Seahawks' Pete Carroll: QB Geno Smith 'almost perfect' in second half of win over Commanders

As the first half of Sunday’s Seahawks-Commanders tilt ended in a 9-9 tie following a Geno Smith intentional grounding penalty to close the second quarter, some of the home fans in Seattle voiced their displeasure by raining down boos for an offense and quarterback who came up short.

The Seahawks moved the ball early but settled for three first-half field goals. Smith turned things around in the second half, however, leading two touchdown drives and two more field-goal possessions, including the game-winner after Washington tied the game with less than a minute remaining.

“I thought he was almost perfect, all but maybe once perfect,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said of his quarterback, via the team’s official website. “The throws he had to come up with, the calls, the poise, the cadence, running the club, the whole thing. He was perfect. I thought he was just exactly what we would hope we can see in him. I’m sure he had great numbers today. Must have had terrific numbers. But more than that, he just came through, just like we’re counting on.”

Smith set a career-high with 369 passing yards, going 31 of 47 with two TDs and a 103.9 passer rating. He snapped a four-game streak with at least one INT (longest streak of his career since 2014 with the New York Jets).

Smith continuously made the right reads and put the ball in a spot for his targets to do damage after the catch. According to PFF, the Seahawks had 254 receiving yards after the catch in Week 10, the most by any team in a game in 2023 (with Monday Night Football still to play).

“He was lights out, bro,” receiver DK Metcalf said of Smith’s second half. “Geno, he’s always gonna bounce back. That’s the great thing about him. That’s what makes him so great and why he’s so good at what he does. He doesn’t listen to outside noise. He knows what we have in this locker room, and he knows there are people behind him that got his back.”

Sunday’s win kept Seattle in a tie with San Francisco atop the NFC West at 6-3, but the schedule is about to pick up. In Week 11, the Seahawks face the Rams before games against the 49ers, Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles. They’ll need a lights-out Geno to get through that stretch.