Thursday showed us the real Seahawks, and they’re not good enough to compete with NFL’s best

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Thursday showed us the real Seahawks, and they’re not good enough to
compete with NFL’s best
Nov. 23, 2023 at 10:11 pm
Geno Smith looks at the replay of his 5-yard sack on third-and-goal from
the 7-yard line in the third quarter against the 49ers on Thursday at
Lumen Field. The Seahawks lost 31-13. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)

Geno Smith looks at the replay of his 5-yard sack on third-and-goal from
the 7-yard line in the third quarter against the 49ers on Thursday at
Lumen Field. The Seahawks lost 31-13. (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times)
Matt Calkins By Matt Calkins
Seattle Times columnist
If that surprised you, perhaps Harlem Globetrotter victories do, too.

Maybe Batman besting the Joker, or James Bond getting the girl, or the
sun shining in San Diego shocks you to your core.

There might have been a brief window Thursday night when it seemed like
a Seattle comeback was possible, but the final score reading 49ers 31,
Seahawks 13 accurately depicts the lopsided nature of this game. When
exactly was it over?

Probably before it started.

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The Seahawks’ last two meetings with NFL elites — the 49ers (8-3) on
Thursday and the Ravens (8-3), who won 37-3 on Nov. 5 — have revealed
what most of their games suggested: This team is simply not equipped to
compete with the top tier of the league.

Yes, there was the road win against Detroit (8-3) in Week 2, in which
Seattle quarterback Geno Smith had his finest performance of the season.
But it’s safe to call that an outlier at this point.

The Seahawks are still that thing they were all last season, and what
most expected them to be this season — average. Don’t expect that to
change before year’s end.

The difference between San Francisco’s and Seattle’s capabilities was
evident immediately Thursday. The Niners drove 71 yards for a touchdown
on nine plays on their first possession, and at one point had 12 first
downs to the Seahawks’ zero. It was 24-3 at halftime, and if not for a
66-yard kickoff return by Seattle’s Dee Eskridge in the first quarter,
it would have been 24-0.

Moving the ball was futile against a Niners team that came into the game
fifth in the NFL in total defense. The Seahawks’ 56 net yards in the
first half proved as much. Trying to slow down a San Francisco team that
came into the game third in total offense was equally fruitless. The
49ers had possession of the ball for 22 minutes and 31 seconds in the
first half, 35 minutes and 30 seconds for the game and outgained the
Seahawks 377 to 220.

The short-lived stretch of hope? That came in the third quarter, after
Seattle linebacker Jordyn Brooks intercepted a ball that bounced off
running back Christian McCaffrey’s hand and ran it 12 yards into the end
zone to make it 24-10. A defensive stop on the Niners’ next possession
ensued, followed by a Seahawks field goal on a drive that got as close
as the San Francisco 7.

Then reality woke up from its siesta.

Seattle didn’t make any serious scoring threat in the final quarter. In
fact, if not for a seasonlong kickoff return, a pick that fell right
into a linebacker’s hands and a career-highlight, one-handed snag by
receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, there would have been no scoring threats at
all.

The worst part for the Seahawks (6-5), who have now lost two straight —
Thursday was probably the best chance they had at a win during this
merciless four-game stretch.

Next Thursday, they have Dallas (8-3) on the road. Then, it’s another
tango with San Francisco — which has outscored the Seahawks 120 to 56 in
their past four meetings — but this time in California. Then, they host
the 9-1 Eagles.

I wrote Sunday that anything better than 1-3 over that stint would be
considered a success. Based on what we saw Thursday, I’ll amend that to
one win will be a success.

This team has struggled with subpar opponents all season — losing twice
to the Rams and getting fits from the Commanders (4-8) and even Panthers
(1-9). It has also gone seven straight quarters and 20 straight
possessions without an offensive touchdown.

“It’s been a tough stretch for us,” said Smith, who finished with 180
yards, no touchdowns and one interception on 18-of-27 passing. “There is
no excuse for it. There is no, you know, words that I can say to make it
better. … I think what we have to do is continue to work hard, if not
work harder.”

About 20 minutes earlier, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was asked about
the lopsided losses to the Niners and Ravens and how they compare to the
league’s best.

“We got plenty of chances. We got plenty of chances coming up,” he said.
“This is playoff time every week.”

But it was a follow-up question about how far Pete thinks the Seahawks
lag behind the Niners that seemed to strike a nerve.

“What?” said Carroll, who clearly heard the question. “They had a really
good first half and jumped on us. I can’t make that determination.”

OK, I’ll make it. They’re way behind. An ultramarathon behind.

There’s the NFL’s top tier and then there’s Seattle — mired in the
middle with little hope of moving up.

Matt Calkins: mcal...@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @matt_calkins. Matt
Calkins joined The Seattle Times in August 2015 as a sports columnist
after three years at the San Diego Union Tribune. Never afraid to take a
stand or go off the beaten path, Matt enjoys writing about the human
condition every bit as much as walk-offs or buzzer-beaters. His mom
reads the comments so take it easy on him.