Instant Reaction: Seattle Seahawks handed first loss by Detroit Lions

The Seattle Seahawks have suffered their first loss under new head coach Mike Macdonald, falling 42-29 on Monday Night Football to the Detroit Lions.

Seahawks lose to Lions | Stacy’s column | Observations | Stats

As we do after ever Seahawks game, we have collected the instant reactions from the voices of Seattle Sports. See what they have to say below, and tune in all day Tuesday on Seattle Sports 710 AM or the Seattle Sports app for much more reaction and analysis beginning at 6 a.m. with Brock and Salk and 9:30 a.m. with The Mike Macdonald Show.

Mike Salk – Brock and Salk (6-10 a.m.)

It sure didn’t end the way you’d want an incredibly entertaining game to end, but it gave us a much better sense of where the Seahawks stand.

This is a good team – you knew that after they took care of business in the first three games of the season. And they aren’t yet a great team – there was a pretty clear distinction between the Lions and Seahawks.

I think I saw two things that are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

1. The Seahawks were not going to be able to stop Detroit without five defensive starters. Just too many guys that aren’t up to a game like this.

2. The Lions are still a better team, and the injuries weren’t the whole story.

Man, it would have been fun to see what a healthy (or even mostly healthy) defense could have done.

Bob Stelton – Wyman and Bob (2-7 p.m.)

Considering the number of starters they were missing on defense going in and then losing Julian Love during the game, this outcome shouldn’t be that big of a surprise.

I am in no way using that as an excuse as it was just a flat-out dreadful night for the defense. They looked sloppy and discombobulated. It seemed that the Lions could do whatever they pleased, whenever they pleased. Jared Goff going 18 for 18 while also catching a touchdown pass pretty much sums up the night.

There will be many that say this is the first truly good quarterback and offense that the Seahawks have faced this season, and that is not inaccurate. But it would be foolish not to acknowledge the number of starters missing on defense in this one and the impact it had.

On the positive side, there were a lot of great things happening on offense. A tremendous night for Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf and Geno Smith. On a night where the defense was even mediocre, they would have done more than enough to win this game.

The Seahawks have a very tough stretch of games leading into the bye week. Hopefully they are back at full strength very soon, because they are going to need it.

Dave Wyman – Wyman and Bob/Seahawks Radio Network

Mike Lefko – Wyman and Bob

Knowing what we do about Mike Macdonald, he won’t be happy after this one. And he’s not the kind of guy who seems to believe in moral victories, but for the situation they found themselves in, there are some encouraging signs for what the ceiling is for this Seahawks team.

Sure, you don’t think Lions quarterback Jared Goff would be perfect through the air (and add on a receiving TD for good measure) but I don’t know any team that would do well without four starters playing on the defensive line, as was the case for Seattle. Add in another missed game for linebacker Jerome Baker, plus an injury that ended safety Julian Love’s game early, and it felt obvious that this defense was going to be in for a long night. It’s a different conversation if the myriad of injuries becomes a recurring issue, but when healthy, this is a much better unit than what we saw on the field tonight.

I came away from this one more impressed with the other side of the ball. Geno Smith and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb look like a perfect pairing, and a healthy Ken Walker at running back brings another dimension to the offense.

I’ll venture a guess that with what this defense looks like at full strength, 29 points will be enough to win most games this season.

With strong start, where does Seattle Seahawks’ Geno Smith rank in QB hierarchy?