The Seahawks got pummeled the first three quarters by the Buccaneers today in Munich. They rallied in the fourth quarter and made it an interesting game, but came up just short, losing 21-16.
Here are seven takeaways from today’s loss in Germany.
1
Geno Smith was off his game
Whether it was the big stage or the bad playing surface, Geno Smith was off his game for most of it. Smith seemed rattled by early pressure from Tampa’s defense and appeared tentative for the first time this season rather than decisive and confident. Smith held onto the ball too long and took three sacks, plus a critical lost fumble in the red zone. In the fourth quarter Smith finally got going but it was too little, too late. He finished 23/33 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and a 115.1 rating.
2
Tom Brady was unbothered
Meanwhile, the other team’s quarterback was completely unbothered by what had been a red-hot Seahawks pass rush. Tom Brady was rarely pressured from any angle and Seattle finished with just one QB hit and zero sacks. Brady took full advantage, posting a line of 22/29 for 258 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and a 111.0 rating.
3
Ken Walker got stuffed
Perhaps the greatest disappointment here was how well Tampa managed to defend the Seahawks’ rookie running back. Ken Walker had been running wild coming into this matchup, totaling seven touchdowns in the last five games. He got shut down by the Bucs, though. Walker only managed 17 yards on 10 carries and no touchdowns. Devin White in particular had his number, posting a team-high nine tackles.
4
Seattle's run defense regressed
After four straight games of quality run defense, the Seahawks stumbled in this part of the game. In a surprise twist, it came against one of the worst running teams in the NFL. Rachaad White and Leonard Fournette combined for a total of 162 rushing yards and one score on 36 carries. White finished Seattle off with several clutch first down runs in the closing minutes.
5
More trouble for Jordyn Brooks in coverage
Jordyn Brooks has improved a great deal since the start of the season – he’s now a run-stopping monster and can get to the quarterback when called upon. Brooks is still having issues in coverage, though. Tampa’s first touchdown of the day appeared to be another missed assignment by Brooks on a crossing route. He also dropped an interception and slipped on a critical third down conversion for the Bucs in the fourth quarter.
6
Michael Dickson was exceptional
While the offensive and defensive units were disappointing, the specialists did come through for the Seahawks. Jason Myers hit a 55-yard field goal to get them on the scoreboard, and Michael Dickson was exceptional punting the ball – he averaged over 50 yards per attempt and pinned Tampa’s offense deep in its own territory more than once.
7
Bye week next
Another silver lining is that this team will have plenty of time to recover and focus on the lessons learned from this loss. Seattle has Week 11 off and then has a good potential get-right game against the lowly Raiders in Week 12.
