Seahawks QB Geno Smith needs to rebound after ‘lowest grade’ of season

The Seahawks dropped another game Sunday, this time to the Carolina Panthers with a 30-24 defeat at home, to fall to 7-6 on the season.

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Many of the issues were the same, with the defense allowing over 200 yards on the ground for the second time in three weeks. But it was also one the worst games of the year for quarterback Geno Smith, who has been one of the better and more consistent quarterbacks in the league this year, as he completed 21 of 36 passes (58.33%) for 264 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

So how would former NFL quarterback Brock Huard grade Smith’s day against Carolina? He broke it down during the Blue 88 segment Monday on Seattle Sports 710 AM’s Brock and Salk.

“C to C-minus yesterday,” Huard said. “And it was his lowest grade of the season.”

After the Panthers took 8 minutes off the clock on the opening drive that resulted in a field goal, Smith threw an interception on the very first offensive play for the Seahawks. Carolina then scored on the first play of its next drive.

“That just can’t happen, right?” Huard said. “They tried to run a little out route with a corner behind it and tried to kind of a layering concept and flood concept. You’ve got to see that corner. You’ve got to see (Carolina cornerback) Jaycee Horn … He baited him, right? He jumped on the out route, and that’s what Geno saw. But he totally baited him into the short side of the field, he spins around, he makes a good play on the corner behind it. But that that can’t happen.”

The INT to set it all up 💪#ProBowlVote @jayceehorn_10 pic.twitter.com/tDuFnBWXj5

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 11, 2022

It gets even more difficult for Smith and the Seahawks this week as they host the NFC West-leading San Francisco 49ers and their elite defense. The Seahawks have also struggled to run the ball of late, and the 49ers have the league’s top run defense.

“Just don’t take the negative play. Just find completions. And I think that will be the messaging for the next three days,” Huard said. “Against San Francisco, against this front, against their front seven that plays a run unbelievably well, (offensive coordinator) Shane Waldron and Geno Smith, respond. Respond with a system and a style that gets you back to getting the ball out of your hands. Give me those gimmes, take it. Take that underneath throw, take that completion. And I think (Smith is) pressing without a run game. Yesterday he pressed (after) watching an opponent go up and down the field and eat 6 minutes of clock and run it and all of a sudden it’s 17-0, so he’s trying to make all these big plays happen at once and he can’t do that.”

Listen to Monday’s Blue 88 at this link or in the player below.

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