can look at this roster and say they have the right guys. Offensive line, I'm looking at you.

One thing that many 12s have overlooked is the significance of the blocked extra point. As Stacy Rost wrote in her 3 Thoughts article for Seattle Sports, Seattle doesn't go into overtime at all if Myers makes that kick. And why did he miss? Oh, right, he didn't - it was blocked as the Hawks offensive line played their favorite game - turnstile. Even with all the self-destruction, the Seahawks still could have come away as winners in this game. This multiverse stuff is making my head spin.

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