Larry Stone: The Seahawks need to quickly realize that they aren’t as good as we initially believed.
MARYLAND — When asked what lessons could be learned from the disaster that was the Seahawks’ 37-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, cornerback Tre Brown may have revealed the harshest reality of all. “We’ve got to take accountability,” he stated. “We underestimate our own abilities.” That was made abundantly clear when the Ravens dominated, trampled, and occasionally completely embarrassed the Seahawks. Pete Carroll, the coach of the Seahawks, had described this game as a measuring stick, but in this case the measurement was off by yards, possibly even miles.
It was the kind of lopsided defeat that the Carroll era just doesn’t see, unless it happens very infrequently and then necessitates the kind of serious reflection the Seahawks are currently facing. Only their 42-7 loss to the Rams in 2017 was greater than the 34-point deficit, which tied for the second-largest margin of defeat since Carroll took over in 2010. And if the Ravens had not shown mercy in the closing seconds and dropped to the Seattle 4-yard line, it would have been the absolute worst — the lowest point of the Carroll era. Carroll remarked, “This was about as unfamiliar as we can get here.”
About the game, Bobby Wagner, whose career almost spans that period, remarked, “It’s tough to process.” the middle After giving it some thought, Evan Brown said, “We got [expletive]-kicked.” Fair but firm. After recovering two fumble recoveries in the second quarter, the Seahawks had two opportunities to regain some semblance of control of the game, but they were completely outplayed on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks must now “build off whatever you did well and fix what you did poorly,” according to Brown. That will take a lot more work to fix than to build.
After a thrilling victory over the Browns and a (seemingly) improving defense, there was growing speculation that the Seahawks had what it took to make a Super Bowl run. Leonard Williams, a defensive lineman, was acquired early in the week, which was welcomed as an indication by Seahawks management that they thought they had a good enough chance to pursue that goal to possibly mortgage part of their future. By halftime, when the Ravens bullied a Seattle defense that appeared to consider tackling a non-essential activity, Williams may have asked himself if this was all a dream and that he was actually back with the New York Giants.
As a matter of fact, only one team appeared to be Super Bowl-caliber on the field at M&T Bank Stadium, and that was the team under the skillful leadership of Lamar Jackson. And the one that held the Seahawks to just six first downs and 28 yards of rushing. Quarterback Geno Smith of the Seattle Seahawks aptly described the team’s 1-for-12 third-down performance as “just not good enough.” It’s awful, and we won’t win because of that. We must make that correction.”
For the fourth consecutive game, Smith committed at least two turnovers, leaving a list of errors to be fixed. On a play where he and Tyler Lockett were obviously not in sync, he threw an interception. He also lost a strip sack, which was more representative of a strong Baltimore pass rush that the Seahawks offensive line appeared to be unable to stop for a significant portion of the afternoon.
Carroll stood up for Smith, essentially stating that the team’s shortcomings caused the loss. “I think this is about our football team not answering the bell here,” he stated. The important question to add to Tre Brown’s assertion that the Seahawks aren’t as good as they thought they were is: Can they improve to the point where they can achieve their goals?
There were the customary platitudes in the somber locker room after the game about not letting one defeat define them. It’s true that despite the loss, the Seahawks’ 5-3 record is identical to that of the 49ers, who currently lead the division. Their victories over Cleveland and Detroit are truly remarkable. However, it demonstrates the gap that exists between the Seahawks and the true elite, as they were exposed by an NFL team that may turn out to be the best. It is now their responsibility to close that gap over the coming weeks. Carroll is a proud coach who knows how to bring out the best in a team when things are tough, and this ability will be put to the test.
Following Seattle’s 515-151 defeat, many questions emerged. Of those, 298 were on the ground for Baltimore, which was only able to miss 300 due to those two late kneel downs. Put differently, over ten times as many rushing yards as the Seahawks, who, under Carroll, consider the running game to be the cornerstone of their success. When the media is rummaging through the record books in the fourth quarter to find out where the Seahawks stood in terms of the worst losses as a franchise, the number of games in a row with multiple turnovers, the number of rushing yards allowed, and other indicators of a bad afternoon, it’s never a good thing.
Carroll described a scenario in which losing is a catalyst for growth and change. “I would like that this game was maybe a marker that this is where things shifted, and we came right back and got back on track, and we see us come back to who we are,” Carroll said. Simple to say, much more difficult to do. Carroll can at least point to the disheartening loss to the Rams in the first game of the season, which was immediately followed by an exciting road victory over the Lions.
Carroll described a scenario in which losing is a catalyst for growth and change. “I would like that this game was maybe a marker that this is where things shifted, and we came right back and got back on track, and we see us come back to who we are,” Carroll said. Simple to say, much more difficult to do. Carroll can at least point to the disheartening loss to the Rams in the first game of the season, which was immediately followed by an exciting road victory over the Lions.
Yes, it was difficult to understand. Midway through last week, Carroll had expressed excitement about this matchup by saying, “This feels like a championship game again.” However, the Seahawks feel that distinction and goal are further away than they ever could have imagined.
