'We Didn't Do Enough': Geno Smith Reflects On Seahawks' Disappointing Season, Future

Ultimately, Geno Smith's heroics down the stretch weren't enough to vault the Seattle Seahawks into the playoffs. But while the quarterback isn't pleased about missing the postseason, he remains confident in the direction of the franchise.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Finishing the 2023 season on a winning note, Geno Smith had plenty of reasons to smile following a 21-20 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Overcoming spotty pass protection as he has for much of the season, Smith willed Seattle past Arizona on its final possession, completing all four of his passes for 67 yards and hooking up with Tyler Lockett for a 37-yard touchdown pass. On the ensuing two-point conversion, he patiently progressed through his reads before connecting with Lockett again over the middle to give his team a one-point lead inside two minutes to play.

On an individual note, Smith closed out his second season as Seahawks starter putting himself in exclusive company in the NFL record books. Aside from leading the league with five game-winning drives in the fourth quarter this season, his touchdown to Lockett was his seventh go-ahead scoring toss in the final quarter, becoming the first player in league history to accomplish the feat.

But while Smith will have time to reflect on his historic performance in the clutch, the victory proved "bittersweet" as the Seahawks didn't make the playoffs thanks to the Packers beating the Bears at Lambeau Field. Finishing with nine wins for a second straight year wasn't enough to make the postseason this time around and in the end, he wishes he could have orchestrated one or two more game winning drives to prolong his team's season deeper into January.

“We didn’t do enough. We didn’t meet our goals. We have high expectations," Smith told reporters following Seattle's win in Arizona. "We believe that we can do some great things together as a team. For us not to make the playoffs is a disappointment for me."

Though he wasn't able to replicate his production from 2022, Geno Smith played his best football in the final month for the Seahawks, providing optimism despite missing the playoffs / © Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Statistically, Smith didn't approach his breakout numbers from last season when he earned Comeback Player of the Year honors and made his first Pro Bowl squad. After throwing 30 touchdown passes a year ago, he only threw 20 of them in 2022, while his completion percentage dipped nearly five percent from his league-best 69.7 percent rate and his passer rating dropped nearly 10 points.

But in his defense, Smith battled through injuries this season, including missing two games in December with a groin strain and playing through a bruised elbow/triceps in his throwing arm earlier in the season. He also played behind nine different offensive line combinations in 15 starts, rarely enjoying continuity in front of him due to injuries plaguing the Seahawks in the trenches and dealing with an inconsistent run game that only hit 100 rushing yards six times this season.

Through it all, though he couldn't quite lift the team to a wild card, Smith closed out the season playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL. Over his final four starts, he threw for 1,040 yards and tossed eight touchdowns compared to only one interception, posting a 102.4 passer rating during that span. He managed to take only four sacks in those contests, illustrating the masterful job he did down the stretch navigating the pocket and avoiding consistent pressure.

Playing at his best with a playoff spot on the line amid difficult circumstances at times, Smith also led two of his five game-winning drives down the stretch, putting a dagger in the Titans with a touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson in Week 16 before working his magic again lofting a perfectly thrown deep ball to Lockett after the two-minute warning on Sunday.

While disappointed by the final results and lamenting not being able to continue playing into the postseason, Smith took the optimistic road after Sunday's season-ending win at State Farm Stadium, saying coming up a game short would push him to elevate his training in the offseason to another level and that the fight demonstrated by his teammates will serve a young Seattle team well for the future.

"I look at those things as stepping stones and obstacles for me to get past. It will drive me this entire offseason," Smith remarked. "I am going to be as dialed in as I have ever been dialed in the offseason. For my teammates, for my coaches, I love the way we fought. I love the things that we battled through. It wasn’t always easy but we never quit, we never gave up. Had a bunch of games come down to last second drives and that speaks volumes to the type of team that we are. For me, I am going to look at it as it is, a disappointment and something that drives me forward.”

Unlike last offseason, barring an unforeseen move by Seattle to start over at quarterback, Smith shouldn't have to worry about his contract situation after signing a three-year contract last March. Of course, with him being 33 years old, it's possible - if not likely given the talent at the position in this year's class - the team could pick a signal caller early in the 2024 NFL Draft to groom behind him.

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Having spent seven years as a backup before his career renaissance in the Pacific Northwest, however, Smith isn't going to fret about his contract or the potential for a rookie to enter the mix. Believing he's a "championship quarterback," after falling short of expectations amid a frustrating season that didn't go as planned, he's already eager to get back to work and remains confident the franchise's young, talented nucleus is still positioned for great success moving forward.

“I wish that we had two or three more games that we won. I wish that we could continue to play. I love this team. I love my coaches. I love the guys. I love you guys. All of questions you ask me. The tough, the hard ones. It is fun. I never want these things to end. I feel like they end so abruptly. We just have to keep working. Keep going.”