Takeaways from Seattle Seahawks 42-29 loss to Lions
DETROIT, MICHIGAN-SEPTEMBER 30: Running back David Montgomery (5) of the Detroit Lions is tackled by safety Julian Love (20) of the Seattle Seahawks during a game between the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Monday, (Amy Lemus / NurPhoto / Getty Images)
A depleted Seattle Seahawks defense was torched by Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions in a 42-29 loss on Monday night. Goff didn't throw a single incompletion on 18 attempts as he threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns against the Seahawks' defense. Goff also caught a touchdown pass of his own from Amon-Ra St. Brown as Seattle's defense had no answers to Detroit's attack.
Geno Smith set new career-highs in passing yards (395), completions (38), and attempts (56) as Seattle was chasing Detroit most of the night. Ken Walker III rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns in his return to the lineup as well, as Seattle's offense had its best game of the year in many respects.
However, the absences on defense left the Seahawks unable to match the firepower of Goff and the Lions. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns as a complement to Goff's passing success.
The Lions are clearly the best team Seattle has faced in the first month of the season, and they were able to capitalize on every weakness and mistake the Seahawks made on defense.
"I wouldn't say it's a litmus test," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "It just shows us we're not the team that we need to be at this point. I mean, that's what it is. Just wasn't good enough. They did what they did to win the game, they did a great job, they had a great plan, and we came up short."
Here are the takeaways from the loss to the Lions on Monday night:
– Defense gashed with multiple key absences due to injury.
The Seahawks entered Monday night's game with five starters out of the lineup and then lost safety Julian Love due to a thigh injury mid-game.
Linebackers Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu were ruled out on Saturday, and Jerome Baker was a game-time decision that didn't play due to a hamstring injury. Defensive end Leonard Williams (ribs) and defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring) also did not suit up on Monday night. Love then exited the game with a thigh contusion and missed the entire second half as the Seahawks found themselves missing over half of their starters.
"I don't think the players that was out have anything to do with why we lost today," defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins said. "It was a lack of communication, a lack of discipline. You know, kudos to those guys. They had an amazing game plan and honestly we just couldn't stop them. Just got to give them credit. They came out with a great game plan and did what they had to do.
"Communication was off. Guys weren't in their gaps, pretty much beat ourselves today, but tip your hat to those guys. They did what they had to do."
While Hankins may be correct in some of his analysis, it's difficult not to think some of those problems may have been lessened with a full complement available to play.
The Lions leaned on Montgomery and Gibbs in the first half with 88 yards on 16 carries and three touchdowns coming from the Detroit running back duo. Goff then delivered the big blows in the second half. Goff tossed a 70-yard touchdown strike to Jameson Williams as he carved through Seattle's secondary, and then caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from St. Brown that put the game out of reach for the Seahawks.
"At the end of the day, we can't have that because you're playing against a good quarterback and a good team like that, they're going to find it," safety Rayshawn Jenkins said.
Goff's 18 passes without an incompletion are the most in NFL history in a single game.
"The things that we've been executing at a high level on defensively, taking right angles, tackling, and all the stuff that we emphasize on a daily basis, wasn't coming to life. So watch the tape and attack it and fix it and move forward," Macdonald said.
"We obviously didn’t deny the ball. It’s about as obvious as it gets. We have our work cut out for us on defense. We have to improve quickly."
– Geno Smith, Ken Walker III keep Seahawks in game with standout performances.
As badly as Seattle's defense struggled in Detroit, the offense had a pretty terrific night in many areas as Geno Smith and Ken Walker III starred for the Seahawks.
The team set a franchise record with 38 first downs gained. They had previously had 34 first downs in a game twice, both against the San Diego Chargers in 2002 and 1987. It's been over a decade since the last time a team had at least 38 first downs in a game. The New Orleans Saints (40) and Denver Broncos (39) did so late in the 2013 season.
Seattle had 516 yards of total offense, which is the 12th-most in a single game in team history. DK Metcalf also became the first receiver in team history to have three consecutive 100-yard receiving games, catching seven passes for 104 yards against the Lions.
"They had our back today. They pretty much kept us in the game," Hankins said of the offense.
Smith was fantastic again for Seattle. His only interception came in the closing minutes trying to force a comeback with a contested throw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the end zone. Smith completed passes to 10 different receivers and made many big throws for the Seahawks offense.
"We were forced to chuck it around in the second half and I thought he was poised," Macdonald said. "It was a loud environment, Lions fans did a great job, but operation-wise, I thought we were clean, I thought he was poised, thought he was accurate. I thought he played a heck of a game. I don’t know what the stats are, but I thought he played really well."
Walker added several highlight reel plays for Seattle, which included a double-somersault broken tackle, and a phenomenal cut-back touchdown run in the fourth quarter. And he accomplished all of it in his first game back from a two-game absence due to an oblique injury.
"I mean, talk about one of the guys that’s going to fight to the bitter end," Macdonald said of Walker. "This guy is tough as nails, you never – I mean, the play’s not over, it’s just like he can – plays are designed to go in certain gaps and with him it just could go anywhere, and he runs extremely hard, plays hard, he cares."
"Man, he’s special. He’s special," added Smith. "You see the plays that he’s making. I don’t think any other running back could do some of the stuff that he’s doing. I’m surprised every time he makes one of those just crazy plays."
The offensive line also appeared to have its best game of the season as well, despite Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes rotating at right guard.
"I felt our line played well. Felt they played well," Macdonald said. "The run game didn't really come alive until the second half, but it felt good, you know, felt better than it's been, so excited to watch the tape and see where we improved."
Metcalf lost a fumble fighting for extra yardage that led quickly to a Detroit touchdown. He had a holding penalty against Alex Anzalone that negated a first down with just over 10 minutes left to play, and Tyler Lockett was called for a slightly iffy offensive pass interference play that negated a fourth down conversion later on the same drive.
It wasn't a perfectly clean night for the offense, but it was still a performance that should be plenty good enough most weeks.
– Mike Macdonald shows he's willing to be aggressive in game management situations.
Though it's just four games into his tenure as head coach of the Seahawks, it appears as though Mike Macdonald is perfectly comfortable being on the aggressive end of the decision-making scale.
Macdonald elected to go for it on a fourth-and-1 on their own half of the field on the opening drive of the third quarter that Geno Smith converted on a quarterback sneak. They also appeared to convert on a fourth-and-3 from the Detroit 39 in the fourth quarter only to have that decision negated by Tyler Lockett's offensive pass interference call.
Additionally, Macdonald leaned on football analytics and their data to suggest going for a two-point conversion while trailing by eight points after a touchdown. Seattle failed the two-point conversion try as DK Metcalf was ruled out of bounds on one attempt, and a pass for Jake Bobo fell incomplete on the second after a penalty. However, it shows Macdonald is willing to be aggressive in those types of situations.
"At the time we felt like we probably – we had a chance at getting a stop on defense, and then just the way the game was going, having a chance to win it in regulation if we needed. We were going to need another score regardless, so make it a six-point game," Macdonald said of the decision.
Statistically, teams convert on two-point attempts slightly more than 50 percent of the time. Therefore, the numbers suggest going for two points in such circumstances to try to cut the lead to six, where if you can score another touchdown, only an extra point is needed to take the lead. And if the try fails, you can go for another two-point attempt to tie the game later on.
While those numbers have become well known in the game, not every coach is willing to use those strategies. You have to be comfortable with the possibility such calls don't go to plan.
On the Metcalf incompletion, Macdonald said he believed Metcalf had scored initially, but the booth had apparently confirmed the on-field call of an incomplete pass.
"It looked like it initially," he said. "It’s tough, it’s moving fast and then the explanation I got was that they were looking at it – the booth was looking at it, and they confirmed that it was incomplete. So that’s what happened."