As one in all simply three undefeated groups remaining as they headed right into a Monday Night time Soccer contest towards the Detroit Lions, the Seattle Seahawks have been thought of a shock success story within the NFL.Â
Nevertheless, Seattle’s three wins had come towards a Denver Broncos staff led by a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix, the rebuilding New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins with out injured Professional Bowl QB Tua Tagovailoa.Â
So, Seattle confronted its stiffest take a look at but this season on the highway towards Detroit. And the grade for Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks stays incomplete after a 42-29 Lions rout — Detroit’s first win after shedding its earlier 5 conferences with Seattle.Â
Enjoying with out a number of defensive starters up entrance, Seattle could not maintain up towards Detroit’s smash-mouth working sport, as Detroit rumbled to 116 speeding yards and three touchdowns. Seattle performed with out Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II and linebacker Jerome Baker up entrance. And the Seahawks misplaced security Julian Love to a thigh harm within the first half.Â
“It is apparent we’re not the staff we wish to be but, and we should not be the place we wish to be,” Macdonald mentioned after the sport. “We now have time to develop as a soccer staff. We now have a brief week, so we have now to have a way of urgency about it. And we have to take the following step.
“Nevertheless it simply wasn’t ok, particularly on the defensive aspect of the ball right now.”Â
Seattle’s secondary additionally proved leaky, giving up a protracted landing to Jameson Williams, together with permitting a trick play close to the aim line to quarterback Jared Goff on a throwback move from receiver Amon Ra St. Brown.
The Seahawks allowed Goff to finish 18-of-18 passes for 292 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. That is proper, Goff did not miss, probably the most move makes an attempt and probably the most yards in NFL historical past with out an incompletion. He completed with a 155.8 passer ranking.
The Seahawks did handle to sack Goff thrice however didn’t drive a turnover for a 3rd straight sport and allowed 9 performs of 17-plus yards. The Seahawks additionally gave up 219 receiving yards after the catch.Â
In response to Subsequent Gen Stats, coming into Monday’s contest the Seahawks had allowed a league-low 40 yards on missed tackles within the NFL. Seattle’s 91.7% deal with effectivity was additionally tops within the league by way of three weeks.
However that every one modified towards the Lions.Â
“The sport plan was good coming into the sport,” Seahawks security Rayshawn Jenkins mentioned. “We have to execute it higher and perceive how they’re attacking us. We knew they wished to run the ball, and clearly they have been profitable in that tonight.Â
“So, we have simply bought to do our job, and everybody has to carry up their finish of the cut price. That is it.”Â
Whereas the protection struggled, the play of the offense was one of many few brilliant spots for Seattle. Kenneth Walker returned from an indirect harm and performed effectively, ending with 80 speeding yards and three scores.
Walker’s massive sport included an acrobatic catch and run for 10 yards the place he one way or the other managed to flip out of the grasp of Detroit linebacker Alex Anzalone as he tried to wrestle him to the bottom.Â
Quarterback Geno Smith had one other good efficiency, throwing for a profession excessive 395 yards and a landing. DK Metcalf totaled seven catches for 104 yards on 12 targets, but in addition had a essential fumble combating for additional yards within the first quarter that led to an early Detroit rating. Jaxon Smith-Njigba added eight catches for 51 yards.Â
The Seahawks trailed by 15 factors within the fourth quarter however saved grinding, together with a security on a sack by Dre’Mont Jones to provide the offense the ball again late. McDonald says these sorts of performs and energy are the muse for his staff.Â
“We’re simply not going to surrender, regardless of the state of affairs,” Macdonald mentioned. “That is going to be us.”Â
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting theLos Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, theLos Angeles Chargers for ESPN and theSeattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Observe him on Twitter at@eric_d_williams.
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