Seahawks QB Geno Smith: ‘I let everybody down today’

Nov 3, 2024, 10:23 PM | Updated: 11:09 pm

Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith frustrated Los Angeles Rams 2024...

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith looks on against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. (Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)

(Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

SEATTLE – Immediately after his second crippling red-zone miscue in less than five minutes, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith looked on in stunned disbelief.

About an hour and a half later, the 34-year-old veteran stepped up to the podium and apologized.

Smith put the blame squarely on himself after throwing two fourth-quarter interceptions inside the Los Angeles 10-yard line – including a 103-yard pick-six – during the Seahawks’ 26-20 overtime loss to the NFC West rival Rams on Sunday afternoon.

“I just want to really start off by apologizing to my teammates, to the city, to the organization,” Smith said. “They put a lot of trust in me with my decision-making. And when they put the ball in my hands, when my teammates play the way they played today and give us a shot to win the game, I’ve gotta make sure we do.

“And the things I did today, the mistakes that I made, they affected us negatively and really cost us the game.”

Smith also made a number of big-time throws and rallied the Seahawks (4-5) for a game-tying touchdown drive in the final minute of regulation, but his two red-zone turnovers proved too much to overcome.

“I really feel like I let everybody down today,” Smith said. “I really do.”

With just over 11 minutes to play and the game tied at 13-13, Seattle had a first-and-goal at the 6-yard line. Smith took a shotgun snap and was pressured by outside linebacker Byron Young, who forced him to backpedal in the pocket. As he was backpedaling, Smith threw off his back foot and was hit as he released the ball.

Smith’s pass went straight to safety Kamren Kinchens, who intercepted it in the end zone and ran it back for a 103-yard pick-six.

“I was trying to throw it out of bounds in the back of the end zone and the guy hit my arm,” Smith said. “But there’s no excuses to be made. I can throw that away. I can get it out sooner, be faster in my decision-making. Trying to make a play down there, held it just a second too long and it didn’t turn out well.”

103-YARD PICK-6!

Kamren Kinchens takes it ALL the way back for the @RamsNFL 🙌

📺: #LARvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/vEVC2pom4i

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

A few minutes later, the Seahawks had a chance to tie the game after practice-squad callup Cody White blocked a punt and set up Seattle at the 19-yard line. But on a second-and-goal from the 4-yard line, Smith rolled out on a play-action pass and was picked off again by Kinchens.

Smith was targeting tight end AJ Barner, but Barner got held up on his route while being grabbed by defensive tackle Braden Fiske.

“I thought he got grabbed, but again, that’s not an excuse,” Smith said. “The ball’s in my hands. I get the chance to make the decision and ultimately my decisions affect everybody, not just myself, and so I’ve gotta be better. And I’m not just saying that to say it. I really know that I can be better. And so it hurts me, man. It hurts me that I wasn’t able to get it done today.”

PICK! Kitchens does it again for the @RamsNFL!

📺: #LARvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/8yAOcHanRe

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

After his two red-zone picks, Smith bounced back and led Seattle on a last-minute 73-yard touchdown drive to force overtime. Smith completed a 28-yard pass to White, scrambled for an 11-yard gain, connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 29-yard pass on fourth down and then found Smith-Njigba in the end zone for a game-tying 14-yard TD with 51 seconds remaining.

“As long as we’ve got a shot, as long as I’ve got a shot, I’m gonna keep fighting,” Smith said. “That’s just the way I am. That’s how I’m wired. I don’t know no other way.”

SMITH TO JSN AGAIN! THIS TIME FOR SIX! pic.twitter.com/ciXD042RFX

— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

Smith also threw two touchdown passes in the final minute of the first half – a 30-yarder to Tyler Lockett with 51 seconds remaining and a 24-yarder to Smith-Njigba with 5 seconds left. He finished 21-of-34 passing for 363 yards and three touchdowns, but matched a career high with three interceptions.

Aside from his two red-zone picks, Smith’s other interception came on a first-quarter pass that glanced off Smith-Njigba’s hands. It was his first three-interception game since 2014, back when he was a second-year pro with the Jets.

Smith was again under frequent duress behind Seattle’s spotty offensive line. He took seven sacks and had numerous other plays that were impacted by the Rams’ pass rush, including two long completions to Smith-Njigba that were called back by holding penalties.

“He made some big-time plays for us,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. “It’s not easy. He didn’t have a lot of time back there. They had a good rush plan. We’ve gotta protect him better.

“And I’m sure he’s gonna tell you that he’s gonna take ownership of the three picks. We’ve gotta make smarter decisions in that way. We’ve gotta finish drives and we’ve gotta take care of the football. I mean, you guys see it, we see it. We have to be better if we’re gonna win.”

JSN has breakout game Seahawks have been waiting for

There also were more issues in the center-quarterback exchange between Connor Williams and Smith. In the first quarter, Smith appeared to take his eyes off a shotgun snap, which glanced off his hands and bounced backward for a 20-yard loss. Later in the first half, with the play clock running down, Smith was unable to handle a high shotgun snap from Williams that resulted in a 22-yard loss.

That came after Williams made two costly gaffes inside the opposing 5-yard line in last week’s blowout loss to Buffalo, when he sailed a snap way over Smith’s head for a 19-yard loss and later inadvertently tripped Smith on a fourth-and-goal play.

“We compete together and we fight together and there’s a lot of things that we’ve gotta clean up, sure enough,” Smith said. “… Whatever we’ve gotta do to make it right, we’ll make it right.”

Sunday’s overtime loss was the latest blow in a rough stretch for the Seahawks, who have lost five of their past six games since a 3-0 start. But as bad as things have been, Seattle is still in the thick of a jumbled NFC West race. The Seahawks are just one game behind first-place Arizona (5-4) and a half-game back of San Francisco (4-4) and Los Angeles (4-4).

Seattle has a bye next week before traveling to face the division rival 49ers in a pivotal Nov. 17 showdown.

“The great thing about life is you get another day, you get another chance,” Smith said. “And we’ve got eight games. That’s all I’m focused on – the next eight games. And I’m taking it one by one. I’m gonna do my thing. I’m gonna get better.”