It was complicated and long in the making, but Geno Smith and his partners overcame the Commanders
Seattle Seahawks (6-3) – Washington Commanders (4-6): 29-26
Breathtaking end to the match in Seattle! While the score is 26 to 26, Geno Smith (31/47, 369 yards, 2TD) and his attack recover the ball with 56 seconds to play.
Not always at best, the quarterback releases the perfect series at the right time. By finding DK Metcalf (7 rec, 98 yards) for receptions of 17 then 29 yards, Smith puts his kicker in position to give Seattle the victory. Jason Myers then makes the 43-yard field goal for the victory (29-26).
A tough end to the match for Sam Howell (29/44, 312 yards, 3TD) and his partners. Just before these last 50 seconds, it was he who was able to bring his team back to equality. The quarterback then led a series of 3 minutes, 10 actions and a touchdown. All this for nothing…
Once again Pete Carroll’s men beat a team within their reach. This time, we still had to wait a little while to see Seattle get their hands on the match.
Seattle in trouble
We first think that the Commanders and Sam Howell will continue to ride the rhythm of the team’s latest offensive outings. Indeed, Washington continues the passes on its first series and a short pass from Howell is transformed by Brian Robinson (8 races, 38 yards; 6 rec, 119 yards, 1TD) into a gain of 51 yards then into a touchdown (0-6 , extra point missed).
The visitors also added a field goal on their third offensive series. 9 points in three drives, Washington is in the game.
Except that the dynamic stops. Eric Bieniemy completely forgets his running game (5 calls at halftime) and the attack begins to multiply punts.
On the Seattle side, it’s the conclusion that hurts. While the team gained 225 yards upon returning to the locker room (compared to 133 for the opponent), the Seawhawks only had 9 points on the clock at halftime (9-9).
Geno Smith particularly embodies this inability to conclude. While Seattle was in position to add a kick and take the lead, the quarterback held the ball too long. He then gets tackled with it and sees the time go down to zero. Then preventing his kicker from adding three potential points.
Geno Smith wakes up
While the Commanders take the lead again with a new field goal (9-12), the Seahawks will finally find the key to stop chasing the score.
This turnaround is due to Kenneth Walker (19 races, 63 yards, 1 rec, 64 yards, 1 TD). The runner receives a short pass which he transforms into a 64-yard run for the touchdown (16-12). For the first time in the match, Seattle took the lead on the scoreboard.
The locals failed to take advantage of a fumble caused by rookie Devon Whiterspoon to definitively change the match. After a punt, Seattle still added a field goal on the following series at the start of the last quarter (19-12).
But the capital’s team is eye-catching. The ground game is finally reused in the last quarter and allows Howell to avoid pressure and above all to move the team forward. A reception from Antonio Gibson brings his team level (19-19).
The locals do not allow themselves to be daunted by this return. On the following series, they chained actions (helped by penalties) and can once again count on Tyler Lockett (8 rec, 92 yards, 1TD) to make the difference. The veteran receiver makes a key reception to give his team a 26-19 lead.
A breathtaking ending
Except that Washington does not abdicate. Less than a minute from the end of the match, Ron Rivera’s men are tied (26-26). It’s Diyami Brown, author of his first touchdown of the season, who concludes a great offensive series for his attack.
Fortunately for Seattle, 56 seconds and two timeouts were enough for Geno Smith and DK Metcalf to change the outcome of the match. The connection between the two men allows the locals to gain enough yards to attempt and succeed in the winning kick (29-26).
