Losses haunt Geno Smith and Seattle Seahawks in 26-20 loss to Los Angeles Rams

Unfortunately, while Smith made some outstanding throws on Sunday afternoon, those plays won’t be remembered because of a pair of inexplicable red zone errors in the fourth quarter. Up 13 points apiece when the Seahawks scored first at the Rams’ six-yard line early in the fourth quarter, the veteran quarterback made the stunning decision to throw the ball straight to safety Camren Kinchens, who returned the interception 106 yards. for a touchdown. Two plays later, after Cody White blocked a punt to give Seattle excellent field position, Kinchens picked him again inside the 10-yard line, trying to get the ball to tight end AJ Barner. In addition to giving Los Angeles seven points, those two turnovers cost Seattle at least six points, helping the visitors steal the game.

With a clear emphasis on the ground game, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb brought Ken Walker III into the game early and often, passing him the ball five times on the team’s first possession and also catching an 18-yard reception. However, these efforts did not bear fruit on the scoreboard, and as the first half wore on, Walker and Zach Charbonnet found it difficult to find room to run, as they averaged just 3.2 yards on 14 combined carries in the first half. . Of course, it also had something to do with the fact that at the end of the first half we had to pass without timeouts as a result of a two-minute violation.

But even in the second half and overtime, despite Walker making a couple of good runs along the way, he still averaged just 3.3 yards per carry on 25 carries, with the Rams regularly blowing up plays at the line of scrimmage and were ready to corral him. the edge, when it bounces, runs. Most notably, with the Seahawks needing one yard to move the chains on fourth down in overtime, the star cornerback had no room to operate as several defenders surrounded him on a no-tackle run, turning the ball over on downs and handing the keys to Stafford to set up the game-winning drive. game. There was certainly progress on Sunday, but not enough if Seattle wants to beat tough opponents.

With just two practices under his belt after being acquired from the Titans last week, Jones admittedly floundered in his first start with the Seahawks in a loss to the Bills, trying to learn a new scheme and verbiage on the fly. But even after he missed Friday’s practice with a sore neck, the veteran linebacker looked much more comfortable in his new surroundings taking on his former team, particularly excelling in the run game, helping limit the Rams to under 70 rushing distances. yards and less than three. yards per carry.

In the game’s defining moment, after Los Angeles drove the ball to Seattle’s one-yard line, Jones quickly deflected Kyren Williams’ leap and flew into the backfield, sending his former teammate up for two scores. – loss of the yard. After one incomplete, the Rams were forced to settle for a field goal, tying the game even though the road team seemed destined to take the lead. The veteran linebacker finished the game with nine tackles, three stops of three yards or less and a pass breakup that nearly ended with an interception of a slant pass, a clear bright spot in the loss.

Statistically, Stafford passed for nearly 300 yards and wasn’t sacked all day, so the Seahawks still have some work to do in limiting plays to chunks and finishing with rushes. But they held the shooter to less than seven yards per attempt and a completion rate of less than 60 percent, regularly drawing enough heat from the defensive line to force him into making quicker throws than he wanted. In the first half, Leonard Williams and Dre’Mon Jones each hit it twice, and the Rams hit it four times apiece, and the pressure came from several other players who didn’t complete the play on third down.

In the end, all of Seattle’s young guards did their part to limit Los Angeles to just 13 points in regulation. After turning a turnover into points late in the second quarter, Woolen marked a pass intended for Puka Nacua along the sideline, hauling it in for his second pick of the season and setting up a Smith-Njigbe touchdown before halftime. On an earlier drive that ended in a punt, Josh Jobe was playing hard coverage on Nacua, extending his arm in front of the receiver to break up the pass. Continuing to play well at safety in place of Rayshawn Jenkins, Kobe Bryant deflected a third down pass from Jones’ tackle for loss, forcing the Rams to hold on for a field goal, and the third-year safety also made a key hit, knocking the ball out of his hands. from Robinson teaming with Devon Witherspoon in third late in regulation.

Coming out of halftime with a 10-point lead, the Seahawks had several chances to get off the field on two defensive drives in the third quarter, but the flags gave the Rams more lives than a cat. At the 9:03 mark, as Los Angeles reached the Seattle 15-yard line and faced a 2nd-and-15, Jobe tangled with Cooper Cupp on a slant route and reached for the receiver’s leg at the last second, resulting in a penalty. defensive pass interference for what would have been an incompletion. Positioned inside the five-yard line, Stafford hit Robinson for a one-yard score two plays later, cutting Seattle’s lead to three points.

On the ensuing possession after a loss in Seattle, when Smith-Njigba’s 40-yard catch was negated by a holding penalty on Mike Jerrell’s tackle, Woolen was flagged for a defensive holding on a 3rd-and-8 incompletion. intended for Colby Parkinson, giving the Rams a new set of downs. Moments later, Derick Hall hit Stafford and the quarterback went down on a questionable pass roughing penalty that again extended the drive with a first down penalty. Los Angeles only scored a field goal, but three key defensive penalties led to two scoring possessions that swung the game in favor of the road team, continuing a terrible trend of Seattle playing undisciplined football that doesn’t win games. NFL.

Ernest Jones is active with the Seahawks and will face his former team in Week 9

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