The Seattle Seahawks lost their second in a row after absorbing a 27-23 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 at Lumen Field. Here are some takeaways from the Seahawks’ Week 3 loss.
After falling to the Falcons on Sunday, the Seahawks fell to 1-2 and last place in the NFC West. They didn't fare much worse than they did against the San Francisco 49ers the previous week, though. On one hand, the offense and special teams were substantially better. On the other hand, the defense has deteriorated with each passing week. That is especially troubling since they have yet to reach the toughest portion of their schedule.
Here are our four takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks' Week 3 loss vs. the Falcons.
4. Defensive front needs more work
It's hardly a good sign that 35-year-old Al Woods has been the greatest defensive player of the season for this team so far. Sure, we're happy for Woods, but the fact of the matter is he isn't supposed to be the focal point of your defensive front. They're getting demolished in run blocking again and again while trying to produce a consistent pass rush.
This is happening despite the fact this is a pretty seasoned unit. Quinton Jefferson has been in the league for a number of years, while Poona Ford and Bryan Mone are considered seasoned defensive players. Even Uchenna Nwosu was caught off guard on a few runs, including a 40-yarder by Cordarrelle Patterson. Darrell Taylor had a strip sack, but he's still having trouble stopping running backs in the backfield.
Cody Barton struggled a lot, while Jordyn Brooks only made a few tackles that weren't at least five yards down the field. This group just has not been working at an optimal level. To wit, aside from the kneel-downs and sacks, Atlanta had no negative yardage plays.
3. Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker II disappoints
Coming out of Michigan State, running back Kenneth Walker III was projected to provide the Seahawks offense a fresh dimension on the ground. So far early in his NFL career, he hasn't made much of an impression.
To be fair, a hernia ailment has hindered his start, but against the Falcons, Walker was not making a good case for greater playing time. Walker did have an explosive 21-yard run in which he evaded a sure-fire tackle and sprinted back across the field. When the smoke cleared, however, Walker finished the day with only 19 net yards on three carries. He wasn't much better in the passing game as well. He had only three yards on three catches. For a highly touted RB, Walker needs to produce bigger numbers this season.
2. Offensive line was generally solid save for penalties
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll stated this week that he intends to loosen the reins on the team's offense as a result of the trust he's gained from the play of rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abe Lucas.
With that in mind, Seattle's o-line put up a strong performance against the Falcons. Keeping in mind that last season, the Seahawks had only three games with more than 400 yards of offense, this time around, Seattle finished with 420 yards versus Atlanta.
However, two holding penalties on Damien Lewis wrecked Seattle's final two drives. The first came three minutes into the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks near midfield. This left Seattle in a first-and-20 scenario that they were unable to overcome, resulting in a punt.
Then, with 5:16 remaining, Seattle began to march toward a game-winning score. Rashaad Penny's fourth-and-1 conversion kept the drive alive, and Smith's 20-yard pass to Tyler Lockett brought Seattle to the Falcons' 30-yard line. The Seahawks advanced to the Atlanta 9-yard line after a screen throw to Penny, only for Lewis' second holding penalty to push Seattle back. Smith was subsequently sacked on third-and-8, and Richie Grant intercepted his fourth-down pass.
After committing 10 penalties against the 49ers the previous week, the Seahawks were much more disciplined this weekend, committing only six against the Falcons. However, the two on Lewis were key errors that contributed to Seattle's demise.
1. Geno Smith is playing pretty well
Despite the loss, @GenoSmith3 played well back there. #GoHawks x @lumentechco pic.twitter.com/x7uL3Xr2Fx
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 26, 2022
Even with the two sacks and interception on the final drive, Geno Smith played well in this game. Those sacks were not nice to take, but we can forgive the last INT. The reality is that the Seahawks freed up the playbook, and Smith responded admirably, regardless of the opposition's defense. He was efficient on third down and got the ball out on time. While he got away with some risky passes that weren't intercepted, Smith seemed to be in charge of the offense. He routinely stepped into some solid, confident, and precise throws.
If we disregard the dearth of truly explosive passing plays, a quality QB must be able to move the ball in smaller portions, which the Seahawks regularly accomplished. It's a compliment to Smith and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who called the plays much better this week.
Yes, the offense only scored three points in the second half, but they were not making reckless plays. Three second-half possessions is an issue, but most of it was due to a defense that refused to make stops until they were backed up against their own end zone.
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