The Seattle Seahawks were facing the 3-8 Los Angeles Rams with a chance to not only keep pace in the NFC playoff picture but bury the defending champions in the process. On a two-game losing streak, the Seahawks were staring down what could have been their season spiraling downward as the Rams took a three-point lead with 2:56 remaining in the game.
It was at that point that Geno Smith put the Seahawks on his back, leading the team to his second game-winning drive of the season and first fourth-quarter comeback of the season. Smith went 6-for-10 on the final drive for 65 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown to D.K. Metcalf capping off the drive, giving Seattle a 27-23 win.
It was an impressive performance by Smith, who was without breakout rookie running back Kenneth Walker III, who jammed his ankle early in the game and was unable to return. With Travis Homer inactive, that left DeeJay Dallas and Tony Jones Jr. manning the backfield.
They struggled to get anything going, combining for 51 yards on 17 carries. That put even more pressure on Smith to produce and he delivered another strong game in what has been a comeback season no one predicted.
Against the Rams, Smith completed 28-of-39 pass attempts for 367 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He was in rhythm with Tyler Lockett and Metcalf all afternoon, as Lockett caught nine passes for 128 yards and a touchdown while Metcalf caught eight passes for 127 yards and a score.
Smith’s performance this season has come out of nowhere, as many people weren’t even sure he would be able to defeat Drew Lock in a quarterback competition this offseason. He won that and the Seahawks are certainly happy that he did as he has been one of the most prolific passers in the NFL this season.
According to NFL on CBS, Smith currently leads the NFL in games with multiple touchdown passes with 10, games with a passer rating of at least 100 with nine and games with a completion percentage of 70% or better with eight.
On the season, Smith has completed 72.7 percent of his passes for 3,169 yards with 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He has a 108.7 passer rating and a QBR of 64.8. His passer rating is second behind only Tua Tagovailoa and his QBR is fifth behind Patrick Mahomes, Tagovailoa, Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts.
2022 has been a truly special season for Smith, who is starting for the first time since his tenure with the New York Jets came to an end in 2014. He was a backup for six seasons with the Jets, New York Giants, Los Angeles Chargers and Seahawks before this season. Now 32, Smith is cementing his status as a quality starting quarterback for a Seattle team many thought would be rebuilding this season after trading away Russell Wilson.
