Geno Smith conquers rival, potentially saves Seahawks’ season

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith insists there was no monkey on his back. But it’s clear this moment meant a little extra something to the 34-year-old veteran and former longtime backup.

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With one masterful drive, Smith finally conquered Seattle’s most bitter rival.

And potentially saved the season.

Smith capped an 11-play, 80-yard scoring march by scrambling for a 13-yard touchdown run with 12 seconds left, lifting the Seahawks to a dramatic 20-17 victory over the NFC West rival 49ers at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

It was Smith’s first win over the 49ers in six starts since taking over as Seattle’s starting quarterback in 2022. And it couldn’t have come at a bigger moment, with the Seahawks’ season potentially hanging in the balance after five losses in their previous six games.

Moments after his game-winning score, Smith emulated Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry with a “Night Night” celebration directed at 49ers fans behind Seattle’s bench.

“We knew how much was at stake,” Smith said. “We were trying to turn our season around. … This is just a step in the right direction for us, and so I was very ecstatic and happy for that.”

GENO!!!! TD @SEAHAWKS!!

📺: #SEAvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/ATSZeKJaOe

— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024

Smith completed 7 of 8 passes for 54 yards on the deciding drive, including a pair of third-down completions to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that moved the chains. Smith then finished the job with his legs, scrambling for a 16-yard gain to negate a first-down sack before finding paydirt two plays later with his game-winning TD run.

Smith now has seven game-winning drives and six fourth-quarter comebacks since the start of the 2023 season, both of which are most in the NFL.

“I was out there smiling on that last drive,” Smith said. “Like when I walked on the field, it kind of felt like ‘Angels in the Outfield,’ like somebody’s just rubbing my shoulders the whole time. I just felt like there was no pressure. And I think the perspective that I have, that I’ve gained over my career, has allowed me to play that way. And so whenever there is a moment or a mistake that’s made, I never really get too down on myself.”

That resilient mindset was on full display Sunday.

With Seattle trailing 7-6 on the opening series of the second half, Smith rolled to the left and threw an ill-advised pass on the run that was intercepted by 49ers cornerback Isaac Yiadom. San Francisco converted the turnover into a field goal to extend its lead.

It was Smith’s NFL-leading 11th interception of the season. And it followed a nightmare three-interception performance by Smith two weeks ago, when he threw two in the red zone – including a pick-six – in an overtime loss to the Rams.

“When (the defense) comes out and plays the way they did today, we deserve to win, they deserve to win, and it’s my job as the quarterback to make sure that happens,” Smith said. “And like I said two weeks ago, I thought I did some things (in the Rams loss) that hurt those guys, and I just wanted to make up for it.

“I talked to coach during the bye week. I told him I was gonna do everything in my power to make it right.”

Smith did just that.

After his third-quarter interception, Smith immediately responded by leading a go-ahead 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that gave Seattle a 13-10 lead. Then in the closing minutes of the game, he spearheaded the deciding TD march and snapped the Seahawks’ six-game losing streak to the 49ers.

“He was dynamite,” Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said. “We talked about after the pick, hey, sticking with it, man. We talk about clearing the next room. Like, just go clear the next room and rock and roll. … That two-minute drive – I mean all guys, the poise, the play-calling, the protection, all that stuff, that’s really important. And then for Geno to close it out was pretty awesome.”

Big 1st down connection for Geno & DK!

📺: #SEAvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/UMJqquXmlI

— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024

Trailing 17-13 with 2:38 left and the ball on his own 20-yard line, Smith kickstarted the game-winning drive with an 11-yard completion to DK Metcalf. He then methodically led Seattle downfield with a series of underneath completions before facing a third-and-3, where he stepped up in the pocket and threw a running dart to Smith-Njigba for a 15-yard gain.

An ensuing sack knocked Seattle into a second-and-13, but Smith responded on the next play by scrambling for a 16-yard gain to the San Francisco 21. Then after the Seahawks used their final timeout, Smith hit Smith-Njigba again for an 8-yard completion to the 13-yard line.

With no timeouts left and the clock running, Smith calmly organized the offense. He then took the shotgun snap, dropped back, saw open grass to the left and took off for the end zone, beating two 49ers defenders while racing inside the left pylon.

“I’ve always had the ability to be a dual threat, but my main thing is to win from the neck up and then use my arm to beat guys,” Smith said. “But whenever I can use my legs and I can be a threat that way, I think it just puts the extra pressure on the defense. … It’s just doing the right thing at the right time.”

“They wrote me off, I ain’t write back tho” 🤫😴

📺: #SEAvsSF on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/qWNSok3znZ

— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2024

It was Smith’s second comeback win of the season. His other came in Week 2, when he rallied the Seahawks to an overtime victory over the New England Patriots.

There have been plenty of peaks and valleys in between, but Smith’s coaches and teammates have praised him for his continued ability to bounce back. Even one of the team’s newest members – recently acquired inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV – has been impressed by Smith’s command and poise.

“The way he comes into the huddle, and you sense with Geno, at any point he’s gonna make a play,” Jones said. “He’s gonna be where he needs to be for his teammates. And he showed up for us tonight in a big way.”

With the victory, Seattle improved to 5-5 and remained right in the thick of a wide-open NFC West race. The Seahawks are in a three-way tie with the Rams and 49ers for second place in the division, with all three teams trailing the first-place Arizona Cardinals by one game.

“I think the way that we came out and we fought collectively as a unit and as a team, it just spoke to our urgency,” Smith said. “And I thought the way that we practiced all week, I knew we were gonna come out and play well.”

As for finally beating the 49ers and getting that monkey off his back? Smith dispelled that notion.

“Monkey off my back?” Smith said. “I really didn’t feel it at all. There is no monkey on my back. I was telling Tyler (Lockett) in the locker room, like, ‘We already won. No matter what happens in this life and this game, man, we’re blessed.’

“And so I know narratives kind of shape a lot of this, but the reality is that we won one game today (against a) division opponent. And now it’s on to the next one.”

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