Seahawks: 5 takeaways from a dominant Halloween win over the Jaguars

The Seattle Seahawks got back into the win column today, taking down the Jacksonville Jaguars at home by a score of 31-7. The end result was never in doubt, as Seattle dominated all three phases from the opening kickoff.

Here are five takeaways from today’s victory, their first in four games.

Geno Smith was on fire

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This may have been Geno Smith’s last start of the season before Russell Wilson returns from injured reserve and he certainly got his money’s worth. Smith had perhaps the finest game of his NFL career, displaying a Tom Brady-like precision and a smooth rhythm with his receivers. At one point, Smith completed 14 straight passes. He finished the afternoon 20/24 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and a 128.3 passer rating. Smith also scored a rushing TD on a QB sneak.

Ethan Pocic started at center

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One reason why Smith thrived was improved pass protection from his teammates. After a rough couple of weeks, the offensive line did a much better job of keeping their QB clean. Ethan Pocic took over and started at center for Kyle Fuller, plugging up what had been the biggest hole on the interior. Pocic got beat bad once, but it was a solid overall performance up front. Smith took three sacks, but two of them were his own fault.

D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett were both unstoppable

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Tyler Lockett got off to a roaring start this year but had been quiet since Week 2. However, Lockett finally got it going again today, catching up with D.K. Metcalf to lead Seattle’s receiving game. Together they were unstoppable, combining for 18 catches, 185 yards and two touchdowns.

This house is clean (on defense)

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For the third consecutive game, the Seahawks defense wasn’t the total disaster it had been early in the year. Seattle got some help from Trevor Lawrence making a few rookie mistakes. However, the blown coverages, missed tackles and lack of sustained effort that haunted them during the first month of the season all appear to be purged. The Jaguars didn’t score until garbage time and had to fight for every yard they gained.

The Jaguars are a horror show

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While a win is a win, it’s tough to get too excited about this one given the competition involved. Jacksonville is now 1-6 on the season and looks like the most poorly-coached team in the league. Completely lacking in discipline in every respect, at one point they were flagged for 12 men on the field on two consecutive plays. The Jaguars lost 93 yards total on 12 penalties and beat themselves in too many ways to count.

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