Seattle Seahawks Geno Smith Takes Responsibility for Interceptions: 'Need to Be Better'
The Seattle Seahawks's winning streak ended on Sunday inside Paycor Stadium as they went in on the back of three-straight wins following a season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Rams but were instead bested by the Cincinnati Bengals, 17-13.
The Bengals managed to hold Seattle to just one touchdown despite multiple redzone trips and over 400 total yards of offense. However, what may have been most costly was the two interceptions thrown by quarterback Geno Smith, one of which came in the redzone.
Smith's first pick couldn't have come at a worse time for the Seahawks, as their defense started the second half of play with an interception of their own to give the offense a chance to reclaim the lead after being down 14-10 at halftime.
Driving 51 yards in eight plays, Smith had a pair of big hitters, one an 18-yard completion to D.K. Metcalf before a 23-yard gainer to Jake Bobo that helped set them up in Cincinnati's redzone. However, disaster struck as a pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba ended up in the hands of cornerback Mike Hilton.
“I need to be better," Smith said post-game about his first interception. "Can’t do that, especially in the red zone. Can’t put the ball in harm’s way. Like I said, the defense played a tremendous game, and we had points right there. I’ve got to protect the ball and I’ve got to be better.”
Luckily for Smith, the defense had his back, forcing a Bengals punt before the veteran quarterback led the Seahawks down the field to cut the deficit to a point with a field goal.
Oct 15, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) looks to throw in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.
Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
Then, following another Cincinnati punt and a chance for the Seahawks to use the momentum that they had built to start the second half, disaster struck twice, as Smith's pass intended for Metcalf was intercepted by Cameron Taylor-Britt. This time, it led to the Bengals capitalizing off of it with a field goal to take a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter.
“That’s on me," Smith said about his second pick. "Again, another chance for us to go down there and make plays and score points with our defense playing great, and didn’t do the right thing on that play. Those are things that are not characteristic of the way I’ve been playing, and I know that I can be a lot better. I need to look myself in the mirror and figure those things out, so I will.”
Smith is right. Up until Sunday, his level of performance had been similar to what it was last season when he won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year Award, as he had tossed just one interception and five touchdowns in four games.
Yet, even with Smith in the midst of his worst performance of the season to date, the Seahawks still had a chance to win the game, which made the loss even more difficult to swallow.
“You’ve got to flush it," Smith said. "If you play long enough in this game it will happen, but you have to flush it and you have to move on to the next one. We have a lot of football left to play. I believe in the type of player I am. I know today is not indicative of who I am as a player. A few mistakes that I’d love to have back but sometimes that happens in a game. You’ve just got to flush it and move on.”
