Close, but no cigar. That's the feeling Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll had following his team's narrow 17-13 loss on Sunday to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Carroll lamented to the press how close his team was to victory, per reporter Bob Condotta on X (formerly Twitter). The Seahawks only trailed the Bengals four points after the first half, 14-10, and had several opportunities to turn things around come the second half. Unfortunately, they just couldn't get their offense going, particularly their passing attack.

The Seahawks outgained the Bengals in total yards. Geno Smith and Seattle also managed to get into the red zone four times in the second half, but they left with only three points on the scoreboard. They are now 3-2 on the season, and surely Carroll feels that his team should have had the victory Sunday.

Turnovers also proved costly for the team. Smith threw two interceptions in the game, despite 323 yards total in passing. He had no touchdowns. Seattle also struggled to run the ball, with Kenneth Walker III leading the way with only 62 yards on the ground. He did manage a rushing touchdown.

Seattle did get some good news on Sunday, though. The San Francisco 49ers also lost in a close game to the Cleveland Browns. The 49ers are now 5-1 on the season, so Seattle is within striking distance from them in the NFC West.

Seattle next plays the struggling Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, October 22. There's no doubt that Pete Carroll is hoping for a much better feeling after that game. Cincinnati, meanwhile, moves to 3-3 with their win over the Seahawks. The Bengals play at San Francisco in two weeks, on October 29.