The supposedly get-right game was anything but for the Seahawks, who dropped to 3-2 after Sunday’s 29-20 loss to the New York Giants. The Seahawks have now suffered back-to-back losses to the Detroit Lions and the New York Giants. The two losses share some troubling similarities.
INABILITY TO WIN THE TRENCHES.
The return of DT Leonard Williams and linebackers Uchenna Nwosu and Jerome Baker was supposed to give the Seahawks some much-needed strength in the middle of the defense. Nwosu made it to the third quarter, then left the game with a thigh injury. Baker showed his worth with a 102 fumble recovery for a touchdown. Honestly, there were very few defensive highlights outside of Baker’s record-setting scoop and score. There was a lack of pressure from the defensive interior. In the last two games, the Seahawk’s defensive interior has regressed in putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
In the Giant’s game, the defense had five quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, and three sacks; in the Lion’s game, the defense had four QBHs, four TFLs, and three sacks. Against the Dolphins in week three, the defense had 12 QBH, 8 TFL, and six sacks. A lack of pressure and an inability to set the edge when defending the run has the Seahawk’s defense regressing. Teams can run against the Seahawks, and it’s something Julian Love acknowledged after the game
“I’m not sure. That is something we have to seriously address, obviously. It’s been shown on tape a few times. We’ve got to get our fits clean, and guys just got to bow up. It’s a short week, we got to go in there and address some issues we’ve been facing.”
SLOW START ON OFFENSE
On the offensive side of the ball the Seahawks offensive line has been struggling with consistent execution. The Seahawk’s goal on offense is to start fast, set the tone, and execute a balanced offense. The team has lacked in all of those phases. The offense had another slow start, putting on three of its first-half drives. The lone bright spot in the first half was Jason Myers’s 43rd-yard field that tied the game at 10, all with six seconds left in the half. The Seahawks had two rushing yards in the first half, were 1 of 4 on third down, and ran 17 offensive plays in the half.
“ We played bad. That’s the reality. Played bad. I don’t think we executed well. I thought we came out slow, said Geno Smith of the teams first half performance .” (We) Talk about starting fast. That’s not how we want to start. Turned the ball over, not finishing drives. I mean, all the above. That will get you beat in the NFL on any given Sunday.”
THE SECOND HALF WAS NOT MUCH BETTER
After the defense forced the Giants to three and out to start the second half, the offense looked like it had found its rhythm . Smith hit Tyler Lockett with a 33-yard pass play that brought the ball to the Giants’ 38-yard line. A seven-yard run by Ken Walker set up a second and three at the Giants’ 31-yard line.
ANOTHER DK FUMBLE
For the Second straight game, a Smith-to-DK Metcalf pass play resulted in a fumble. After a 10-yard reception at the Giants’ 31-yard line, Metcalf fumbled the ball, which the Giants’ Tyler Nubin recovered. A player later, the Giants widened the lead to 17-10 when Jones threw a 30-yard dart to Darius Slayton, who beat a trailing Tre Brown.
GUTSY GAMBLE BACKFIRES
The teams traded field goals, with the defense unable to stop the Giants from widening the lead to 20-13. After the Giants scored, the Seahawks started on their own 26-yard line. Ken Walker’s run gained three yards, Smith was sacked for zero yards, and on 3rd 12, after a Stone Forsythe Smith penalty for a false start to start the fourth quarter, Smith scrambled for 11 yards. Facing 4th and 1 from their own 35-yard line, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb gambled and went for it on fourth down. The play never had a chance; Smith was sacked for an eight-yard loss by the Giants Brian Burns. Giants kicker Greg Joseph booted a 24-yard field to widen the lead to 23-13.
LACK OF EXECUTION
After trading punts, Smith engineered a 14-play, 95-yard drive that ended in a five-yard touchdown pass to Jaxson Smith-Njigba. The score cut the Giants’ deficit to a field goal at 23-20. The defense forced a Giants punt. Smith engineered a drive to the Giants’ 28-yard line, and it looked certain the game would go into overtime. It was not to be. Myers’ 47-yard field goal attempt was blocked by Isaiah Simmons and returned 60 yards for a touchdown by Bryce Ford-Wheaton to seal the game.
Given the way the Seahawks played, it is somewhat fitting that the game ended in such a disappointing manner. While the Seahawks’ effort was there for the most part, like the loss to the Detroit Lions, the team lacked execution of the basic fundamentals of the game.
“We got outplayed and outexecuted today. That’s what happened. I thought we made some good adjustments as the game went on. I’m not sure what the numbers are saying, but when we did create third downs in the first half we didn’t get off the field, said Macdonald after the game. “ And then I think there were some penalties there in the second half. It’s kind of all the way around — all three phases, all three levels of the defense, myself included. We got outplayed today on defense.”
The Seahawks have four days to get right before hosting division rivals the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night in a must-win game.
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