The Seattle Seahawks are in their bye week after a gut-wrenching overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The loss reignited questions about the team’s offensive line and its quarterback.
The Seahawks have had offensive line issues for years, and things have certainly not improved this season. They rank near the bottom of the league in pass block win rates and run block win rates, meaning that neither the quarterback nor running backs have much time to react to what is in front of them. It’s only through the heroic efforts of Ken Walker Jr. that the team has a running game at all.
While plenty of blame is being tossed at quarterback Geno Smith, when you barely have time to look for an open receiver before the defense is on top of you, everything is certainly not your fault. The offensive line is near the top of the league in holding penalties and false starts and is in the top seven in the league for sacks allowed.
That being said, Smith certainly does not help his own cause. Under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, Smith has been asked to throw the ball more than ever before and is on track to leave his mark of season highs in attempts and yardage in the dust by the end of the season. Unfortunately, he’s also on track to eclipse his career mark in interceptions. That was set in his rookie season in 2013 with an awful Jets team in which he threw 21 picks. He’s at ten already this year, including three against the Rams. When he does have time to throw, Smith often telegraphs his pass location or throws into tight coverage because of the sheer belief that he can make the throw.
After starting 3-0, the Seahawks have collapsed, going 1-5 over their last six games. Things are going to need to change soon if the team is going to stay in the NFC West race. The team has made the same sloppy mistakes all over the field for multiple weeks in a row. Maybe a week off will help get things back on the right track, but those changes will have to be quick as they take on San Francisco and Arizona right out of the break. Some of them, like putting together an offensive line that is not made up of gum wrappers, baling wire, duct tape, and a few pennies found in the couch cushions, probably should have been dealt with last offseason, but will now have to wait until the next offseason. However, there is one change the Seahawks can make right now, for better or worse. Smith is essentially on a one-year contract; there is no guaranteed money left. He has been a good soldier for the Seahawks, and I don’t think anyone could have predicted the transition to a post-Russel Wilson world would go as relatively smoothly as it did. That’s all thanks to Smith.
However, his performance so far this year behind a lackluster offensive line has shown he may not be the right for the new-look Seahawks’ offense. And that’s ok. Behind him, the Seahawks have Sam Howell, who was picked up from the Commanders in the offseason. Ironically enough, Howell is in a similar situation to Smith at the beginning of his career. Howell is only 24 years old, started all 17 games for a bad Commanders team last year, and, like Smith, threw 21 picks in his first season as a starter. There is no guarantee that Howell fares any better behind the mess of an offensive line the Seahawks have built. However, the team has seen what Smith can do behind it. In all likelihood, the Seahawks and Smith will part ways this offseason. Howell will likely still be around, considering he is still on a rookie contract. He may only be around as a bridge quarterback, but with eight games left, there is no better time than now to find out if the Seahawks need to use their draft capital on a quarterback.
If Howell steps in and gets pummeled behind the offensive line, you must address multiple problems. But if he steps in and plays well, maybe you’ve found your quarterback of the present and future quarterback. In the best-case scenario, he helps get the team back into the playoff race. In the worst case, the team continues spiraling, and they are using their first-draft pick on a quarterback anyway.
Unless they cut down on their NFL-leading number of penalties and silly execution mistakes on offense, defense, and special teams, no quarterback change will help the Seahawks this year. But whether they can fix the mistakes or not, there is no time like the present to find out if a change at quarterback can help the team in the future.
