Accountability is crucial in the National Football League. It’s a trait that’s essentially a prerequisite for quarterbacks to have in abundance. Such is the case for Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith, who had his worst performance as a starter in the Emerald City.
Smith threw three interceptions, two of which were in the red zone in the fourth quarter. One was even returned 103 yards for a go-ahead Rams touchdown. Opportunities for points were squandered, and Smith directly acknowledged his responsibility in the loss. During the postgame press conference, Smith opened his statement with an apology.
“First of all, I want to start off by apologizing to my teammates, really, and to the city, to the organization,” Smith humbly stated. “They put a lot of trust in me with my decision-making, and when they put the ball in my hands, when my teammates play the way they played today and to give us a shot to win the game, I’ve got to make sure we do. The things I did today, mistakes that I made, they affected us negatively and really cost us the game today. Me knowing myself, I know how much this is going to hurt. I’m going to step it up, though. That’s how I feel about it. I’m going to step it up.”
It says a lot about a man’s character when he is able to face the music head on and take accountability. There is no one who watched this game and came away with anything other than Smith’s poor play being the top observation. For him to come out and not hide from it speaks volumes to the kind of person Smith is.
Smith has played mostly exceptional football in Seattle. Hopefully, lessons will be learned from this game during the Seahawks’ upcoming bye week. He will face another stiff challenge on the other side in the form of the San Francisco 49ers.
