'It's Very Personal': Geno Smith, Seahawks Looking to Snap Drought vs. 49ers

Geno Smith has had plenty of success as a starting quarterback for the Seahawks, but unlike his predecessor, he hasn't been able to slay the 49ers yet.

Jan 14, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) makes a throw in the second quarter of a wild card game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

RENTON, Wash. - Since stepping in as Russell Wilson's replacement under center for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, Geno Smith has enjoyed a career renaissance matched by few quarterbacks in NFL history.

After spending seven seasons as a backup with four different franchises, Smith tossed 30 touchdown passes in his first year under center for Seattle, winning Comeback Player of the Year honors and earning his first Pro Bowl nod as he led the team to a surprise playoff berth. Even with his overall numbers declining last season and missing a pair of starts due to injury, he made the Pro Bowl roster again as the team narrowly missed the postseason with a 9-8 record.

But while Smith has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments in two-plus seasons as the Seahawks starter, he still has one monkey that he has yet to get off his back. Winless against the 49ers in five starts, including a wild card defeat in 2022 and a more recent Week 6 defeat at Lumen Field, he understands that he and his teammates can't take the next step towards returning to contender status until they slay the dragon.

"It's very personal," Smith said prior to Thursday's practice. "When you think about division opponents, these games matter the most, especially with the 49ers. They've been at the top of the division, one of the best teams in the league for a while now. If we want to be the type of team we say we are, we've got to go through teams like this."

In fairness to Smith, he's hardly been the only reason that the Seahawks haven't beaten the 49ers since 2021. In four regular season games against the bitter rival, he has completed north of 67 percent of his passes and added 41 rushing yards on eight carries, while he threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-23 loss in the playoffs two years ago. He managed to do this while under constant duress, taking 15 sacks behind a porous offensive line.

Back in Week 6, Smith also threw a costly fourth quarter interception that DK Metcalf took the blame for, as the receiver admitted to reporters that he ran his route incorrectly based on the coverage and allowed cornerback Renardo Green to undercut him for an easy pick.

Meanwhile, Seattle's defense has been unable to solve coach Kyle Shanahan's offense, allowing at least 27 points in four of those five games, including 36 points last month in the first divisional meeting when tight end George Kittle caught two touchdowns and San Francisco rumbled for 228 rushing yards. Whether Pete Carroll or Mike Macdonald has been the coach on the sideline, it hasn't mattered with Christian McCaffrey, Kittle, Deebo Samuel, and others ripping off chunk play after chunk play against a helpless defense.

"Eye discipline is at a premium. There are a lot of moving parts," Macdonald said of the challenges of defending Shanahan's scheme. "Distributions and how the number count changes quickly and how well he changes angles and numbers, I think is up there with the best in the league. And then I'd say like the timing and the precision of the passing game really puts a premium on how well those guys can play their technique." 

Additionally, the Seahawks have been haunted by untimely turnovers on offense and special teams that weren't Smith's fault. During two regular season losses in 2022, DeeJay Dallas threw a red zone interception on an ill-conceived trick play and Travis Homer coughed up a fumble deep in Seattle territory, with the pick wiping at least three points off the board and the fumble setting San Francisco up for an easy touchdown before halftime.

This season, return specialist Laviska Shenault made the key mistake in the first half in Seattle's Week 6 setback, fumbling on a kick return and setting up a San Francisco field goal as the visitors raced out to a 16-3 halftime advantage. The veteran did make up for his mistake and then some by returning a kick for a touchdown in the second half, but it was too little, too late to pull off the comeback after falling behind by 20 points.

Though most of these miscues don't fall on the quarterback's shoulders, Smith deserves some of the blame for the Seahawks recent swoon against the 49ers. Trailing by six in the wild card loss late in the third quarter, he didn't feel Charles Omenihu dipping around the edge and lost the ball on a strip sack, leading to an implosion on both sides of the ball in the final quarter. He has also thrown four interceptions in four regular season starts in the rivalry series, including an ugly pick in the red zone intended for Tyler Lockett last month that abruptly ended a scoring opportunity.

Overall, Smith has thrown five interceptions in five losses to San Francisco in comparison to just four touchdown passes, posting a passer rating north of 90.0 only twice in that span. For that reason, whether fair or not, many fans have turned up the heat on the quarterback for his inability to win a big game against a top-tier opponent.

Rolling into Sunday's must-win rematch at Levis Stadium, despite the extended track record of coming up short against the 49ers, Smith's confidence in himself and his teammates hasn't waned. While he respects the opponent and how they play, he believes if the Seahawks can clean up most of the self-inflicted mistakes that have hurt them in prior matchups, they have more than enough talent to be able to end their six-game skid in Santa Clara on Sunday and jumpstart their season after a disappointing first half.

"I have no doubt in my mind the type of guys we have, the type of preparation we're going to put in and the way we're going to step on that field. I know I'm going to step on it with that chip on my shoulder, that edge I always have. I know my guys are as well."

More Seahawks News

Seahawks Counting on Abraham Lucas to Fortify 'Best Version' of Offensive Line

Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV Will Be X-Factor vs. 49ers

Seahawks WR DK Metcalf Practices, Status For Week 10 Uncertain

Seahawks Activate Starting RT Abraham Lucas from PUP List

Seattle Seahawks Safety Julian Love Quietly Having Another Pro Bowl-Caliber Season