3 important lessons from Seahawks week 12

1. Seattle Made the Wrong Choice With Geno Smith

It’s always 20/20 in retrospect. Let’s clear it up first. Even so, did Gene Smith ever inspire you with the belief that he would appear to be a quarterback worthy of the Super Bowl? Smith has some obvious shortcomings, but he can also manage a game. Give Smith credit where credit is due, though. Although he had a fantastic 2022 season, it was difficult to be thrilled when the organization announced that he would be signing a three-year agreement in the offseason. If the Seahawks are content to be mediocre in a weak conference, Smith is a good quarterback. Even still, it’s difficult to see him as the one who will guide them to the promised land.

2. The Defense is Inconsistent 

In Week 12, despite the offense’s lackluster performance in the first half, the defense did not help them. In this game, the 49ers’ offensive success was mostly dependent on big plays, and the Seahawks’ defense bears a large portion of the responsibility. The 49ers do have a lot of offensive weapons, but Seattle needs to execute much better. There will be growing pains on this defense because some components are here to stay for the foreseeable future. Perhaps we’re just having too many expectations of this squad at the moment.

Definitely not the same Legion of Boom that helped the Seahawks win Super Bowls. The 49ers’ offense cannot be allowed to feast like it did in Week 12 against the Seahawks defense in a divisional game on a short week.

3. Draft Mistakes Evident in Week 12

More uncertainties now exist regarding the Seahawks’ approach to the 2023 NFL Draft. With the fifth overall pick, the Seahawks selected Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, and in the second round, they grabbed running back Zach Charbonnet. Prior to the draft, there were definitely concerns about Jaleen Carter’s maturity with the Georgia Bulldogs, but those are now in the past.

Carter is the kind of defensive talent the Seahawks might have used but passed on. A year after selecting Kenneth Walker, the Seahawks also used their second-round pick to choose a running back. It’s reasonable to argue that Seattle could have made greater use of their first-round draft selections. Not that any of these choices won’t work out, but there was a discussion about them just after the decision was made, and we now have evidence to support our theory that they should have chosen a different course.