Sometimes, my homer tendencies get the better of me. Actually, this happens quite a bit. As much as I try to safe guard against this, my eternal optimism about the Seattle Seahawks can lead me to some pretty ridiculous assertions.

For example, heading into this Monday Night Football game in Detroit, I had myself convinced that, even though we were minus what was essentially our starting defensive line, we were going to win this game. I tried to bury these thoughts deep inside me, but a couple hours before kickoff, I started messaging friends that I thought we were winning this game.

I thought Geno Smith was going to be a hot hand at quarterback (he was).

I thought Ken Walker was going to have a night, as well (he did).

I thought DK Metcalf was also going to show up big (he mostly did).

I thought we were going to cool down hot pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson (we did that).

I thought the defense minus Big Cat Williams, Boye Mafe, Byron Murphy II, and Uchenna Nwuso, and Jerome Baker was going to be fine (holy fuck balls was I ever wrong about that).

I’m not going to cry over spilled milk about this game. The Detroit Lions are a very good football team, and the nucleus of them has been growing together for a few years now. They are the fourth favored NFL team to win the Super Bowl this year by Vegas odds. They have good coaches, a good veteran quarterback, playmakers, and a special player on defense who poses a problem every Sunday. Losing 29-42 to this team on the road without five of your best players on defense is not the end of the world for what Seattle can positively be this year.

In fact, in some ways, I found things in this loss pretty damn encouraging.

For the first time this season, I felt Ryan Grubb’s playbook really open up, and as Seattle got themselves into a deep hole in the first half, I thought Geno Smith executed this offense really well fighting from behind. They were able to make it a competitive game heading into the fourth quarter, which considering the big point deficit, was impressive.

I know some people are going to judge Geno’s stat line in this one, and note that he only threw one touchdown and had a questionable pick in the end, but I felt Geno Smith played really, really well under the circumstances of having no defense stepping up to stop Jared Goff and company. He was in full command of every play, played valiant under pressure, and was completely surgical spreading the ball around, and attacking a good defense. There were other stars on offense, though.

The power trio of DK, JSN, and Tyler Lockett at receiver had themselves a game, but for my money, with K9 back in this offense, you could sense his unique cheat code potential as an explosive runner and receiver. I think he is the true X factor for Grubb’s play calling moving forward, and I really, really truly hope he stays healthy enough this season because we are about to have tons of fun watching him play.

You could also feel other young players like Zach Charbonnet, Jake Bobo, rookie tight end AJ Barner, and Laviska Shenault find themselves making plays, as well. Seattle is ripe with talent at the offensive skill positions, and for the first time this season, we witnessed the full quality of their depth, and it was against a good team. This is encouraging.

I thought the offensive line started to gel better in this game. They’re still a work in progress, but I felt their progress. Stone Forysthe was constantly attacked by Aidan Hutchinson, and he held him in check. Anthony Bradford played a clean game. Rookie Christian Haynes was shown putting Hutch on his ass on Ford Field in one pass blocking play.

Circling back to Seahawk QB1, I get the sense from Geno Smith that there is going to be a game around the corner where he’s due to throw about four or five touchdowns. Right now, he has only thrown one touchdown per game, and he’s also had four interceptions against him. It’s a weird stat line considering how good he has looked, but this game against the Lions made me think that this offense is right on the cusp of seeing him explode as a passer.

A few things got in the way for him, and the offense in Detroit. Mainly, the fucking refs got in the way.

In my opinion, this was one of the worst lopsided officiated games going against Seattle that I have seen in some time. The botched two point conversion that DK got that would have made it a six point game. The bogus interference call against Tyler Lockett the negated a crucial first down, my god did that ever suck dog dung. The defensive pass interference no call with DK Metcalf in the end zone. All of this took crucial points off of the board for Seattle that they desperately needed in the end.

But while the refs clearly interfered with Seattle’s ability to pull off an improbable upset, Seattle, themselves, often could not get out of their own way. This is the big step back for this team that now falls on Mike Macdonald and his coaches to correct.

DK Metcalf, as brilliant as he was in moments, needed to not fumble the ball heading towards the red zone early in the first half while fighting through contact against multiple defenders trying to take him down and strip out the ball. I appreciate his fight, and DK critics can eat my dirty landscaping socks, but he needs to protect that damn football at all costs.

Devon Witherspoon needed to wrap up David Montgomery in the backfield, instead of trying to throw his 180 pound body at a 220 running back for a knockout blow. I don’t think he had his best game in coverage, either, as he later found himself getting twisted a round on a big slant pass downfield, and gave up an easy touchdown.

This defense was minus it’s two best interior pass rushers, and two best edge rushers, it’s starting WILL linebacker, and free safety when Julian Love got knocked out of the game, and this made things very hard on the day. However, under these circumstances, you need your best players playing their best ball, not their worst. Spoon is probably the best player on defense, and he needed to play this one like it.

He’s young, talented, and I think a pretty serious minded football player. Expect him to bounce back big this Sunday against the Giants. I think this entire defense will.

On one positive plus side of a dismal night of defense, it was cool seeing second year edge rusher Derick Hall collect his fourth sack in four games. I think there is a talented young nucleus brewing up front with Hall, Boye Mafe, and Byron Murphy, and this has me very excited about the future of this team. This is what we want to see in the early portions of the Macdonald era.

So, in the end, I am not really all that upset about this loss. I like how this offense stepped up its game substantially, and I think the mistakes made on defense are largely correctable.

Mike Macdonald said it himself postgame. The proper angles and good tackling that the back end of this defense had demonstrated for the first three games of the year did not show up in Detroit, and they intend to work on it this week.

Here is my vibe on this moving forward. If the New York Giants thought this Sunday was going to be a good time to venture into Lumen Field to catch the Seattle Seahawks off guard, I think they’re pretty much going to be royally hosed now.

This Sunday is going to be Mike Macdonald’s first real get right game to get his defenders refocused on the fundamentals. They are going to be extremely motivated to correct coarse against the Giants with San Francisco looming next Thursday for them.

But as for Ryan Grubb and what he’s got cooking with Geno and K9 now?

Yeah, I am really exciting about seeing where all that might go. I am perfectly willing to put this game in Detroit away fast for what I think might be down the horizon.

Go Hawks