Is the Geno Smith honeymoon officially over after 49ers exposed Seahawks on Thanksgiving?
The 49ers dominated the Seahawks during a 31-13 win in Seattle
The Seattle Seahawks were one of the best stories in football last season. Picked by many to be one of the worst teams in the league, the 2022 Seahawks shocked everyone, going 9-8 and securing a playoff spot. One of the biggest reasons for the team's surge was a breakout season for veteran quarterback Geno Smith.
Fast-forward to 2023 and things don't look as rosy. Smith and the Seahawks were exposed by the San Francisco 49ers in a 31-13 loss on Thanksgiving.
Seattle dug itself into a hole almost immediately, allowing the 49ers to charge down the field and score a touchdown on the first drive of the game. The Seahawks attempted to gain some early momentum with a 66-yard kickoff return by Dee Eskridge, but could only muster a field goal out of their fantastic starting position.
Smith played a big role in the team's inability to get things going. His first two passes of the game were nearly intercepted. Smith was unable to get enough juice on a throw to DK Metcalf on the sideline on his first attempt of the game, allowing Charvarius Ward to close in quickly on Metcalf. Smith's second pass appeared to hit Ward in the hands.
On Seattle's first drive of the second quarter, Smith again couldn't get enough on a pass near the sideline and was intercepted by Ambry Thomas.
At halftime, things looked dire. The Seahawks had picked up just three first downs, and were limited to 56 total yards of offense. The 49ers, meanwhile, had 16 first downs and 226 yards. Seattle trailed 24-3 going into the half.
Seattle managed to cut into the lead in the third quarter, but it was mostly thanks to the defense. With 11:30 remaining in the third quarter, Jordyn Brooks picked off Brock Purdy and rumbled into the end zone for a touchdown.
That was one of the few Seahawks highlights. The other was a fantastic one-handed grab by rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, which reminded some of Odell Beckham Jr.
The Seahawks would also add a field goal during the quarter, making it 24-13.
The comeback attempt ended there. With eight minutes to play, Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk down the middle of the field for a 28-yard touchdown to put the 49ers up 31-13.
Smith couldn't lead the Seahawks back from that deficit. He finished the night 18 of 27 for 180 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. It's unclear how much those numbers were due to Smith attempting to play through an elbow injury. Smith briefly left the team's Week 11 game loss to the Los Angeles Rams four days ago due to the issue. He received treatment prior to Week 12, and felt good enough to play on a short week.
The injury may have limited Smith's production against the 49ers, but doesn't explain his struggles the rest of the season. After throwing 30 touchdowns and finishing ninth in the MVP voting last year, Smith has 12 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 11 games in 2023.
Prior to Thursday, the Seahawks were still winning despite Smith's struggles. Seattle came into Thanksgiving with a chance to take control of the NFC West with a win over the 49ers.
The loss not only dampens the Seahawks' playoff hopes, it also calls into question the team's future if Smith can't recapture last year's magic over the final weeks of the season.
Following last season's breakout, Smith secured a three-year, $105 million extension from the Seahawks. Less than a year later, the team already has to be thinking about whether Smith will be around to see the final two years of that deal.
