Seahawks @ Lions
Final Score: Seahawks 48, Lions 45
Writer: Matthew Theodosopoulos (@FreeMattyTeeon Twitter)
Talk about a barnburner! The Seahawks’ visit to Detroit featured an absolute shootout between Geno Smith and Jared Goff. The Seahawks led the entire game, but the pesky Lions managed to stay right there almost the entire time, always clawing their way back from the grips of defeat. DK Metcalf had a big game for the Seahawks, and TJ Hockenson had a career day for the lions. Rashaad Penny repeated his performance against Detroit from last year with a massive day, and Jamaal Williams had a great game filling in for the injured D’Andre Swift. In the end, the Seahawks emerged victorious, but boy was it an offensive spectacle.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Geno Smith: 23/30, 320 Yards, 2 TD | 7 Carries, 49 Yards, TD
Talk about a game from Geno Smith! In a game where he was a threat both on the ground as well as through the air, Geno ran for a career-best 49 rushing yards and a touchdown. In addition, he threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns. He started out hot, accounting for 79 yards and a touchdown on the opening drive, including a nice 17-yard scramble. He really never slowed from there, leading the Seahawks offense consistently into Lions territory.
The Seahawks did not punt all day, something that Geno definitely deserves a handful of credit for. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron called a great game, opening up the offense and letting Geno air the ball out. He routinely found open receivers and was extremely efficient. Geno Smith now has the highest completion percentage by a quarterback through his first four games of the season (minimum 125 attempts) in NFL history In addition to his great day through the air, Geno also routinely escaped collapsing pockets and managed to pick up 49 yards on the ground. All in all, it was a great game from Geno Smith.
Geno Smith earned a 92 NGS passing score in Week 4, the highest by any QB in a game this season.
Smith now leads the NFL in NGS passing score (91) and completion percentage over expected (+10.0%) this season.#SEAvsDET | #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/3iFbCxlQtC
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) October 2, 2022
More than protected the pocket. 💪 pic.twitter.com/4WsokbYpXt
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) October 2, 2022
Running Back
Rashaad Penny: 17 Carries, 151 Yards, 2 TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards
Kenneth Walker III: 8 Carries, 29 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, -5 Yards
Man oh man. If there’s a team Rashaad Penny loves to play against, it’s the Detroit Lions. Last season, Penny put up 170 yards and 2 touchdowns against Detroit. Today, he only managed to run for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns. While the stats look incredible, Penny’s production was somewhat inconsistent. Most of his yardage came in the second half, staying relatively quiet throughout the first half. That being said, he broke off two huge touchdown runs in the second half and managed to control the game for Seattle towards the end of the game.
Kenneth Walker looked good in his limited action, breaking off a 13-yard run himself. He did get stonewalled on a screen play, but that happens. Penny and Walker managed a very nice game running the ball for the Seattle offense.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
DK Metcalf: 10 Targets, 7 Receptions, 149 Yards
Tyler Lockett: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 91 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)
Will Dissly: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 39 Yards, TD
Colby Parkinson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 28 Yards
Noah Fant: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 2 Yards, TD
Dee Eskridge: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 10 Yards | 1 Carry, 6 Yards
Geno Smith having a good day means a good day for Seattle pass catchers. Leading the way was DK Metcalf, who seemed to be open early and often. While he was unable to find the endzone, he did manage to catch seven passes for 149 yards. Finding himself lined up against Jeff Okudah throughout the game, DK proved to be too much for the young cornerback, using his speed and strength to quickly find separation. He also had to be carted from the sideline to use the bathroom towards the end of the game, and that is worth noting.
While Tyler Lockett did fumble, he was similarly an integral part of the Seahawks passing game. He had a deep snag to go along with five others for a total of 91 yards. The two starting receivers for the Seahawks both took advantage of the soft Lions’ secondary coverage.
Something the Seahawks continue to do every week is getting all of their tight ends involved, as we see Will Dissly, Colby Parkinson, and Noah Fant all making impacts on the game. Dissly was the most utilized, seeing four targets and catching all of them for 39 yards and a touchdown. He caught the first touchdown of the game and helped to set the tone for the Seahawks immediately. Parkinson caught two balls for 28 yards, while Fant caught a touchdown on his only target of the day. The Seahawks are clearly dedicated to spreading the ball around on offense, and they happen to be finding success.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 26/39, 378 Yards, 4 TD, INT | 1 Carry, -1 Yard
While he may not have been totally surgical, Jared Goff found ways to move the ball down the field despite missing three of his top targets (Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Andre Swift, DJ Chark). He did make one big mistake, throwing a pick-six to Seahawks rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen, but he still dominated the Seahawks’ defense. With the Lions trailing for the entire game, Goff and the offense had to do what they could to keep up. And he did. He may not be a world-beater, but he can be a competent NFL quarterback. Most of his passes were short and mid-distance plays with plenty of yards after the catch. He absolutely destroyed the Seahawks linebackers with the help of sidekick TJ Hockenson. With Amon-Ra St. Brown, this could be a totally different game. But Goff still played a mostly mistake-free game. There weren’t many highlight-worthy throws, however.
Jared Goff throws a pick-6 to freakish #Seahawks rookie CB Tariq Woolenpic.twitter.com/h0kB1AJE9X
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 2, 2022
Running Back
Jamaal Williams: 19 Carries, 108 Yards, 2 TD | 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
Craig Reynolds: 2 Carries, 30 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards
Justin Jackson: 2 Carries, 3 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 4 Yards, TD
In the absence of starter D’Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams had a pretty successful day running the ball, gaining 108 yards and scoring twice. His performance is slightly inflated however, with half of his rushing yards coming from one run. That being said, he looked good running the ball and getting into the endzone not only once, but twice is always awesome. Craig Reynolds did not see as much action as many people had expected. That being said, he did look very effective on his few touches. He had an awesome 21-yard run and looked good on his 12-yard reception. He’s a playmaker. Justin Jackson managed to catch a touchdown but didn’t do much else. The Lions have a dynamic offense and the backfield is a large part of that. I also would like to add that the Lions have a heck of an offensive line. These guys look great. They could block anyone.
The Jamaal Williams breakout season continues pic.twitter.com/40Z71grOEl
— Daily Universe Sports (@DailyUnivSports) October 2, 2022
Wide Receiver/Tight End
T.J. Hockenson: 12 Targets, 8 Receptions, 179 Yards, 2 TD
Josh Reynolds: 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 81 Yards, TD
Tom Kennedy: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 54 Yards
Kalif Raymond: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 38 Yards | 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 1 Fumble (Lost)
Quintez Cephus: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
When you draft a tight end top ten in the NFL, this is the kind of game you hope they are capable of. TJ Hockenson had the game of his life, catching 8 passes for a whopping 179 yards and 2 touchdowns. The big highlight was a massive catch and run, guiding and winding his way down the sideline for 81 yards.
T. J. Hockenson with an 81-yard catch and run!pic.twitter.com/pkPBvtQayj
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 2, 2022
He was everywhere, torturing the Seahawks linebackers and doing whatever he wanted all game. It truly was a masterclass of the tight end position. This will not be the norm, as the Lions will see Amon-Ra St. Brown and DJ Chark return. But it was a true spectacle and nice to see that Hockenson is still capable of having a game like he did today.
Beyond Hockenson, Josh Reynolds stepped up to be the Lions’ #1 receiver for the day. Reynolds and Goff have a relationship dating back to their days with the LA Rams, so it’s no surprise that the connection would resurface here when necessary. Reynolds caught 7 passes for 81 yards and found the endzone himself. He did a fine job against a porous Seahawks pass defense. Tom Kennedy, Kalif Raymond, and Quintez Cephus all played their roles and managed to find themselves open when they needed to be, but Raymond cost the Lions a drive on a catch and fumble early on in the game.
Something you rarely see with a high point — even in the NFL — a WR/TE who brings his hand together before extending them.
Perfect technique by TJ Hockenson pic.twitter.com/EVH0YjXmhe
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) October 3, 2022