The Seattle Seahawks got their first true test of the 2024 NFL season tonight. While they didn't exactly ace it, they didn't completely fail, either - losing on the road to Dan Campbell, Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions by a score of 42-29.
Here are our picks for MVP, studs and duds, plus a few things we learned along the way from this week's game.
Ken Walker Seahawks Week 4 MVP
The first half was a dismal one for Seattle's offense, especially on the ground. Starting running back Ken Walker had nowhere to run and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb seemingly quickly gave up on the rushing attack, with Walker having totaled less than 10 yards on the ground at halftime.
Just as they did in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos, the floodgates opened in the second half for the run game. Walker had another explosive third quarter and wound up finishing the game with three rushing touchdowns to go with 116 total yards from scrimmage. Walker averaged 6.7 yards per carry and nine yards per catch and made several wow plays along the way, including an all-time slick wrestling move to escape a tackle.
Seahawks Studs and duds vs. Lions
Stud - QB Geno Smith: Considering the circumstances this was a pretty phenomenal game by number seven. Smith was under constant duress in the pocket against Detroit's pass rush, and yet he still managed to put up 395 passing yards, one touchdown, one pick and an 86.5 passer rating. Smith's ability to throw under pressure may be unrivaled in the NFL right now.
Stud - WR DK Metcalf: Even though he had a a very costly fumble near the end of the first quarter, Metcalf had another strong game in a tough matchup against Lions cornerback Carlton Davis, who got away with more than one hold. Metcalf caught seven of 12 targets, totaling a team-high 104 receiving yards.
Dud - Seahawks offensive line: This could have been a different game entirely if Seattle's offensive line had been able to protect Geno Smith even anywhere near a respectable level. Instead, Smith had to run for his life from start to finish. In the end he was sacked three times and the Lions also racked up nine quarterback hits. The worst of the pass protection issues came from right tackle Stone Forsythe and left guard Laken Tomlinson. After a rough start right guard Anthony Bradford was subbed out for rookie Christian Haynes, who remained in.
Stud - CB Devon Witherspoon: There wasn't a whole lot to like on the other side of the ball, but we couldn't help but be impressed by the effort from second-year cornerback Devon Witherspoo, who will be a meme tomorrow for his missed tackle on David Montgomery, but the fact that he bounced back and made contact with Montgomery out of bounds some 62 yards later speaks to his level of hustle. Witherspoon was in position to make several other incredible plays but just couldn't quite finish.
Dud - Seahawks pass rush: The worst part of this particular matchup was the weak pass rush by the front line, which was predictable due to their top four pass rushers having been ruled out. While they got a pressure here and there and three sacks somehow, overall Jared Goff was extremely comfortable in the pocket all night, so much so that he didn't throw a single incompletion, ending with a line of 18/8 for 292 yards, two touchdowns and a 155.8 passer rating.
Dud - Seahawks run defense: Their run defense wasn't much better, either. The Lions offensive line consistently got the push they needed even without All-Pro center Frank Ragnow in the lineup. In the end the Lions put up 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns between Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
What we learned from the loss
Plenty of fight in the dog offensively: Trailing 14-0 early in the second quarter, it would have been really easy for this team to pack it in, but they got gritty and fought it out, knowing they were in an uphill battle. Seattle showed a lot of Moxy, at least on offense, and overall they managed to play the Lions even for the rest of the game after falling behind by two touchdowns early. If nothing else, we learned this team won't go down easy.
Ben Johnson > Mike Macdonald: You may have noticed by now that pretty much all of the positives have been on offense, and for good reason. Head coach Mike Macdonald might be the best defensive playcaller in the sport, but missing Byron Murphy, Leonard Williams, Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu up front just proved to be too much. Unable to generate pressure, Macdonald had no answers for the Lions' attack, which was called beautifully by offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Seahawks injury updates
Seattle came into this one already missing several defensive starters, including weakside linebacker Jerome Baker and most of their defensive line. The Seahawks may have lost another one on Monday night, as well. Free safety Julian Love left the game in the third quarter and was quickly ruled out with a thigh injury. For what it's worth Love was seen on the broadcast walking around on the sidelines without a noticeable limp. We'll have to wait and see what Macdonald says about Love this week.
