Seahawks’ Week 1 loss to the Rams

Trailing by 14 with under five minutes left to play, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith hooked up with Colby Parkinson for an eight-yard gain on first down, somehow the longest play the team had produced since halftime.

But instead of facing 2nd and 2 with a quality chance to pick up their first first down of the half without being aided by a penalty and maybe, just maybe, get a semblance of a drive going, DK Metcalf let Rams coach Sean McVay get under his skin. After making a hard block on cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, who took issue with the legality of the block, the star receiver barked at the opposing sideline, drawing a killer taunting penalty from the officiating crew.

It was a game Seattle led 13-7 at halftime before the Rams simply outclassed the Seahawks in every way imaginable in the second half, scoring on all five of their possessions while holding Seattle to just one first down on its five possessions — which came via a Rams penalty.

While admitting that another team played harder might sound bad, in a way, that might be the best-case scenario for what happened Sunday. The worst case is that the Seahawks simply aren’t as good as they, and basically everybody else, thought they were.

A combination of no pass rush and communication issues on the second tier led to Matthew Stafford having a picnic in the pocket, and he carved up the Seahawks over the middle with a 12-of-16, 135-yard performance between the hash marks. Add on the fact that the Rams were without their most potent receiving weapon in Cooper Kupp and it becomes even more troubling that the Seahawks’ defense couldn’t slow down or stop the Rams’ offense when they needed to in the second half.

Injuries to both offensive tackles are concerning, as well. Charles Cross was the model of consistency last year, playing all but two snaps in 2022, and those spots are so vital to a Seahawks team that will need its offense to carry it again this season.

Week 1 doesn’t always reflect how a season plays out – just look around the league this week – but for the only sample size we have, it was not a good indicator for how 2023 could be.

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 Sarah H

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