DETROIT — The last time the Seahawks played in Detroit in 2018, Russell Wilson turned in the only perfect passer rating of his career in leading Seattle to a comfortable win.
Sunday, in another Seattle win over the Lions in Detroit, this time by the astonishing score of 48-45, Geno Smith might have been even better — even if his rating of 132.6 was just off the 158.3 rating that signifies a perfect day.
Smith completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two touchdowns as the Seahawks offense gained 555 yards and never punted in nine possessions, scoring five touchdowns, kicking two field goals, with another ending on a missed field goal and the last ending the game.
Smith was ably helped by receivers DK Metcalf (who had his best game of the season with seven receptions for 149 yards) and Tyler Lockett (6-91) and running back Rashaad Penny, who turned back the clock to late last season in rushing 17 times for 151 yards and touchdowns of 26 and 41 yards in the second half as Seattle finished with 235 yards rushing — more than the 224 they for the season entering the day.
The bad news was the Seahawks needed all of it to overcome another leaky effort by Seattle’s defense, which could never corral a Lions offense that was without its leading rusher (D’Andre Swift), receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown) and Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson.
The Lions gained 520 yards in scoring touchdowns on four straight drives in the second half — every time cutting a Seattle two-score lead to one.
But each time, Smith and the Seattle offense answered with another score of their own to give Seattle some breathing space.
And finally, after DeeJay Dallas recovered an onside kick with just over a minute left — and Rashaad Penny ripped off 7 yards to convert a third down — Seattle could finally let out a full sigh of relief after evening their record at 2-2.
The Seahawks scored three touchdowns and kicked a field goal on their four first-half drives in never tailing and taking a 24-15 lead at halftime.
Seattle appeared to put the game away early when Tariq Woolen picked off a Jared Goff pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown to put Seattle ahead 31-15 just 11 seconds into the third quarter.
But some self-inflicted wounds — and a lot of bad defense — helped the Seahawks let the Lions back in the game.
After Seattle got to the Lions 26 quickly on its next drive, a penalty for too many men on the field moved the Seahawks back.
Seattle settled for a field goal but Jason Myers’ 39-yard attempt missed badly.
The Lions needed just three plays to score on a 51-yard run by Jamaal Williams, who ran over a big hole on the right side and then through a tackle attempt by Josh Jones to cut the lead to 31-21 with 6:30 left in the third quarter.
Detroit went for two, and a holding penalty on Sidney Jones IV negated an apparent Uchenna Nwosu sack of Jared Goff.
Goff then sneaked in for two on the second try to make it 31-23.
But as became routine for the rest of the game, Smith quickly led Seattle a score — not without a little controversy along the way.
Smith completed four passes and Penny ripped off a 15-yard run to get Seattle to the 36, facing a third-and-16.
Seattle initially appeared to have been stopped on an incomplete Smith pass to Marquise Goodwin, with the Seahawks momentarily sending their field goal team on the field.
But after a pause to talk it over, it was ruled the play had been shut down before the snap due to an issue with the play clock — a decision Lions fans booed vociferously.
Given a second chance, Seattle took it and ran with it — Penny rumbling through a huge hole up the middle for a 36-yard TD and a 38-23 lead with 33 seconds to play in the third quarter.
But just when it seemed Seattle might have gained control for good, the Lions quickly got back in it.
Hockenson turned a short pass into an 81-yard gain when he evaded tackle attempts by Josh Jones and Cody Barton, taking it to the 4-yard-line. Detroit scored two plays later and then got the two-point conversion to cut the lead to 38-31 with 14:23 to play in the game.
But Smith and the Seattle offense again quickly answered, driving to the Detroit 7. The march stalled there, but a 25-yard field goal by Myers made it 41-31.
Detroit again marched for another score, converting a fourth-and-10 that set up Goff’s 4-yard pass to T.J. Hockenson with 5:26 left to make it 41-38.
But back came the Seahawks, and Penny’s 41-yard run finally proved enough — even though Detroit scored one more time and Seattle needing to recover the onside kick.
Smith had a hand in all three first-half TDs, tossing TD passes of 17 yards to Will Dissly and 1-yard to Noah Fant — his fourth and fifth TD passes this year to tight ends — and running 8 yards for another score.
Jason Myers also kicked a 56-yard field goal as Seattle piled up 240 yards in the first half and averaged 9.2 per play.
Smith hit Metcalf three times in the first half for 98 yards — bettering Metcalf’s total for any of the first three games — including a 54-yarder to set up his TD to Fant.
The defense looked sharper early on with Coby Bryant forcing a fumble that Jordyn Brooks recovered at the Seahawks 48 that led to a Seattle touchdown.
But the Lions got back in the game on their final drive of the first half, moving 75 yards in 12 plays, scoring on a 1-yard run by Jamaal Williams on fourth down as time ran out.
Seattle stuffed two earlier Williams runs and Goff also threw incomplete with the Seahawks seeming on the verge of a game-altering goal-line stand before Williams finally got it in.
