Seattle Seahawks Week Five Review: I Hate High-Fives Now

After Thursday Night Football, I came to many realizations regarding my Seattle Seahawks. First and foremost, Sean McVay and his Los Angeles Rams are the real deal, and they will continue to haunt the Seahawks for the rest of the team's existence. Second, I have become spoiled as a Seahawks fan the past decade and have grown to expect the best from the organization. Making the playoffs at the consistency the Seahawks did was an incredible feat that should not be taken lightly by any means. Thirdly, this game between the rival Los Angeles Rams may have marked the end of the Seattle Seahawks' 2021 campaign with a high-five. This is the most apparent of the three. You may ask how do I know the season is over. Well, allow me to explain my growing pessimism and concern to you.

Matthew Stafford and his Rams were the first to touch the field in this affair. The Rams' offense coming into this game was electric. Sure, they had a down game against the Arizona Cardinals the previous week, but an offense as dynamic as theirs is not something that can be stifled--I was sure that they were going to score something on their opening drive. To my surprise, the Seahawks defense was able to hold the Rams to five plays and 20 yards of offense-- a promising way to start the game off for the 'Hawks.

The first Seahawks drive wasn't anything special. With running back Chirs Carson out for the game, Seattle turned to Alex Collins and DeeJay Dallas to get the job on the ground. The Hawks got favorable field position on the 50-yard line but squandered the chance away when they only gained seven yards of total offense, foreshadowing the disasters to follow. The next Rams possession was like the first--the Seahawks' defense stymied them. I couldn't quite make out what I was watching. Still, the defensive was pressuring Stafford and preventing Henderson from making consistent plays on the ground-- seeing this consistency from the Seahawks defense was refreshing. However, this feeling of hope wouldn't last forever.

The 'Hawks offense retook the field, and they began with a nice run by Alex Collins to gain 13 yards. A couple of plays later, a defensive holding call helped the Seahawks regain a fresh set of downs to keep their drive alive. On second-and-one, all-world quarterback Russell Wilson was able to complete a 25-yard pass to all-world wide receiver D.K Metcalf-- I would like to add that Jalen Ramsey was in coverage, and Metcalf would continue to make plays on him all night. The Seahawks would muster up eight more yards on the next two plays and zero on third-down. At this point, the team was in field goal range. In games against divisional opponents, points are hard to come by, and therefore should be desired. What does Pete Carroll, our fearless leader, decide to do in this situation? Let's play a game, shall we? Does he:

A) Have Jason Meyers go out and kick a manageable 45-yard field goal to give the 'Hawks a 3-0 lead?

or does he

B) Go for it on fourth down with a highly predictable play run design up the gut with backup running back Alex Collins. Which turns the ball over on downs and puts it back into the Rams' hands.

If you answered A, you would make a better head coach than Pete Carroll. Everything about this chain of events made me frustrated beyond belief. Carroll has never been good at making fourth-down decisions, and he has strengthened my opinion of us with his ineptitude to call a football game.

They knew they had a prime opportunity to score and run away with the game for the upcoming Rams' possession. The drive began with a ten-yard run from Henderson, putting the Rams on their 40-yard line. From the shotgun, Stafford made a play to Henderson, who went upfield and was able to get 17 yards. The Rams were starting to get comfortable, but Darrell Taylor made sure to change that by coming around the edge and putting Stafford in the ground for a seven-yard sack-- another good play from this 'Hawks defense. However, the Rams got just enough to warrant a fresh set of downs with a pass to Rams receiver Robert Woods. With the Rams with a new set of downs from the Seattle 8-yard line, Stafford heaved a ball to the corner of the endzone, hoping to throw the ball out of bounds because he couldn't find an option that the 'Hawks didn't well cover. The Seahawks coverage was so good on this play--and Stafford's attempt out-of-bounds was so poor--that safety Quandre Diggs was able to come down with the ball in the corner of the field for his second interception of the season.

After the interception, the Seahawks were in a great position to set up shop on offense. Wilson was able to escape the pocket in a scramble and gain seven yards--as he does so well. Collins then ran for four yards to keep the drive alive. But, after a two-yard gain by Collins, Wilson would throw his first interception of the season. Wilson was targeting Tyler Lockett; the only problem was that elite Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey covered Lockett. Ramsey was able to reach above the undersized receiver and bat the ball in the air. Rams linebacker Troy Reeder was there and picked off the ball--this was an excellent play by Jalen Ramsey. 

With the Rams back on offense with the ball near midfield, all I could think of his how sloppy both teams have been on offense. I knew that one of these teams would eventually adjust and make the plays required to win-- oh boy, I hope it's my Seahawks that make the proper plays to catch up!

Well, maybe it would be my Seahawks because the Seahawks held the Rams offense to only two yards of total offense and forced them to punt away. The Rams also committed a delay of game penalty, another example of why fan noise was dearly missed in Lumen Field last year. With the Seahawks back on offense, Shane Waldron was done messing around. He called a short pass to speedy receiver Penny Hart, who took the ball in the backfield, rushed up a gaping hole--provided by the Seahawks offensive line-- and gained a respectable 19 yards. Wilson took a deep shot of Tyler Lockett in the next play, who could not catch the ball because the Rams defensive back Robert Rochell interfered with Lockett's ability to catch the ball by tackling him before the ball reached him. The penalty brought the Seahawks onto the Rams' 22-yard line. Following the penalty, there was a slight gain by Alex Collins, but it would lead to the first touchdown of the game. With Jalen Ramsey in coverage, Wilson targeted D.K Metcalf with a strike to the endzone. Metcalf's big body was able to outjump the corner, and Metcalf landed in the endzone. Metcalf was slow in his first two games of the season, but his last three games have been fabulous-- and this would only get better--at least for his stats, that is.

After seeing the Seahawks score, the Rams decided it was time to get on the board. The first three plays of this drive were executed by former New England Patriots running back Sony Michel-- he amassed 24 yards on three runs. The first pass from Matthew Stafford on this drive was to Robert Woods for nine yards. The Rams would continue to move the ball downfield with Michel on the ground. Eventually, they could get deep into Seattle territory, but the Seahawks' defense continued their strong half of defense. They stalled the Rams offense and forced a field goal attempt from kicker Matt Gay. Gay was able to kick the 31-yarder, and now the Los Angeles Rams were on the board. I can't stress how well the Seahawks defense harassed Stafford and Rams' offense all half-- it's a damn shame they couldn't keep that up.

With a little over a minute left in the first half, Wilson and the Seahawks were expected to run out the clock and go into the tunnel with a 7-3 lead--, but this new Shane Waldron offense wanted to show off how effective they are in two-minute warning drills. Wilson was able to find his third-down back, DeeJay Dallas, for a nice 29-yard gain. Later in the drive, Aaron Donald was penalized for roughing the passer on Russell Wilson, which brought the Seahawks 15-yards deeper into the Rams' territory. Wilson connected with Tyler Lockett for what was initially thought to be a 15-yard touchdown, but it was called back because of offensive holding. Wilson threw a ball to Lockett again to make up some of those lost yards with seconds left on the clock. In a favorable position to score a field goal, Jason Meyers took the field to attempt a 35-yarder, but he missed it-- his second missed field goal of the young season. This was brutal to see--especially knowing that we could very well be up 13-3 going into the half.

Seattle's offense got the ball back at the start of the second half, but they could not get a fresh set of downs after a 13-yard completion from Russell Wilson to Tyler Lockett-- so they punted the ball back to the struggling Rams offense. Stafford began the drive with short passes to Robert Woods, but a few plays later, the Seahawks reverted to their old selves. After having such a great defense, they allowed a massive 68-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to NFL journeyman receiver Deshaun Jackson--specifically, Jamal Adams allowed this completion. What made me so upset about this play was Jamal did everything right in coverage except making a play on the ball. He followed Jackson step for step but failed to turn around to break up the pass. I've been supportive of Jamal Adams, but this play was utterly inexcusable. Ken Norton Jr. has forced him into more coverage roles instead of using his blitzes--Jamal Adams is uncomfortable in coverage which is what you don't want to see from the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Two plays later, Darrell Henderson was able to run the ball into the endzone for the Rams' first touchdown of the night. With the chance to go up 10-7, Matt Gay crumbled and missed the PAT, which kept the game at 9-7.

This upcoming Seahawks' drive will be remembered as the exact moment the Seahawks' 2021 season came to an end because of a high-five. On the second play of this drive, Tyler Lockett was wide open down the right side of the field with plenty of green in front of him-- the offense was in a great position to score. As Wilson took his arm back to throw, all-world defense tackle Aaron Donald broke through the interior of the Seahawks' interior offensive line--something I've become accustomed to. Donald stuck his hand up and high-fived Russell Wilson when he was mid-throw. The contact on Wilson's hand was just enough for the ball to not reach Tyler Lockett. Had Donald not made that great play, the would've been another tremendous deep completion between Wilson and Lockett. But that's the least of the Seahawks' worries. Aaron Donald's high-five of death sprained the middle finger on Wilson's right hand--his throwing hand. The TV kept showing the grotesque image of Wilson's mangled finger. I know that Wilson's a fighter and that he would come back into the game, and he did. But, it was to be short-lived. Homer ran for a five-yard gain, but it wasn't enough to get the first down. When Wilson left the field, that would be the last we would see him for the next month.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams were energized from seeing Wilson run off the field. Stafford began the drive with consecutive looks to Robert Woods, which were hauled in for 20 yards apiece. After the Woods completions, Henderson ran up to the Seahawks' 13-yard line for a massive gain of 29 yards. Stafford found his tight end, Tyler Higbee, to cap off the drive for another touchdown in the endzone. This time, Matt Gay could make the PAT, so the rams led 16-7. Things were looking bad for the Seahawks. They needed a jolt on the offensive to let them back into the game, but with Wilson questionable to return, who will be the person to take control of the offense. I'll spare you of the suspense--it's Geno Smith--God help this team.

 I wish you all could've been there to experience my sense of dread when I saw Geno Smith take the field for the Seahawks. This is the first time since 2016 that a quarterback not named Russell Wilson was taking meaningful regular-season snaps as the play-caller--and that was Treyvon Boykin playing the fourth quarter after Wilson took a nasty hit against the 49ers. As Geno lines up for his first play at quarterback, I was praying for Wilson to take the field and finish the game miraculously-- this couldn't be happening. Geno hadn't started a game in four years and is a historically bad NFL quarterback with serious personality issues. My perception of Geno Smith was he's uncoachable, unruly, and unreliable--why is he our back up again? No matter, he is our best option right now, no matter how bad he is.

Geno's first pass of the game was to D.K Metcalf, and it fell incomplete. But, luckily there was a penalty on Jalen Ramsey for pass interference, so the Seahawks were able to move down the field. Smith targeted D.K Metcalf again, and the receiver caught the ball for a 17-yard gain-- I thought Smith's second pass attempt would be a pick-six, but I'll take that. His next pass was an eight-yard completion to tight end Will Dissly. After some rushes from Alex Collins and a scramble from Smith, Smith found Dissly for a 21-yard gain to take the surprisingly alive offense to the Rams' 23-yard line--how is Geno Smith moving the Seahawks down the field? Smith took the snap from deep in Rams' territory and saw that there was a mismatch between D.K Metcalf and the defender covering him. Smith targeted Metcalf, and the all-pro caught the ball by beating the defender and making him feel stupid in coverage. Metcalf caught his second touchdown of the game; the Seahawks were only down by two points after the PAT. I was amazed and satisfied with Geno Smith on this drive. He seemed to have a relationship with his weapons and a strong sense of the playbook and the audibles--this was a reassuring drive. 

After that drive, the hope that was given to 12s was soon taken away after another Rams' touchdown drive. Stafford found Robert Woods for another 24-yard gain on second-and-nine from the Los Angeles 28-yard line. The next play was a 33-yard pass to Cooper Kupp--who has been having an excellent season. On this play, I was upset to see linebacker Jordyn Brooks covering Kupp on this play. I know that a Seahawks defender failed to pick up Kupp. Still, that responsibility shouldn't rest on the shoulders of Jordyn Brooks--Ken Norton Jr. needs to have another accountability meeting with this defense because all these miscommunications are unacceptable. After a 13-yard completion from Stafford to Kupp, Sony Michel ran the ball into the endzone from the Seattle two-yard line--riveting. 

Geno Smith scrambled for a gain of five yards and then found Tyler Lockett for a gain of seven--a decent start to a drive they need to score on. A false-start penalty pushed the desperate Seahawks offense back five yards, but Smith could get those yards back and more following a 20-yard completion to number 14, D.K Metcalf. From the Rams' 14-yard line, Geno Smith threw three times on first, second, and third down--all three passes went incomplete. The Seahawks needed to settle for a field goal, which was fine because they needed to kick a field goal at some point to win this game. Meyers came out and kicked a 32-yard field goal to keep the Seahawks' hopes alive. The score was now 23-17 in favor of the Los Angeles Rams.

In order for the Seahawks to win this game, they needed a stop on defense--they needed the first half defense to come back. And for one drive, they did. They held the Rams offense to 14 yards on four plays and forced a punt. The Seahawks now had the ball back. They needed Geno Smith to stay strong and continue whatever it was he was doing. How amazing would it be if Geno Smith led an epic comeback against the rival Los Angeles Rams? For the Seahawks to defy all odds and improve to 3-2 on the season. Beating the Rams here would give the 'Hawks a 2-0 lead in the NFC West, which would be insane. It would be talked about my 12s for decades! It all comes down to this next play. Let's see how the smoking hot Geno Smith did!

Geno Smith threw an interception on the drive's first play, and it wasn't pleasant either. He was targeting Tyler Lockett on the play, but Lockett fell down. To be truthful with you, I don't think that Lockett would've gotten to that ball if he didn't fall. It was a poor decision on Smith, which is a shame because he had been orchestrating the offense well up to that point. The Rams were now deep in 'Hawks territory after Nick Scott came down with the interception. They ran out the clock and brought Matt Gay out for a 47-yard field goal--he made it, thus ending the game 26-17 Los Angeles.

This game continued the pattern of the Seahawks' inability to play a whole game of football. The defense played spectacularly in the first half by holding the Rams to less than 200 yards of offense-- then they allowed over 200 yards in the third quarter alone. I touched on this in a podcast, and my co-host and I mentioned that the Seahawks Cover-3 defense could work with their players, but their defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. is inept. There is nothing to say that I haven't said already about the Seahawks defense. They need change at the defensive coordinator, and they need it now--his time is up. The same goes with Pete Carroll. His decisions on the field continue to fail to live up to his expectations. He has proven that his playing style is older than he is, and that is not good. That fourth down play should've been a field goal attempt-- you could argue against that, seeing how Myers missed a manageable field goal today, but I digress. He has been hindering his team with his on-field calls, and it's becoming tiresome, especially seeing how she didn't take advantage of a sloppy first half by the Los Angeles Rams.

Some awesome things happened in this game for the Hawks believe it or not. D.K Metcalf had another superb game with five catches, 98 yards, and two touchdowns. This was his third consecutive game with great stats, so NFL fans, if you could please stop making fun of him because your team wasn't smart enough to draft him, that would be appreciated. On top of that, he got the better of Jalen Ramsey today, which I love to see. Also, Michael Dickson made an incredible play too. On a punt attempt, Dickson saw his first punt get blocked. He scooped the ball up with one arm, ran up a couple of yards, broke a tackle, and still pulled off a 68-yard punt. That's impressive athleticism and awareness from Dickson-- he will surely be a pro-bowler and an all-pro this season. Geno Smith also looked promising on his drives. I said this earlier, but it is incredibly reassuring to see him have relationships with his receivers and know the playbook and audibles as well as he does. Things may not be too bad these next couple of games with him starting.

Unfortunately, Russell Wilson won't be starting these next couple of games, but he won't miss the entire season--which is a relief. I'm not entirely sure that I trust Smith yet--especially after that ugly interception. However, he is the best answer we have at quarterback right now. Russell Wilson is eyeing his return against the Green Bay Packers in Week 10, so that means there will only be three games with Smith as the starter if the 'Hawks can somehow 3-0 that stretch, their playoff hopes will certainly stay live. If not, well, I don't want to think about it. I wish Russell Wilson a speedy recovery after his surgery and the best of luck to Geno Smith. There is a lot at stake. Let's hope the Seahawks stop underperforming and play the football they should be playing. Go 'Hawks!