Fans are sure to be sleepless in Seattle after the Seahawks’ thrilling 29-26 walk-off win over the Washington Commanders. A game that started off as a defensive battle ended with plenty of fireworks late to light up the chilly November sky.
The Seahawks bounced back from their brutal 37-3 loss to Baltimore and managed to keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers, who won earlier on Sunday. The win over Washington keeps both Seattle and San Francisco battling for a share of first place in the NFC West.
As is par for the course for the Seahawks, it was hardly a normal path to victory. But in the NFL, the only thing that matters is a win. Style points don’t matter.
Here are the top takeaways from Seattle’s victory:
Geno Smith gets back on track
The last four weeks for Geno Smith have not been stellar. Overall, Seattle’s offense has been middling at best – with key exceptions, like the final drive against Cleveland – and all the fingers have been pointed squarely at the quarterback. For the first half against Washington, Smith still appeared to be struggling.
But in the second half, Smith finally rediscovered his groove, especially in the 4th quarter. Smith completed 31-of-47 passes for 369 yards, two touchdowns, and effortlessly led the game-winning drive. It was the first time since the Week 4 game on Monday Night Football that Smith did not turn the ball over. Simply put, what we saw in the second half is what the 12th Man has come to expect from Smith, and it likely guaranteed a little more job security.
Seahawks allowed Commanders to hang around longer than they should've
When teams fail to extend drives by converting on third down, or finish said drives in the end zone, opponents are allowed to stay in the game. If one were to look exclusively at the box score, one would be forgiven if they assumed the Seahawks enjoyed a blowout. Afterall, Seattle outgained the Commanders 489-356 and led in every important statistical category.
Yet it was a one-score game, as the Seahawks were 4-for-14 on third down and 1-for-2 in the red zone. Far too many yards, opportunities and points were left on the field which kept the game far closer than it should have been. Seattle was fortunate the Commanders were not able to overcome their missed opportunities.
Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf came alive in 4th quarter
Everyone knows the Seattle Seahawks have a deep wide receiving corps, filled with talented players of all shapes and sizes. On Sunday afternoon, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf reminded everyone why they are a difficult duo to defend. In the 4th quarter when it mattered most, Lockett and Metcalf took over.
Of Lockett’s eight receptions for 92 yards, five of them for 57 yards came in the fourth quarter – including the go-ahead touchdown. On the game-winning drive, Geno Smith found Metcalf twice for 42 yards, including a 25-yard reception to set up Myers’ field goal.
Kenneth Walker III is a one-man weapon
It’s no secret the Seahawks’ offense is at its best when the ground game comes alive. As a team, Seattle had XX carries for XXX yards, with Kenneth Walker leading the way with XX of his own.
But where Walker truly shined was showing off his versatility. Walker made an impact on the ground and in the air, as he hauled in X receptions for XX yards. Walker scored the first touchdown of the day for Seattle, as he took a simple dump-off pass from Geno Smith and took it 64-yards for a touchdown.
Even if Seattle is struggling to move the ball on the ground, a priority for offensive coordinator Shane Waldron should always be to find a way to keep Walker heavily incorporated any way he can.
Defense collapses in 4th quarter
After being completely ran over by the Baltimore Ravens in Week 9, the Seahawks defense looked like business as usual against the Commanders early. After allowing an opening drive touchdown, Seattle held Washington to only two field goals in their next eight possessions.
Then the 4th quarter happened, and suddenly the dam broke. The Commanders engineered two drives – 18 total plays, 144 total yards – that both ended with touchdowns. Washington tied the Seahawks down 19-12 and 26-19, as the last drive was scored with only 0:53 left on the clock.
The defense was lucky the offense was able to bail them out late with a win, and prevented the game from going into overtime.
Jason Myers redeems the Seahawks
Let us wind the clock back to the 2017 season. The 5-2 Seahawks were hosting the 3-4 Washington then-Redskins. Despite being favored, the Seahawks were upset 17-14 by the visitors, in part due to kicker Blair Walsh missing all three of his field goal attempts – including one from 39-yards out. It doesn’t take a mathematician to realize even one of those field goals connecting would have made a difference in a three-point loss.
But on Sunday, Jason Myers gave the Seahawks some redemption. Myers connected on all five of his field goal attempts, as well as both of his PAT’s. When it was all said and done, 17 of Seattle’s 29 points came via their Pro Bowl kicker.
If the Seahawks offense is going to keep settling for field goals, at least they have a reliable leg like Jason Myers.
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