Grading the Seahawks in their 17-13 loss to the Bengals
Published 1:49 pm Sunday, October 15, 2023
Here’s how the Seattle Seahawks grade out in their 17-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Paycor Stadium:
OFFENSE
This game was all about the red zone for Seattle’s offense. All the raw numbers — yards (381), first downs (24), third-down conversions (42%) —look fine. But the Seahawks marched inside Cincinnati’s 20-yard line five times and came away with just one touchdown and one field goal, and Seattle twice turned the ball over on downs, including inside the final minute with the game on the line. Quarterback Geno Smith seemed hesitant all day, and both of his interceptions came at bad times for the Seahawks. He wasn’t helped by his protection (four sacks, 13 quarterback hits), which largely fell apart in the second half once the Bengals began blitzing.
Grade: D
DEFENSE
Seattle’s defense started the day poorly, allowing Cincinnati long, methodical touchdown drives on each of its first two possessions. But the defense picked it up considerably after that as it took away the short passes and dared the Bengals to beat it deep or with the run, which Cincinnati was unable to do. The Bengals’ 214 yards were the fewest the Seahawks have allowed in a game since 2020, and time after time in the second half (just 52 yards after halftime) Seattle got stops to give the offense a chance to go ahead or win it. The defense was the reason why the Seahawks were in it at the end.
Grade: A-
SPECIAL TEAMS
Punter Michael Dickson is usually an incredible weapon for the Seahawks with his ability to shift the field, but he uncharacteristically wasn’t able to pin Cincinnati deep the way he usually does when punting from midfield. Kicker Jason Myers was 0-for-2 on field goals from 50-plus yards coming into the game, but he put a 55-yarder right down the middle to get back to his usual dependability on kicks from long range. Returner DeeJay Dallas had a good punt return to set the Seahawks up on a short field in the third quarter. Kick and punt coverage was generally good, if not perfect.
Grade: B-
COACHING
Full credit to defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt, who recognized that the Bengals were moving the ball almost exclusively with short passing on their first two drives, then adjusted to take that away. It was a move for which Cincinnati had no answer. The coaching staff still seems incapable/unwilling of reining in receiver DK Metcalf, who took yet another unnecessary 15-yard penalty. Seattle should have had the advantage of coming off a bye, which allowed banged-up players to heal and gave coaches extra time to prepare. Instead, the Seahawks lost their post-bye game for the fourth straight year.
Grade: C
OVERALL
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said during his postgame press conference that he was proud of the way the Seahawks played. While that definitely is true of the defense, it was less true of the offense, and that’s a concern considering the offense wasn’t exactly humming prior to the bye. The good news is that the day’s results were largely positive for Seattle, including NFC West leader San Francisco suffering its first defeat of the season at Cleveland, and at 3-2 the Seahawks remain in a solid position. But as proud as Carroll was, he preaches finishing, and Seattle didn’t finish at all on offense.
Grade: C
– Nick Patterson, Herald writer
