Rost: Seahawks’ loss to Vikings leaves two big questions

Dec 22, 2024, 4:27 PM | Updated: 7:00 pm

Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith Minnesota Vikings...

Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith reacts to a play in a game against Minnesota on Dec. 22, 2024. (Christopher Mast/Getty Images)

(Christopher Mast/Getty Images)

BY STACY ROST

Host, Bump & Stacy (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

The Seattle Seahawks came close, but for a consecutive week they fell to a superior NFC team with a 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

They’re not eliminated from playoff contention, but Next Gen Stats has those odds now hovering around 24%. It somehow feels worse – maybe that’s just what losses do.

It was a much better performance this time around than last week’s 30-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers, as Seattle kept it competitive late. I’m left with two big questions after this one, though.

First: Is offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb the guy for Mike Macdonald’s team?

He was wildly successful running the UW Huskies’ elite offense in 2023, and while there is stuff to like with Seattle in 2024 (A middle screen game! The growth of Jaxon Smith-Njigba!), it’s also fair to wonder how he’ll evolve as a play-caller. I think he deserves time to do so – particularly with the question marks, penalties, and protection issues Seattle has up front. But this offense desperately needs a more balanced attack. Geno Smith is just fine out of shotgun and Seattle’s best weapons are its wide receivers, but when Smith is limited or makes mistakes, the Seahawks don’t have much of a counter punch.

What loss to Vikings means for Seahawks’ playoff hopes

Second: Did Geno Smith earn himself an extension this season?

Short answer: Right now, I’d extend Smith on a two-year deal. And before you scream at me, that’s also a reflection of the current market.

Seattle’s in a tough situation. Smith played decently well under duress (he has been one of the most pressured quarterbacks this season), but also made too many mistakes for a team with little wiggle room. And yet there isn’t a clear, cheap free agent that feels like an upgrade over Smith, nor is there a top quarterback prospect within striking distance for Seattle’s draft positioning.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider has made it clear they don’t have their eyes set on a step back, so taking too much of a risk with their passer sure seems like a non-starter unless that player has massive upside. Drafting a quarterback at some point next spring feels like a must, but so too does keeping a veteran option. And there’s easily no Seahawks player under more pressure over the next two games than that very veteran.