Geno Smith tried too hard to keep a broken play alive.
Up 31-28 over the Detroit Lions, the Seattle Seahawks faced a 3rd-and-18 right before the fourth quarter’s two-minute warning. Seattle ran a shotgun formation with an empty backfield, but Smith’s pocket began to collapse.
He moved up and then backward to evade Detroit’s pass-rushers. Rather than throwing it away or giving himself up, he stopped and kept running the wrong way across the field.
Three Lions defenders cornered Smith until Alex Anzalone sacked him at the three. Here’s a look at the play that cost Seattle 17 yards of field position.
HUGE 3rd down sack for the @Lions ‼️
📺: #SEAvsDET on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FhXtx7w3wW pic.twitter.com/FA8Zt60UXB— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2023
The sack had significant ramifications for the Seahawks, who gave the Lions the ball back at midfield after a punt. Detroit moved to the 20 before Riley Patterson hit a game-tying field goal to end regulation.
However, Smith made up for his miscue by throwing a game-winning touchdown to Tyler Lockett in overtime. The 32-year-old completed 32 of 41 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns in a 37-31 victory.
Smith needed that type of outing after settling for 112 yards — his lowest tally as a starter for Seattle — in Week 1’s 30-13 home loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Defeating Detroit also proved monumental last year, as the tiebreaker gave the Seahawks a playoff spot.
Smith will look to lead another win when Seattle hosts the Carolina Panthers in Week 3.