It was far from a pretty win, but the Seahawks will take it. Today they defeated the Lions in another back-and-forth affair 48-45, evening their record at 2-2.
Here are eight takeaways from today’s victory.
1
Geno Smith was on fire
While there’s a notable shortage of rainbow balls, crazy scrambles and clutch heroics, Geno Smith has this Seahawks offense on some very-solid footing. Today his sharp decision making and league-best accuracy continued and he managed to avoid the occasional turnover-worthy throws that popped up last week. In the end, Geno posted a Pro Bowl worthy line, going 23/30 for 320 yards, two touchdowns, no picks and a 132.6 passer rating. Smith also made plays with his legs, posting 51 yards and a score on five carries.
2
DK Metcalf dominated Jeff Okudah
After a quiet start to the season, DK Metcalf has responded with two loud performances in a row. Metcalf managed to burn Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah when he was covering him several times and he finished the afternoon with a team-high 149 receiving yards on just seven catches.
3
More signs of life from rushing attack
They’re not running the ball like the peak Beast Mode days, but the Seahawks are looking a lot better when they try to run the ball now than early in the season. Rashaad Penny finally had his breakout game in 2022, posting two explosive touchdowns and 151 yards on 17 carries. Penny also iced the game with a third-down conversion with less than one minute left.
4
Second half scoring drought ends
It’s a little early to declare this problem dead and buried, but the Seahawks got past one of their biggest issues this season: not scoring after halftime. Through Weeks 1-3 they only managed a total of three points after the half. Today, they moved the ball much better and scored 24 points after the break.
5
Seattle needs a new punt returner
Tyler Lockett is one of the greatest receivers in Seahawks history and may have a shot at the Hall of Fame one day. That said, he has no business playing an important role on special teams, anymore. Lockett fumbled a punt return in the first quarter, setting the Lions up for a quick score on the next play. This was Lockett’s second big gaffe on special teams of the season. Pete Carroll needs to re-shuffle his deck here and find a better option.
6
Run defense remains a problem
Today the Lions were missing their top running back D’Andre Swift, who came into this week leading all NFL running backs in yards per carry. It didn’t matter, much. Detroit still ran the ball effectively, totaling 145 yards and two touchdowns while averaging almost six yards per attempt.
7
Jordyn Brooks looks lost
Jordyn Brooks inherited a tough job taking over Bobby Wagner’s former role as the Seahawks’ defensive centerpiece. That said, this arrangement is not working out. Brooks has had issues defending against tight ends throughout the season and that trend continued this week with a blown coverage that led to a T.J. Hockensen touchdown. He’s also not getting off blocks to make tackles and not getting to the quarterback. Even worse, there are consistent miscommunication issues between the second and third levels of this defense every week. As the guy with the green dot on his helmet, that’s ultimately on him. Brooks needs to improve dramatically or there will be more games of 40+ points allowed this year.
8
Tariq Woolen is 'looking special'
While watching Brooks may be a bummer, Seahawks fans who are seeking a silver lining on defense won’t have to look hard. Rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen pulled off a sensational interception to open the second half and ran it back for a touchdown. Not all picks are created equal and the ones Woolen has gotten the last two games have been of the high-level-of-difficulty variety. Woolen’s incredible speed has enabled him to come from the backside and surprise quarterbacks by making great plays on the ball. During the game Richard Sherman tweeted that Woolen is “looking special” and that might be an understatement. It’s hard to think of another cornerback in the NFL with more upside.
