The Seahawks were 20th in total offense and 16th in scoring offense in Russell Wilson’s final season as their starting quarterback in 2021. After four weeks of the 2022 season, they’re up to No. 11 in both categories with Wilson’s replacement, Geno Smith.
Smith also has been one of the league’s most efficient QBs. He leads the league with a 77.3 completion percentage and his 108 passer rating is fourth, just behind Patrick Mahomes. He is also sixth among qualifiers in yards per attempt at 7.9.
Wilson has been an upgrade for the Broncos’ offense, no doubt (how couldn’t he be?). But his completion percentage (61.1), rating (91.1) and YPA (7.5) haven’t been as good as Smith’s so far. Moreover, Denver is No. 21 in total offense and No. 30 in scoring offense under Nathaniel Hackett.
Smith and Seattle, at 2-2, have been a big early surprise. It was sparked by Smith’s Seahawks upsetting Wilson’s Broncos on Monday night in Week 1.
So why has Smith exceeded everyone’s expectations for an offense that was supposed to be run heavy with a big regression in the passing game?
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1. The Seahawks still have a top-flight wide receiver duo in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett
Just like Wilson has raised the downfield effectiveness of new top two wideouts Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, Metcalf and Lockett have been huge in lifting Smith. Both have continued to operate as complete receivers playing off each other, Metcalf with his size and speed and Lockett with his quickness.
They have become interchangeable to the point either can line up well outside or in the slot. Both have been key deep threats in the past for Wilson, but they have proved that their short-to-intermediate route running is also great to tailor to a lesser-armed QB such as Smith.
The Seahawks haven’t forced big plays to them and taken more calculated downfield shots playing off the run. Lockett and Metcalf They might have become more “possession” receivers, but they also still stretch the field when needed.
2. The Seahawks also are getting immediate returns from their two rookie offensive tackles
Getting the right edge pass protection for Wilson was a fundamental consistent problem for the Seahawks. That has changed quickly with two new yet inexperienced starters in 2022.
The team took Charles Cross No. 9 overall to replace Duane Brown. Then it used a third-round pick on Abraham Lucas. The fact both were able to nail down reliable starting jobs right away has been impressive. They still make some rookie mistakes but overall their combined play has been sound all-around.
Smith has taken six sacks in four games. That’s a pace for fewer than 26 sacks. Wilson was sacked 48, 47 and 33 times in his final three seasons in Seattle. Wilson, even with a strong left tackle in Garret Bolles, has taken 12 sacks in four games, on pace for 51. Smith has done a better job of getting the ball out of his hands quickly then the often big pass-seeking Wilson.
3. The Seahawks have had feature more effective usage of two tight end sets
The Seahawks got Noah Fant back in the Wilson trade and that allowed offensive coordinator Shane Waldron to put a sneaky pivot plan in place to using a lot more 12 personnel, or two tight ends on the field at the same time with Metcalf and Lockett.
Consider two days before acquiring Fant on March 16, the Seahawks re-signed Will Dissly to a three-year contract extension. The capper was the significant improvement from Colby Parkinson, a fourth-round pick in 2020. While Fant has gotten his feet wet in the new offense, Dissly and Parkinson have been outstanding blocking and receiving. The versatility of using all three has worked to a tee.
Parkinson has been the best field-stretching threat, while Dissly has been a red zone machine. The trio has combined for 5 TDs and caught an amazing 28 of 30 targets. Dissly (116) has one more receiving yard than Parkinson (115).
Wilson wasn’t a big passer to the tight end in the Seahawks’ offense over the years. save for one season with Jimmy Graham in 2017. Last season, Dissly, Parkinson and Gerald Everett combined for 74 receptions. This season, with Fant instead of Everett, that group is on pace for 119.
4. The Seahawks continue to feature a strong chunk running game
For now Rashaad Penny has been healthy and building on his brilliant finish to 2021. After leading the league with 6.3 yards per rushing attempt, he’s back up to 6.0 with 49 carries for 292 yards and 3 TDs. As a team, the Seahawks are No. 13 in rushing offense, averaging 118.4 yards per game and 5.2 yards per attempt.
The Seahawks have more upside on the ground once rookie second-round pick Ken Walker gets up to speed following lost time because of needing surgery for a hernia in the preseason. But in a season where plenty of teams are struggling to get something out of the traditional running game, the Seahawks are setting up Smith well for the passing game.
5. Geno Smith has been more willing to take checkdowns
In addition to the tight ends’ greater involvement in the passing, Penny and the Seahawks’ backs have combined for 16 receptions. That doesn’t seem like much, but that’s a pace for 68 catches. The Seahawks involved the backs for only 43 receptions in 2021.
Wilson tends to want to extend plays as much as possible inside or outside the pocket to buy time for his big arm to hit on a coverage breakdown vs. his wide receivers. Smith knows his arm limitations and is wisely “taking what the defense is giving him.”
6. Geno Smith also has been more willing to run when needed
Smith is in the middle of the pack among quarterbacks so far with 64 rushing yards in 4 games, putting him on track to finish with a modest 272 yards for the season. He’s run 17 times and that element was key to winning games against the Broncos and Lions.
After making his athleticism and running ability a big part of his game earlier in his career, Wilson has buried that part of his game the past two seasons. In 14 games last season for the Seahawks, Wilson averaged 4 rushers for 13 yards. This season with the Broncos, he’s down even more.
The bottom line is that Smith has been more malleable to the Seahawks’ systemic support and changes in relation to his skill set. It was clear that Wilson’s style didn’t mesh with Waldron’s philosophy in their lone season together, leading to the disappointment and falling out. The result was Wilson getting a trade out of Seattle.
The Seahawks got plenty of heat in the offseason for not drafting or signing a quarterback and sitting on a battle between Smith, Wilson’s top veteran backup for three years and Drew Lock, acquired in the Wilson trade. Then they were questioned with going with Smith, who turns 32 in October, over the bigger-armed but more erratic Lock, to start.
But Seattle has proved that when you don’t have the elite veteran or young franchise QB, you need to build a system that gets the most of the passer’s strengths and curbs his weaknesses. They have done exactly that with Smith for welcome offensive results.
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