Seattle Seahawks Show Life Late, Trail Baltimore Ravens at Halftime
The Seattle Seahawks found themselves up against one of the best defenses in the NFL at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, and learned quickly that the praise surrounding the Baltimore Ravens is well deserved.
The Ravens (6-2) took a bit to find a groove against an elite Seattle (6-2) defense that forced two turnovers, but Baltimore built a 17-3 lead headed into halftime thanks to a pair of rushing touchdowns from running back Gus Edwards.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith went 6 of 14 passing for 93 yards and one interception through the first two quarters. He also lost a fumble. The Seahawks defense did its part with the two takeaways, but Smith and Co. were unable to capitalize on the extra possessions.
The Seahawks found life late after Smith connected with receiver DK Metcalf for a 50-yard catch-and-run near the end of the half that allowed Seattle to get into field goal range for Jason Myers, who nailed a 33-yard field goal with 59 seconds left. The Seahawks only had 50 total yards of offense before that play
Geno Smith
© Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY
Once the Ravens got the ball back, Odell Beckham Jr. fumbled with less than a minute left and handed possession back to Seattle. But on the ensuing drive, Smith was stripped in the pocket, as the Ravens recovered and got into range for a field goal from Justin Tucker with four seconds left.
The Seattle offense mustered only four first downs and 89 total yards in the first half. Smith now has a pick in four straight games after his interception in the second quarter sailed into the hands of Ravens defensive back Geno Stone, who has a league-leading six picks.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson went 12 of 16 passing for 125 yards in the first half. He added eight carries for 61 yards, which was highlighted by a 23-yard run.
The first score of the game came early in the second quarter after the Seahawks had punted for the third straight possession. Baltimore strung together a 12-play, 81-yard drive that ended with a four-yard rushing touchdown from Edwards.
It seemed like the Seahawks' defense had provided a crucial spark during the second quarter after Jackson was stripped by Seattle outside linebacker Boye Mafe. The However the Seahawks offense kept true to theme and were unable to capitalize on the takeaway after a quick three-and-out, something that happened once again later in the half after OBJ's fumble.
The Ravens will receive the second-half kickoff.
