The significant defeat makes it clear who the Seahawks are: a team that isn't quite good enough

SEATTLE — The Seattle Seahawks spent the first half of this season searching for an identity on both sides of the ball while dealing with the growing pains that come with a new head coach and an inexperienced, chemistry-deprived group of assistants.

Despite those ups and downs, the questions about who the Seahawks are and what they would be under Mike Macdonald were difficult to answer – until Sunday's 26-20 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field.

That loss, the Seahawks' fourth straight home defeat and fifth in their last six contests overall, revealed the truth about Macdonald's team, which enters Week 10 in last place in the NFC West with a 4-5 record.

The Seahawks are a team that excels at not being quite good enough.

“If we sat here and said we were in a good position, we would be lying,” Seattle tight end AJ Barner said. “Everyone is hungry to play better.”

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Robinson's TD grab gives the Rams a 26-20 OT win over the Seahawks: Takeaways

Seattle committed harsh penalties and costly turnovers on Sunday, but still had a chance to beat the Rams after winning the coin toss early in overtime. The team needed 1 yard twice from the Rams' 16-yard line to extend the game-winning drive, but Ken Walker III was stopped on consecutive runs, giving Los Angeles (4-4) the ball on the 17.

“Fear of money doesn’t make money,” receiver Tyler Lockett said, approving of Seattle’s decision in Game 4. “The way we ran the ball, the way we played out there, a lot of things went our way. We were at home; Fans were inside. Why not get started now?”

Macdonald added: “We need to be able to get half a yard in two strikes. Great football teams convert third, fourth and short balls and right now we’re not doing that.”

Matthew Stafford only needed a field goal drive to win, but instead managed an 83-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 39-yard play-action heave to receiver Demarcus Robinson with cornerback Riq Woolen in coverage ended. Woolen had a chance to tie the game earlier in the drive when a Stafford pass went right into his hands, but receiver Tyler Johnson stepped in front of him and caught the ball for a 24-yard gain. Woolen was beaten three games later to win the game (Woolen declined a post-game interview request).

MATTHEW STAFFORD TO DEMARCUS ROBINSON ONE-HAND TD TO WIN THE GAME FOR THE @RAMSNFL! pic.twitter.com/xqFG6xQ4eS

– NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

“He’s a great player,” Seattle safety Coby Bryant said of Woolen, his 2022 draft classmate, who intercepted Stafford in the second quarter. “Things happen. Great defense, great catch. Kudos to her. We will see her again.”

Bryant is referring to the Week 18 rematch, which Seattle hopes still has meaning at this point in the year. The Seahawks are 0-2 in the NFC West, 1-4 in conference play and have just a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 7 percent chance of winning the division The Athletics Projection model. Seattle has created a deep hole for itself after a 3-0 start.

“Not where we want to be, especially given our start,” said quarterback Geno Smith, who took responsibility for the loss after throwing three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. “We actually had a chance to win in all the games we lost. And that's how it will be in this league; It’s always a one-score league.”

Smith is mostly right. Seattle had the ball and had a chance to tie or take the lead in the fourth quarter or overtime in four of its five losses (last week against Buffalo was the exception). Seattle's only game-winning performance this season came in Week 2 against the Patriots, who are 2-7.

“Really proud of these guys, how they all fought until the end,” left defenseman Laken Tomlinson said. “We just have to finish. We gotta finish, man.”

Seattle struggled through most of the first half and was down 3-0 when it got the ball with 3:31 left in the second quarter. The Seahawks rushed 70 yards in nine plays and took a 6-3 lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Lockett. Smith used a tough count to knock several defenders offside, leading to a free play and leaving cornerback Darious Williams Lockett wide open on the sideline. Lockett's catch came on third-and-8 and was Seattle's second third-down conversion of the game. The other was a 4-yard Walker run on third-and-1 early in the drive.

Three plays into the Rams' ensuing possession, Stafford, in a one-on-one duel with Woolen, threw a jump ball to receiver Puka Nacua, who jumped and intercepted the pass at the 25-yard line with 27 seconds left. During Woolen's celebration, Nacua got into an altercation with Tyrel Dodson, lashed out at the linebacker in response to the shove and was ejected while being assessed a 15-yard penalty.

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Rams WR Puka Nacua exits in the second quarter against the Seahawks

On Seattle's second play of the ensuing series, another hard count gave Smith a free play, which he took advantage of again, finding a wide-open Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 46 yards to the Rams' 24-yard line. Smith and Smith-Njigba managed two plays again for a 24-yard touchdown when the receiver broke free on a post route with five seconds left.

Seattle went into the break with a 13-3 lead. A crowd that booed the offense early in the first quarter cheered as the Seahawks stormed into the locker room at halftime.

But the third quarter belonged to the Rams, who scored 75 and 62 yards while the Seahawks went scoreless on their only possession. That drive stalled in part because of a holding penalty that wiped out a 40-yard completion from Smith-Njigba and led to a running play on third-and-26. That was the first of two explosive receptions by Smith-Njigba that were negated by calls on sixth-round rookie Mike Jerrell, who came off the bench when George Fant suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. Jerrell also had a holding penalty in the fourth quarter that negated a 38-yard catch by Smith-Njigba, Seattle's leading receiver with a career-high 180 yards on seven catches.

Smith completed 21 of 34 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns, but was also picked off near the goal line on consecutive drives in the fourth quarter. On first-and-goal from the 6, Smith held the ball too long and was hit trying to throw it out of the back of the end zone. The ball went straight to safety Kamren Kitchens, who returned it 103 yards for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 20-13 lead. Smith said he could have gotten rid of the ball sooner instead of holding on to it and trying to make a play.

103-YARD PICK-6!

Kamren Kinchens makes it to the end @RamsNFL 🙌

📺: #LARvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/vEVC2pom4i

– NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2024

Seattle's next drive ended with second-and-goal from the 4 when the timing of a short pass to Barner was messed up because the tight end ran afoul of a defensive lineman. Kinchens chose that too. Smith said Barner's capture was no excuse for his interception.

“My decisions affect everyone, not just myself,” Smith said. “I have to get better. I'm not just saying this to say it – I really know that I can get better. It hurts me that I couldn’t make it today.”

Smith rushed for 86 yards on the game-winning drive to end regulation despite being sacked for the seventh time early in the series. He completed a 28-yard pass down the sideline to receiver Cody White — making his regular-season debut after being cut from the practice squad — scrambled for 11 yards and completed back-to-back passes to Smith-Njigba, one for 29 yards on fourth-and-5 and another for a 14-yard touchdown with 51 seconds left. Smith and Smith-Njigba also scored 31 yards in overtime after another hard count resulted in an offside penalty.

Despite these clutch plays, two of the Seahawks' biggest weaknesses came to the fore. According to TruMedia, Seattle's offense was one of the league's worst in targeted running back carries in this game, and its defense entered Week 8 with the fourth-worst play-action defense.

Walker had 83 yards on 25 carries and accounted for most of Seattle's yards in overtime, but the blocking wasn't enough to gain a first down on two straight plays with the game on the line. Seattle's defense improved against the run (Kyren Williams had just 69 yards on 22 carries), but when Stafford needed big plays in overtime, he used play-action bootlegs to his left; First he fended off Tutu Atwell for 16 yards, then again to Robinson for the game-winner.

Seattle can name its fight and resilience on the list of things to promote heading into the bye week. But the Rams, who have won three straight, can point to better execution. And in such a tight division race, that's the difference between looking for answers from fourth place and charging for the division lead in the second half of the season.

“There’s still eight games left, man,” Smith said. “Everything we work on in the offseason, all the hard work we put in all week, this is this final stretch. It’s about that eight-game stretch.”

(Photo by Geno Smith: Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)