Seahawks-Lions game recap: Stock Up, Stock Down, postgame updates
Seaside Joe 1306: Results, stats, and more from Sunday
The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions both entered their Week 4 contest with 1-2 records. Both had questions about their defenses, long-term stability at quarterback, and are reliant on rookies and inexperienced starters to guide them through their 2022 seasons, but Seattle and Detroit were also feeling somewhat optimistic … “If only.”
If only the defense wasn’t so bad.
If only the offense was more consistent.
If only players never got injured.
The Lions came into Sunday with the number two scoring defense in the NFL and they will go into Week 5 as the top-scoring team in the league after scoring 45 points against the Seahawks this week. They would have also been 2-2 instead of 1-3… If only.
Instead it is the Seahawks who move onto New Orleans with a 2-2 record and a glimmer of hope at a record above .500 after beating the Lions 48-45 on the road.
Seattle also wishes that they could carry Week 4’s offensive outburst into a trip to the playoffs with Geno Smith as the quarterback … If only the defense wasn’t still in the running for the worst in the NFL.
Should Seahawks target super prospect Will Anderson over a QB?
Though the Lions are certainly giving Clint Hurtt a run for his money with that title, the Seahawks offense had all of the players who they expected to have going into the season. Detroit went into this game without D’Andre Swift and Amon-Ra St. Brown—their two most valuable offensive players—plus a Pro Bowl guard and the next-man-up at WR after St. Brown. The Lions, not exactly an offensive juggernaut as is with Jared Goff starting at quarterback, were unfazed by their injury report and dominated Seattle’s defense play after play:
Goff went 26/39 for 378 yards and 4 TDs; it is the third time in his career that Goff has had at least 375 yards and 4 TDs
Jamaal Williams ran for 108 yards and 2 TDs, including a career-best 51-yard tote
T.J. Hockenson set a franchise record for TEs by gaining 179 yards on eight catches, scoring 2 TDs
Former Rams WR4 Josh Reynolds came up with seven catches for 81 yards and 1 TD; that’s the second-highest catch total and third-highest yardage total of his career
The 45 points scored is the most allowed by a Pete Carroll team since he took over in 2010
The Lions averaged 7.9 yards per play and 5.8 yards per carry
Detroit only had the ball for 26:54, but went 3-of-3 on fourth down attempts and the Lions totaled 27 first downs
The Seahawks were 20th in points allowed after three games. That will take a hit after giving up 45 to a depleted Lions offense. Detroit will rank first in scoring after this week, but they are just 1-3 and they have slightly better odds than Seattle now of having the number one pick in 2023. Maybe that’s okay: Let the Lions get the quarterback.
The Seahawks may need the best defensive player anyway.
Something you have heard a lot this year is “I don’t mind if the Seahawks lose, as long as they look good doing it.” Kind of a paradox. But if Seattle had managed to give this game away, that’s what would have happened. It’s not pretty is it? The Seahawks pumped up their stats for a week and scored two second half touchdowns. (The Vision Board is REAL!) However, the defense comes away with even more holes to fill than we had previously counted.
That’s why this game may have more “Stock Down” players than any other game this season despite being a win. It is, however, a win.
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Stock Up
DK Metcalf - 7 catches, 149 yards
In Friday’s Vision Board post, I asked for DK Metcalf to have 150 yards. Oh shoot! Does this mean I failed? Metcalf’s 149 yards is the third-highest total of his career. I believe he will also be credited with one drop.
The vision boards are looking really good so far, first calling Tariq Woolen’s interception in Week 3, then Metcalf and the two second-half touchdowns in Week 4. Holding the Lions to under 3.0 YPC was far less successful.
Rashaad Penny - 17 carries, 151 yards, 2 TDs
Last season, Penny had 25 carries for 170 yards and 2 TDs against Detroit. That gives him 32 carries for 321 yards and 4 TDs in two games against the Lions. Can Seattle keep him from leaving for an NFC North team in 2023?
Penny now had 49 carries for 292 yards through four weeks. That’s 5.95 yards per carry.
Geno Smith - 23/30, 320 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 7 rush, 49 yards, 1 TD
Smith once went 20/25, 358 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT against the Dolphins as a member of the Jets, but you could argue this was the best game of his career. Smith is executing the offense that is being given to him and that means that against defenses as bad as Detroit’s, he can star as one of the top QBs of the week.
It’s fitting that Jared Goff is the quarterback on the other side because that’s looking more and more like a reasonable comparison. The difference is that Goff’s cap hit is over $31 million this season and Geno’s cap hit is $3.5 million, meaning that Smith could actually be the best bargain in the entire NFL—especially when he’s facing the Lions.
The best news for Geno Smith is that he’s earning another start, week after week. With the way he’s played in the first quarter of the season (102/132, 1,037 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT, 1 rushing TD), Smith continues to decrease the odds that Drew Lock will come off the bench for any reason other than an injury. Seattle has a positive offensive EPA in three of their four games, with two of those games being well above average.
Tariq Woolen - Pick-6
As of 2019, Tariq Woolen had never played cornerback. He’s one of the top rookie cornerbacks in the entire NFL right now.
Woolen had a pick-six to open the second half, his second interception in as many weeks, and he has at least one pass defensed (those include picks) in three of his four starts. Fellow rookie Coby Bryant had a forced fumble.
Seahawks offensive line - 0 sacks allowed
In general, Seattle’s offensive line and the gameplan has been exceptional in avoiding sacks. Only six sacks allowed in four games and all but one of those have come in the fourth quarter. Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas have had a few penalties in the earlygoing but the shocker is that they have adjusted to the league without frustratingly poor play for being rookies.
Uchenna Nwosu - 1 sack
Nwosu now has seven QB hits and two sacks in four games. Looking for some bright spots on defense, Nwosu stands out as an option.
How Week 4 impacted the Seahawks, including concussion protocols, draft order update, and two former Seattle assistants who could be in line for interim head coaching jobs this season.
Stock Down
CB Michael Jackson
CB Sidney Jones IV
S Josh Jones
S Quandre Diggs
Other than the guy who moved to defense in 2020, nobody in the secondary seemed to play good enough to win on Sunday, not even Quandre Diggs. The Seahawks have EIGHT cornerbacks on the 53-man roster: Jackson, Jones IV, Xavier Crawford, Isaiah Dunn, Justin Coleman, Artie Burns, Woolen, and Bryant. Do any of them other than the rookies feel like they need to come back to the team in 2023? Or even in Week 5?
Burns was a healthy scratch today, one week after Jones was a healthy scratch. Jones came in to replace Jackson at one point, still it seems like Seattle is going to keep shuffling through this group all season long and Pete Carroll might not be done picking up cornerbacks off of waivers and the streets. That’s only if he isn’t busy making changes at safety, as the loss of Jamal Adams is proving to be as huge as it seemed at the time.
Josh Jones is bad. The other options, other than Ryan Neal (two tackles on Sunday), are Teez Tabor and Joey Blount. These are castoffs.
The Seahawks need a quarterback and a receiver, but they might need to focus their efforts on defense when they get to the 2023 draft.
LB Jordyn Brooks, LB Cody Barton
Not a good game by the linebackers either. The missed tackles count from various advanced stats sites this week will be worth monitoring. It’s not just missed tackles of course, as T.J. Hockenson further exposed how bad this defense is against tight ends and in coverage.
Barton is a 2023 free agent. Brooks is up for his fifth-year option next year. Seattle has to take some shots at finding a new linebacker…or two.
OLB Darrell Taylor
Taylor wasn’t out there with the starters when the game began, as he’s seemingly been benched for Darryl Johnson. However, Johnson left the game with an injury. Taylor finished with one tackle. Before the season we were talking “extension next year?” with Taylor, now it seems he needs to prove he can even be allowed on the field.
Defensive Line
Is anyone pounding the table for anyone on the defensive line? It’s difficult to gauge how frustrated to be with Pete and Hurtt because the talent just isn’t there on defense. The Lions were channeling Goff’s 2018 season with the Rams today and there are much tougher tests (Justin Herbert, Kyler Murray twice, Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford twice) ahead.
WR Marquise Goodwin
Had more penalties than he had targets. I’m not entirely sure what purpose Goodwin’s place on the roster is meant to serve right now. Especially if Tyler Lockett is still returning punts.
Stock Up and Down
K Jason Myers - Made one from 56, missed one too
Myers was also 6-of-6 on extra points.
NFL Draft Order updates:
The Saints fell to 1-3. They need a quarterback but their first round pick goes to the Eagles and right now it seems like Philadelphia will be hanging onto Jalen Hurts as the starter.
The Steelers are 1-3 and they benched Mitch Trubisky for Kenny Pickett. Though Pickett only had three incompletions…they were all interceptions.
The Texans are 0-3-1 and they could be in place for the number one pick by the end of the day. Houston has Cleveland’s (2-2) first round pick and the Texans are going to draft a QB.
The 0-3 Raiders lead the 2-1 Broncos as I write this. The 1-2 Patriots and 1-2 Panthers are also playing in the afternoon.
The Commanders and Lions are also 1-3. Both will draft QBs, if given the chance.
Moving out of place for a high draft pick: Giants are 3-1.
QB Survivor updates:
Bryce Young left Saturday’s game with a shoulder injury. Like Sam Bradford and quite a few other examples, I don’t believe an injury would hurt Young’s draft stock. He’s too good. It’s unfortunate that a lot of people will say “I told you so!” as if every football player doesn’t get injured. Andrew Luck was the most injury-prone QB of my life. Will Levis and Dillon Gabriel also suffered injuries.
Grayson McCall had the most NFL-like performance of his career and I’ve watched every game of his career. I do think that McCall could slide under the radar into being a day three pick and I would support that, obviously. He’s such a smart football player, maybe the highest football IQ in college football. McCall has led Coastal Carolina to a 5-0 record, the only 5-0 team among G5 programs, and really the team is not good. It’s mostly McCall. He is third in the nation in passing efficiency, throwing 14 TD and 1 INT, plus 3 rushing TDs.
If you’re a very patient fan, then honestly the 2024 QB class looks like it might be better than the 2023 QB class. UNC’s Drake Maye is working his way into being the top pick in two years.
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It was nice to see Ryan Neal back out there--he is a sure tackler and after today is likely taking all of Josh Jones' snaps.
What on Earth is going on with Brooks? He is a better player than he is showing right now, but seems unsure of his assignments or ??? Cody Barton is going to lose his job as soon as Pete/John can find his replacement--that was absolutely brutal today from Barton.
But Woolen, hoo boy does he look like Sherman out there or what? He is, right now, the best CB on the Seahawks.
Geno is changing my mind about him. He stays within himself and runs the offense very well. There were more downfield throws today and those shots helped loosen up the D for Penny's runs.
93 points total. I laughed when one announcer said it was like watching a college football game. It was an honest game with too many flags but nothing in the game-changing bad call category.