Seahawks QB Geno Smith has 3 INTs in loss — ‘Really cost us the game’

SEATTLE — Coach Mike Macdonald started off his postgame press conference Sunday with a promise to Seattle Seahawks fans that the team is doing everything it can to play better at home after falling to 2-4 at Lumen Field this season and 4-5 overall.

Geno Smith began his with an apology.

Never hesitant to point the finger at himself, the veteran quarterback showed contrition in addition to his usual accountability after throwing three interceptions – including a pick-six — in a 26-20 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

“First of all, I just want to really start out by apologizing to my teammates, to the city, to the organization,” he said. “They put a lot of trust in me with my decision-making and when they put the ball in my hands, when my teammates play the way they played today and give us a shot to win the game, I’ve got to make sure. Things I did today, mistakes that I made, they affected us negatively, and really cost us the game today.

Added Smith: “I really feel like I let everybody down today. Really do.”

Smith was hardly the lone reason the Seahawks lost for the fifth time in the last six games, and his first interception wasn’t entirely his fault as it bounced off Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s hands after the receiver tried to adjust to the throw mid-air.

Smith’s second interception was the most regrettable one, marking what may have been a 14-point swing in the fourth quarter.

With the score tied at 13-13, he threw off his back foot on first-and-goal from the 6-yard line, took a hit from outside linebacker Byron Young as he released the ball and was intercepted by safety Kamren Kinchens, who returned it 103 yards for a touchdown.

“I was trying to throw it out of bounds, out of the back of the end zone, and a guy hit my arm,” Smith said. “But there’s no excuses to be made. I can throw that away, I can get it out sooner, be faster in my decision-making. Trying to make a play down there, held it just a second too long and it didn’t turn out well.”

The Seahawks had a chance to tie the game after receiver Cody White blocked a Rams punt on Los Angeles’ next possession, giving Seattle the ball at the 19-yard line. But Smith was intercepted at the 4-yard line by Kinchens again after his intended target, tight end AJ Barner, got held up while running across the formation towards the flat.

“Trying to get the ball to AJ, thought he was going to slip through there and it didn’t happen,” Smith said. “I thought he got grabbed but again, that’s not an excuse. The ball’s in my hands. I get the chance to make a decision and ultimately my decisions affect everybody, not just myself, and so I’ve got to be better.

“I’m not just saying that to say it. I really know that I can be better. It hurts me, man. It hurts me that I wasn’t able to get it done today.”

Smith threw three touchdown passes, including a 30-yarder to Tyler Lockett and a 24-yarder to Smith-Njigba 44 seconds apart late in the second quarter to give Seattle a 13-3 halftime lead. Smith-Njigba caught another touchdown pass from 14 yards out in the final minute of regulation to cap his career day (180 yards and two TDs on seven catches) and send the game to overtime.

Smith finished 21 of 34 for 363 yards while under constant duress. The Rams sacked him seven times, recorded 11 official QB hits and pressured Smith on 17 of his dropbacks. According to ESPN Research, that was the second-most pressures Smith has faced this season.

The Seahawks had to turn back to rookie fourth-string right tackle Michael Jerrell after George Fant — in his first game back from injured reserve — sustained a reinjury to the same knee he hurt in the opener.

“He made some big-time plays for us,” Macdonald said of Smith. “It’s not easy. He didn’t have a lot of time back there. They had a good rush plan. We’ve got to protect him better. I’m sure he’s going to take ownership of the three picks. We’ve got to make smarter decisions in that way. We’ve got to finish drives, and we’ve got to take care of the football. You guys see it. We see it. We have to be better if we’re going to win.”

On the game-tying touchdown drive late in regulation, Smith went 4 of 6 for 76 yards and had an 11-yard scramble.

“You’ve got to have a short memory,” Smith said. “Playing quarterback, there’s a lot that goes on back there. If you focus on what happened previously, it’s only going to affect you negatively. So just moving onto the next play and focusing on what’s the right decision to make at this time, I know it’s extremely hard to do … but I’ve been in this league long enough, so I’ve seen a lot and I’ve been through a lot, and I think that helps me. It helps me move on. But as long as we’ve got a shot, as love as I’ve got a shot, I’m going to keep fighting. That’s just the way I am. That’s how I’m wired. I don’t know no other way, and I’m really hurting.”

The Seahawks’ other miscues included 12 penalties for 95 yards and more issues with the center-quarterback exchange, which also plagued them in their loss last week with the Buffalo Bills. One of Connor Williams’ shotgun snaps went right though Smith’s hands, while the quarterback appeared unready for another as the play clock was nearing zero. Seattle recovered both loose balls but lost a combined 44 yards.

“Connor’s doing a great job,” Smith said. “He’s doing a phenomenal job. Hat’s off to the way that he plays, how he competes. No one’s perfect out there. Nobody’s perfect. I’m not perfect. None of us are perfect, but we compete together, and we fight together and there’s a lot of things that we’ve got to clean up, sure enough. But just the way that we compete, the way that Conner’s out there competing, I’m not going to bat an eye. Whatever we’ve got to do to make it right, we’ll make it right.”

According to ESPN Research, the Seahawks are only the second team in the last 10 seasons to start 3-0 and fall to 4-5 or worse through nine games. They joined the 2021 Carolina Panthers, who finished that season 5-12.

“I think there’s a lot of different contributors, but if I’m being honest, man, I could play better and I could correct a lot of things,” said Smith, who now has 11 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions this season. “That’s the job of the quarterback is to overcome and ultimately to get wins. When we’re in position to get wins, I’ve got to make it happen.”