The Seahawks and the Raiders got into a shootout today at Lumen Field. After trading body blows for four quarters and an overtime period, Seattle came up just short, losing 40-34 on a walkoff touchdown by Josh Jacobs.
Buy Seahawks TicketsHere are nine takeaways from a wild and disappointing overtime loss at home.
1
Geno Smith may be leveling off
Geno Smith has played at an exceptional level for most of this season. Lately, his performance has dropped off a bit. Today Smith showed more signs of decline – namely by not taking care of the ball. Geno threw a bad interception in the first quarter in the end zone and lost another fumble on a critical drive in the fourth. He finished with a line of 27/37 for 328 yards, two scores, one pick and a 106.6 passer rating. Smith still made some great throws, but the turnover-worthy plays are becoming a concern.
2
Rough sledding for Ken Walker
The Raiders defense did a magnificent job of stopping rookie Ken Walker for much of the game. Walker only managed about two positive plays. Fortunately, both were in the red zone and went for touchdowns. On the first Walker showed off his shiftiness and footwork to evade several tackles en route to the end zone. On the second, he used his power to back over the goal line with some help from his teammates. However, Walker ended the game with just 26 yards on 14 carries.
3
DK Metcalf was robbed
The most consistent option for Seattle’s offense today was looking for DK Metcalf, who dominated the short area of the field with his size and power. Metcalf caught 11 targets from Geno Smith, totaling 90 yards. He was robbed of a 12th by an atrociously long and incorrect review that proved lethal for the Seahawks.
4
Tre Brown and Laquon Treadwell make debut
Mike Jackson played the majority of the snaps at left cornerback, but we did get to see second-year corner Tre Brown on the field to make his 2022 debut on special teams. Brown hadn’t played since Week 11 last season due to a knee injury. Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell also made his Seahawks debut, subbing in for Dee Eskridge – who’s been placed on injured reserve.
5
Derek Carr did not feel pressure
Aside from a shot to the ribs from Uchenna Nwosu early on, the Seahawks pass rush did a poor job of getting pressure on Derek Carr. While he made his mistakes, it didn’t have much to do with feeling heat in the pocket. Carr was only hit four times and sacked once.
6
Quandre Diggs had a busy day
Perhaps the busiest player for the Seahawks today was free safety Quandre Diggs, who finally broke his interception drought by getting two in the first quarter. Diggs did give up a touchdown to a running back on a wheel route, but he also made a couple quality stops in the run game.
7
Josh Jacobs went off
One guy the Seattle defense absolutely couldn’t stop was running back Josh Jacobs, who was listed as questionable coming in with a calf issue. Jacobs appeared unbothered, going off for 229 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 33 rush attempts, including an 86-yard game-winning touchdown. He added another 74 yards as a receiver.
8
Cody Barton on the rise
While Quandre Diggs’ picks will get the headlines, the most-impressive defender for the Seahawks today was linebacker Cody Barton. He deflected Diggs’ second pick and made a bunch of clutch stops, finishing with 12 tackles. Barton also had a strong game against the Buccaneers, meaning this wasn’t just a one-time fluke.
9
Seattle out of playoff picture
The margins in the NFL are always perilously thin. Today’s standings update is a great example. Thanks to Washington’s win over Atlanta and Seattle’s loss, the Seahawks are now on the outside looking in for the NFC playoff picture.
