What the Seahawks said – Week 9 2024: Seahawks vs. Rams

Q How do you rate the offense today? There seemed to be a lot of ups and downs.

GENO SMITH: First, I want to apologize to my teammates and to the city and the organization. They trust me a lot in my decision making and if they put the ball in my hands, if my teammates play the way they played today and to give us a chance to win the game, I have to do it for sure us. The things I did today, the mistakes I made, they had a negative impact on us and really cost us the game today. Knowing myself, I know how much this will hurt. But I will reinforce it. That's how I feel. I'll reinforce it.

Q Three INTs today, the first one you put in the breadbasket. Saw some men's chests. I know you tend to acknowledge that anyway. You come back, throw two more picks, but at the end of the game you're still there. You thread the needle. You put the ball right on the guy, get the touchdown and you're in the game. What is going through your mind at this point?

GENO SMITH: Just my boys, how well they played. I'm just watching Cody (White) block that punt after making a bunch of spectacular catches and doing so many great things like being able to step in today, being able to take his first action today and go out and play lights out. Just like the defense played. To go out there and take them out is a really good offense. How our audience was there all day. That makes it difficult for the Rams. I thought the fan base showed today. All of these situations made me think, “Man, we have to do it, I have to do it for my boys and for the city.” I really feel like I let everyone down today. I really do.

Q Did you get hit on the second interception when you threw there?

GENO SMITH: I tried to throw it out of bounds behind the end zone. A guy hit my arm. There are no excuses. I can throw this away and get it out sooner. Be faster in my decision making. Trying to make a play down there, I held it a second too long and it didn't go well.

Q What did you see on the third?

GENO SMITH: I was just trying to get the ball to AJ (Barner), thinking he was going to slip through there, but that didn't happen. I thought he was grabbed. That's no excuse either. The ball is in my hands. I get the chance to make a decision, and ultimately my decisions affect everyone, not just me. And that's why I have to get better. I'm not saying this just to say it. I really know that I can be better. And that's why it hurts me. It hurts me that I couldn't make it today.

Q Of course, if you're in your position, it's extremely important to wipe away mistakes because you have to get out of there straight away. After the pick-6 or the next interception, how did you think about how to move past that and do what you need to do to move the team up?

GENO SMITH: That's the game. You have to have a short memory. As a quarterback, there's a lot going on there, and if you focus on what happened before, it's only going to impact you negatively. Just move on to the next game and focus on which decision is the right one at that time. I know it is extremely difficult. This isn't easy. But I've been in this league long enough. I've seen a lot. And I've been through a lot. And I think that helps me, helps me keep going. But as long as we have a chance, as long as I have a chance, I will keep fighting. That's the way I am. That's how I'm wired. I don't know any other way and it really hurts me.

Q What do you think about the snap operation with you and Connor Williams? A few passed you by, but others made you throw your hand away and stop, and how did you see those and where do you think you are? with them right now?

GENO SMITH: Connor does a great, phenomenal job. Hats off to the way he plays and competes. Nobody out there is perfect. Nobody is perfect. I'm not perfect. None of us are perfect. We compete together and fight together. There are actually a lot of things we need to clean up. But the way we compete, the way Connor (Williams) competes out there, I won't bat an eyelid. Whatever we have to do to make it right, we will make it right.

Q How do you feel about where you are as a team before the bye?

GENO SMITH: 4-5, not where we want to be, especially given the way we started. We actually had a chance to win in all the games we lost. And that's how it will be in this league. It's always a one-score league. But man, we have our season right in front of us. Everything is ahead of us. We have a week to reevaluate, rest our bodies and recover our minds. And we have a strong San Francisco team coming back from the bye. But still eight games to get it. Eight more games, get it. Everything we worked for in the offseason, all the hard work we put in all week, this final stretch, this eight-game stretch is what it's all about.

Q What do you think is the main reason why you start 3-0 at this point and end up 4-5?

GENO SMITH: I think there are a lot of different contributors. If I'm honest, I could play better and correct a lot of things. The quarterback's job is to win and ultimately win. If we are able to get wins, I have to do it.

Q Fourth and one in overtime, what were you looking for? What do you think went wrong?

GENO SMITH: I can't say what went wrong. I haven't seen the film, but I know it's a piece we like. We felt good about it. Made the call. Hats off to them, they stopped us.

Q It's the nature of your job, Geno, but what makes you apologize about this particular loss?

GENO SMITH: Well, I just feel like our team played extremely well, and again I felt like our crowd was on board the whole time. It was electric there. And just knowing myself, knowing how much work I put in, knowing the standards I have for myself, knowing this game and knowing the difference that quarterbacks' decisions make – when I do my job and don't have those turnovers, then if we have that pick-six, that's a 14-point swing, and in my opinion we win the game. When that happens, I look directly at myself. I look in the mirror and say, “What do I need to do?” I know what I need to do. So I have to start correcting it.

Q What did you think about Jaxon Smith-Njigba's piece today?

GENO SMITH: I thought he was out. He had covered about 200 yards today. He was everywhere. He played with extreme fire. Shit, he was just doing his thing. That's him. We have to continue to build on this. He's a guy that's just going to keep getting better and (I) really appreciate playing with him.

Q What do you think of the plays Cody White made today?

GENO SMITH: That's what we expected from Cody. We said everyone was camping. He's been doing this since he got here. Hard worker, one of the hardest workers on the team. He deserves it. He deserves to go out there and make those plays. He is always prepared. He knows what to do. He knows all the positions in the reception room. He's been doing such great work all week that I was really happy he got this opportunity. I could see it in his eyes before the game, he was ready to go out and play.

Q Obviously there was mention of ups and downs, not the outcome anyone wanted, but it certainly felt like there were ups. Is there anything you took away from this game that you think will help the team positively in the future?

GENO SMITH: Yeah, I think you just look at the way we fight. We compete. We will never give in. I don't believe in moral victories at all. I think you win or lose. Today we lost. The great thing about life is that you get another day and another chance. We have eight games. I'm just concentrating on the next eight games. I take it one at a time. I'll do my thing. I will get better.

Q The offense started slow again, but what change did you see at the end of the half when you were able to score two really quick touchdowns in a flurry?

GENO SMITH: I thought the situational instruction, the situational execution, I thought it was all outstanding. When you look at it, scoring in the two-minute mode for the defense to come out, get a stop, we get the ball back, put seven more points on the board, that's exactly what you're talking about when you say “complementary.” “ say football. And I thought that was something that really got us going and gave us confidence at halftime, gave us the momentum when we needed it and really got our crowd excited.

Q You didn't always get it right away. How do you think (increasing the pace) helped you in the middle of the series?

GENO SMITH: I think that our pace, the way we can either speed up the pace or slow it down, really helps us. It is something that is part of our offense. We do a great job at mixing. We crowd into the crowd. We change personnel and can stay on the ball when the ball depends on how Grubb (Ryan Grubb) feels and what we see from the defense.

Q Have you been emphasizing and preparing for this this week?

GENO SMITH: No, that's our offense, we've been doing that since training camp.

Q In your pursuit of continuous improvement, how do you manage to balance the next week physically, take care of your body mentally and, as you say, get in the way a little when you do that to focus on San Prepare Francisco?

GENO SMITH: I'm going to work. I know it's good to have rest days, but I still have work to do. And I will work.