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Seattle Seahawks Report Card: Top Performers in 42-29 Loss to Detroit Lions

Coming up short in the Motor City, the Seahawks still received excellent production from their offense, including a dynamic performance from Ken Walker III.

Corbin K. Smith

Sep 30, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Sep 30, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
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Dropping a contest for the first time in 2024, the Seattle Seahawks ran into a buzzsaw in the form of the Detroit Lions in a 42-29 defeat on Monday Night Football, allowing Jared Goff and company to find the end zone six times in prime time.

Looking back at Seattle's first loss of the Mike Macdonald era, which players shined despite falling on the wrong side of the scoreboard? After reviewing All-22 film from Monday's shootout at Ford Field, here are my top five grades and other notable performances from Week 4.

Ken Walker

Overall Grade: 88.0 (Rushing 94, Receiving 90, Pass Blocking 56*)

*Weighted for four pass blocking reps

Showing no signs of lingering discomfort from an oblique injury that cost him two games, Walker put the Seahawks on his back in the final two quarters, helping keep them in the game until the final few minutes of regulation with brilliant run after brilliant run. Before the half, he only had six yards on four carries, though one of those resulted in a one-yard touchdown. Starting with the opening drive of the third quarter, however, he took over, rushing for 74 yards on only eight carries while leaving Lions defenders grasping for air at a ridiculous rate as he weaved and rocketed through and around the teeth of the defense.

In the third quarter, Walker ripped off 28 and 23-yard runs on toss and sweep plays, using his speed to accelerate to the sideline and outrun oncoming defenders with quality lead blocking in front of him. Once he turned upfield, he left defenders helplessly crumbling to the turf with nifty juke moves and cuts, forcing a total of five missed tackles in the second half alone. Cutting Detroit's lead to eight early in the fourth quarter, he executed a ridiculous cutback on a duo run to his right, blowing past a linebacker to the sideline for a 21-yard score. Add in four catches for 36 yards and a remarkable somersault where he rolled to a first down and it may have been his most complete game as a pro.

Geno Smith

Overall Grade: 85.5 (Passing 88, Rushing 83)

Decision-making wise, Smith didn't have his best game, as he made a few poor choices that easily could have resulted in turnovers and fortunately weren't caught by Lions defenders. However, excluding those couple plays, the veteran gunslinger continues to excel at operating Ryan Grubb's offense at an elite level despite not having pristine pass protection in front of him. In the first half, he completed 17 out of 24 passes for 165 yards, headlined by a perfectly thrown fade ball to DK Metcalf for a 29-yard connection that set up Walker's first touchdown, and those numbers could have been better if not for Metcalf's first quarter fumble that ended a promising scoring drive.

In the second half, Smith's season-long mastery maneuvering in and out of the pocket continued, as he frequently dipped, ducked, and dodged pass rushers to avoid sacks and extend plays for completions. On Seattle's second touchdown drive in the third quarter, he escaped what looked like a surefire sack on a nickel corner blitz and spun away from the defender, rolling out and threading the needle for an 11-yard completion to Jaxon Smith-Njigba on 3rd and 8. Two plays later, he stepped up in the pocket and again beat sound coverage, this time hooking up with Tyler Lockett for a 29-yard completion while throwing off platform. Finishing with a career-high 395 yards, he continued to prove himself worthy of carrying the Seahawks as more than a game manager.

Derick Hall

Overall Grade: 84.5 (Pass Rushing 86, Tackling 88, Run Defense 80)

Starting his second straight game, Hall's overall stat line paled in comparison to his performance in Week 3 against Miami, but playing a better offensive line, he still made his presence felt as one of the few bright spots on defense for Seattle. Demonstrating his impressive blend of explosiveness and raw power late in the second quarter, the second-year edge rusher fired a fierce long arm into left tackle Taylor Decker, driving the blocker backwards into the pocket and reaching around him to latch onto Jared Goff's shoulder pads before throwing the quarterback to the ground for a highlight reel sack.

Though his opportunities to rush were limited by the Lions game plan and quick strike efficiency, Hall still finished with two pressures and made his mark as a run defender as well. On the game's opening drive, he crashed down the line of scrimmage to hold David Montgomery to a three-yard gain, setting up Jarran Reed's third down sack on a rare three-and-out. He added two additional stops netting two or fewer yards with an average depth of tackle of 1.5 yards, setting a firm edge while also playing fast down the line of scrimmage to make aggressive plays against the run.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Overall Grade: 84.0 (Passing 90, Receiving 88, Run Blocking 50*)

*Weighted for 10 run blocking reps

Splash plays weren't necessarily on the menu for Smith-Njigba on Monday night, as his eight receptions averaged just 6.4 yards per catch. But those yards proved to be incredibly valuable and the rising second-year wideout came through in clutch situations all night long, finding soft spots against zone coverage and creating yardage after the catch to move the chains. All three of his first down pickups came on third down, including the aforementioned 11-yard snag from Smith in the third quarter and Seattle's first first down of the night when he broke a tackle to pick up a few extra yards to get past the marker.

Those numbers could have been even better if not for two plays that didn't pan out, albeit for much different reasons. First off, one of Smith-Njigba's third down receptions only netted three yards before he threw a beautiful spiral on a lateral to teammate Zach Charbonnet, who did the rest running for 13 yards to convert a 3rd and 16 into a new set of downs. Then in the fourth quarter, with the Seahawks down eight and looking to tie the game, he reeled in a 4th and 3 throw from Smith for an eight-yard gain that would have extended the drive, only for offensive pass interference against Lockett to negate the clutch play.

Zach Charbonnet

Overall Grade: 83.0 (Rushing 80, Receiving 82, Run Blocking 90*)

*Weighted for two run blocking reps

Even with Walker back from injury and in the starting lineup, Charbonnet quietly had a fantastic performance in a situational change of pace role coming in on third downs and when Seattle ran its two-minute offense, even seeing a few snaps on the field with his backfield counterpart in 21 personnel. Making his biggest impact as a receiver, he caught all five of his targets, including the exciting 13-yard lateral from Smith-Njigba, for a total of 39 yards, the fourth-most by any player on the team behind only the big three of Metcalf, Smith-Njigba, and Lockett.

But away from his pass catching, Charbonnet made the most of his minimal carries as a runner, rushing for 15 yards on just two carries and forcing two missed tackles on those chances. He also made a compelling case for playing more snaps as a hybrid fullback on the field alongside Walker, dishing out a pancake on a lead block on a cornerback to help spring his teammate for an eight-yard run in the third quarter. Overall, he produced 51 yards on only seven touches and made his mark beyond contributions on the box score, showing the Seahawks are at their best when both players are actively involved in the game plan on offense.

Other Notable Performances

A costly fumble prevented Metcalf from making the top five grades, but he became the first player in Seahawks history to hit 100 receiving yards in three consecutive games and didn't have any drops on 12 targets, earning an 81.0 overall score. Lockett also turned in a solid game catching five out of nine targets and tying for the team-high with a 29-yard catch, receiving an 80.0 grade. Enjoying his best game as a pro so far, tight end AJ Barner turned two receptions in 27 yards and a touchdown while also contributing positively as a blocker, earning an 80.0 score overall. Playing a season-high 36 snaps, rookie guard Christian Haynes only gave up one pressure and had two pancakes in the run game, earning a respectable 78.5 grade. Center Connor Williams continued to trend in the right direction coming back from a torn ACL with just one pressure allowed and earned a 77.0 score. Tackle Charles Cross yielded a season-worst six pressures, but had two key blocks on long Walker runs to salvage a 74.0 score, while Stone Forsythe's struggles in pass protection lowered his score to 70.0 overall.

Leading the team in pressures with three as well as his second sack, Jarran Reed held up well despite continuing to see a heavier than usual workload due to injuries, grading out with an 80.5 score. Playing the best of the reserves thrust into bigger roles on Monday, Myles Adams' lone pressure led to Reed's sack on the opening drive and he also had two run stops on 20 snaps, receiving a 79.0 grade. Making his second career start, Tyrice Knight tallied nine combined tackles and allowed just one catch for four yards in coverage, earning a 78.0 overall score. Alongside the rookie, Tyrel Dodson had a key tackle for loss in the fourth quarter to force a punt, but allowed 75 yards on five catches in coverage, dropping his score to 73.0 overall. In the secondary, Devon Witherspoon had a bad missed tackle on David Montgomery that turned a short gain into a 40-yard catch and run, and he also missed out on a potential sack, earning a season-low 71.0 mark.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.

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