Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks Looking to Snap Five-Game Losing Streak to San Francisco 49ers

Without a win in the rivalry series since 2021, the Seahawks will need to bring their best to maintain a lead in the NFC West with the 49ers coming to town.

Nov 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

RENTON, Wash. - Since taking the reins under center replacing Russell Wilson, Geno Smith has orchestrated a rare career renaissance with the Seattle Seahawks, leading the team to a playoff berth, making two Pro Bowl rosters, and winning Comeback Player of the Year honors.

But while Smith has enjoyed tremendous success in two-plus seasons as Seattle's starter, he has yet to engineer a win against the franchise's most bitter rival in San Francisco, as the team has dropped five consecutive games in the series dating back to the start of the 2022 season. The veteran has started four of those games - former backup Drew Lock started in a loss at Santa Clara last November - and the Seahawks have lost three of those contests by 10 or more points.

For his part, Smith has played fairly well against the 49ers, completing 72 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and over 800 passing yards. But he has been under constant siege, taking 12 sacks in those games, including a strip-sack in the red zone in the wild card round two years ago that led to an avalanche as San Francisco turned a close game into a 41-23 laugher.

Preparing to face the 49ers for a fifth time with both teams coming off of losses on Sunday and rekindling their rivalry on a short week, Smith still sees the same defense with a new coordinator in Nick Sorenson, a former Seahawks assistant under Pete Carroll. With that familiarity, he's banking on fifth time being a charm for him and his teammates playing at Lumen Field in prime time.

"They play together, they fly around, they’ve got swagger," Smith said on Tuesday. "They're proven, they believe in themselves. They come right in, they're not going to try and trick you as far as scheme goes. They're going to line up and force you to beat them for 60 minutes. We respect them. They've been a great team, especially in recent years. It's time for us to go out there and get it done."

Coming into Thursday's game with a 2-3 record, San Francisco hasn't been its usual dominant self to open the new season, suffering heart-breaking losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals after having double-digit leads in both games. Turnovers have been a significant issue, as quarterback Brock Purdy has thrown four interceptions and the team has fumbled 11 times, including Jordan Mason losing one against the Cardinals last week.

With that said, the 49ers still have posted a dead-even turnover margin so far due to their opportunistic defense led by All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner and superstar edge rusher Nick Bosa. Warner already has two interceptions and has forced three fumbles, while Bosa has an interception and forced fumble to go with three sacks.

In four games, San Francisco has manufactured nine turnovers, tied for the seventh-most in the NFL. Even with two different coordinators calling plays in 2022 and 2023, they finished in the top five both seasons, including forcing eight turnovers in four regular season games against Seattle.

"I think what they do well is, obviously, they're great at causing turnovers," Smith remarked. "You talk about personnel, Nick Bosa, one of the better d-ends [defensive ends] in the league. Then you got Fred Warner, one of the better middle linebackers in the game. They got playmakers all around the defense."

If there's a time for the Seahawks to break through against the 49ers once-vaunted defense, however, Thursday night may be the perfect opportunity. Injuries have been a major problem for the defending NFC champions, as defensive tackle Javon Hargrave landed on season-ending injured reserve last month and standout safety Talanoa Hufanga will miss at least four games with torn wrist ligaments. Linebacker Dre Greenlaw remains on the PUP list as well and has yet to make his 2024 debut.

In addition, San Francisco lost several quality players during the offseason, starting with releasing long-time starting defensive tackle Arik Armstead in a cost-saving move. Former first-round picks Chase Young and Javon Kinlaw left to sign with New Orleans and the New York Jets respectively, further depleting talent and depth along the defensive line.

Though they still rank a respectable 12th overall in scoring, they have allowed at least 23 points in all three of their losses and there have been some noticeable areas of regression digging deeper into stats. For one, they rank 21st in rushing yards per attempt after finishing 14th in that category last season. Secondly, they rank 18th in touchdown passes allowed after finishing eighth in 2023, showing that teams have found more success finishing drives through the air against them.

When it comes to the run game, Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb came under fire after last Sunday's loss to the Giants when star running back Ken Walker III received just five carries in the game, accepting the blame for not calling enough run plays in the defeat. With Bosa and Leonard Floyd ready to pin their ears back and come after Smith, they will have to prioritize the ground game as a means to protect their quarterback and open up the playbook.

"Our running game has got to be the defining factor for our offense," Smith explained. "I think as we go along throughout the season, the pass [and] run numbers tend to balance up. But we definitely want to run the ball. We definitely want to be physical upfront. We want to set the tone that way, and we need those guys. We've got great running backs. We've got great linemen, and we've got to continue to rely on those guys."

If Grubb can get Walker and Zach Charbonnet established, Seattle's chances of ending a two-year drought against San Francisco will go up exponentially. The 49ers lost to the Rams without star receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, giving up a 50-yard reception to Tutu Atwell in the defeat. The Seahawks have a far better arsenal with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba all ready to roll for Thursday night, which will put stress on a secondary that has given up an 8.3 percent explosive pass rate this year.

Of course, to have any shot at taking advantage of that receiving trio, the key will be protecting Smith, who has been battered and bruised to a pulp every time the Seahawks have played the 49ers over the past couple of years. Considering the offensive line has struggled mightily for the most part in the first five weeks, Thursday's test will be a chance to demonstrate positive growth against a quality opponent that doesn't have as much defensive line depth overall as it has in past seasons.

Understanding the importance of winning on Thursday night beyond simply snapping a long losing streak, Smith holds the utmost respect for the 49ers, but he believes in the talent the Seahawks have to stand toe-to-toe with their rivals. After coming up short several games in a row, he's hopeful his team will be the one that can throw the knockout punch this time around.

"We know how big this rivalry is. These are predominantly two of the better teams in the league over the past 10 years, and it's always going to be a slugfest. Like I said, we respect those guys. They have some great players on their side, and they're proven. As far as we go, we've proven ourselves as well, but it's a big-time matchup. Great players all over the field and a lot to be excited for."