Seahawks struggling with defense ahead of 49ers face-off

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SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 06: Geno Smith #7 of the Seattle Seahawks looks on before the game against the New York Giants at Lumen Field on October 06, 2024 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers // Getty Images)

SEATTLE - Moments after the kind of loss that could linger, Geno Smith was ready to put an unexpected setback in the past.

For the Seattle Seahawks (3-2), there’s no time to dwell on Sunday’s 29-20 loss to the visiting New York Giants with what’s ahead on the horizon: a Thursday night matchup with NFC West rival San Francisco (2-3).

"We’ve got a quick turnaround. Tough opponent Thursday night. Divisional opponent. It means everything to us," Smith said. "This is a big game. It’s about as big of a game we’ve had this season. We better be ready."

Seattle’s second straight loss exposed some continuing worries and issues, but there’s no time to make wholesale corrections or changes.

Coach Mike Macdonald made no excuses when asked about the Seahawks’ short amount of time to prepare and fix whatever problems the team is facing.

"It doesn’t matter how hard it is," Macdonald said Monday during a radio appearance. "Nobody cares. We’ve got to work harder. That’s the way it is. It’s an opportunity to go make it right in four days. That’s really what we need to focus on."

What’s working

Smith continues to be really good late in games, although he’d prefer not to be in situations where he is throwing all the time. Smith was 11 of 14 on the 95-yard drive that culminated in Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 5-yard TD in the fourth quarter on Sunday. On the next drive, Smith’s 32-yard scramble on the first play put Seattle immediately into field goal range.

"We started playing hard," Smith said. "Seems like when the game’s on the line, we find ways to get things done. But that’s got to be our mentality throughout the entire game. We can’t wait until the end of the game to try and save it."

What needs help

Seattle’s run defense has been bad the past two weeks. The Giants rushed for 175 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per carry after the Lions rolled up 116 yards a week earlier. Seattle has allowed more than 100 yards on the ground in three of its five games. Injuries on the defensive line were a factor against Detroit, but Seattle had most of its key players back against the Giants.

Stock up

Without Smith’s standout performance, the game wouldn’t have been as close as it was. Although he was sacked seven times, Smith passed for 284 yards and a touchdown, his fourth straight week with at least 280 yards in the air.

Smith leads the NFL in passing yards with 1,466, as well as completions (143) and attempts (199). He’s tied for fifth among starting QBs with a 71.9% completion rate.

Stock down

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb needs to find some balance. There has been far too much passing in the past two games for the Seahawks to function at their best. Kenneth Walker III must get more than the five carries and 12 overall touches he had Sunday. The Seahawks lead the league in pass-to-run ratio through five weeks, throwing on 67.4% of their plays.

"We all know we need to run the ball more," Macdonald said. "Everybody knows that, our opponents know that. Our players in our locker room know that, Grubb knows that, our coaches do, I do. We have to create more situations where we can run it as well."

Injuries

Seattle again has concerns about depth at outside linebacker. Boye Mafe missed Sunday’s game with a knee injury and will likely be a game-time decision on Thursday, while Uchenna Nwosu (thigh) and Derick Hall (foot) both left with injuries. CB Riq Woolen (ankle) missed time in the second half after initially getting hurt in the first half. His injury led to playing time for rookie Nehemiah Pritchett.

Macdonald said on Monday that Nwosu won’t play on Thursday. DT Byron Murphy II (hamstring) will likely miss one more week.

Key number

1 — Seattle forced one turnover against the Giants, which led to Rayshawn Jenkins’ 102-yard fumble return for a touchdown. That was the first turnover forced by Seattle since Week 1 against Denver.

Next steps

Seattle will try to snap a five-game losing streak to San Francisco that includes a playoff game. The skid is the longest for the Seahawks against the 49ers in the history of the series.