Career night Geno Smith, defense yields in Seahawks’ MNF loss

Geno Smith fell to his knees. He bent over and put his hands on the turf.

He’d had a career throwing night. He couldn’t do anything else.

The quarterback can’t play defense, too.

Six other defensive starters who can didn’t for Seattle on Monday night.

That about sums up why the Seahawks got smashed by the zooming, roaring Detroit Lions for Seattle’s first loss of the season.

Pulling up on wild scrambles and throwing in the face of defenders charging at his chest, Smith kept willing and throwing his team back into this big-play game. But Jared Goff (18 for 18 passing), the running-back duo of David Montgomery with Jahmyr Gibbs and the Lions offense were too much. Much more than new coach Mike Macdonald’s schemes could mask amid all of Seattle’s injuries.

Seahawks’ defense was missing five front-line starters due to injuries and lost a sixth during the game when pro Bowl safety Julian Love left in the first half with a thigh issue. The Seahawks gained 516 yards — but their previously second-ranked defense allowed the Lions 389 in Seattle’s 42-29 loss at roaring Ford Field.

“Not a good enough performance for us,” Macdonald said following his first loss as a head coach.

“They definitely out-played us, on the defensive side of the ball for us.”

Kenneth Walker returned from missing two games by rushing for three touchdowns. Smith continued his standout quarterback play early this season. He set career highs of 38 completions in 56 attempts for 395 yards.

Detroit intercepted his 56th and final pass in the end zone with 1 minute left to seal the win.

In the end — and the start, and the middle of this game — the best game of Smith’s 12-year career couldn’t overcome his depleted defense.

So Seattle (3-1) was denied its third 4-0 start to a season in franchise history.

“That’s NFL football,” Smith, a native of Miami, said. “The only team that’s gone undefeated (to end a league season) is the ‘72 Dolphins.

“We’re just trying to go out there and win every game we can. Today, we didn’t get it done. But that’s why we’ve got next week.

“We’re going to improve.”

This is the first of three games for the Seahawks in 10 days. Up next after a 5-a.m.-ish arrival Tuesday back home: the New York Giants (1-3) at Lumen Field on Sunday, then the defending NFC-champion San Francisco 49ers (2-2) four days later, on Thursday Oct. 10.

“I will tell you this,” Macdonald said. “Our guys fought the heck out of that game. Went down to the last second. That’s what I’m most proud of right now.

“That’s what we’re going to hold onto, that. That’s a foundation that we’ve built here that we are going to push forward with.

“It’s obvious we’re not the team that we want to be yet. And we shouldn’t be the team that we’re going to be, you know.

“We have time to grow as a football team. …Just wasn’t good enough, especially on the defensive side of the ball today.”

Tyler Lockett rare penalty

The teams traded touchdowns late in the third quarter into the fourth. Seattle still trailed, 35-27.

Detroit had a third and 1, with much of its 95 yards rushing to that point between the tackles. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson called a toss sweep outside right. The Seahawks’ speed beat Detroit ball carrier David Montgomery for a 2-yard loss, the tackle by linebacker Tyrel Dodson.

Smith and Seattle’s offense had the ball back still down only one score, with just under 13 minutes left.

They moved to the Detroit 38, facing a fourth and 3. Smith rolled right and threw that way to Jaxon Smith-Njigba for an apparent first down. But for one of the first time in Tyler Lockett’s 10-year career, the wide receiver got penalized for one of his subtle, savvy, veteran moves. Officials flagged him for running into the nearest Lions cover man inside as Smith threw his key fourth-down pass, ruling Lockett’s contact illegally freed Smith-Njigba for the catch.

“That one, I was just trying to get into my route,” Lockett said at his locker in a quiet team room following the game.

On fourth and 13 instead of first down, Michael Dickson punted. And the depleted Seahawks defense yielded again.

A 29-yard pass by Goff, runs by Gibbs, and a 30-yard screen pass to tight end Sam LaPorta to the Seattle 10 put the Lions in position to go back up two scores. They did. Goff’s touchdown pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown essentially ended the game, putting Detroit up 42-27 with 5 1/2 minutes left.