Dave Boling: ‘It’s just one game,’ but Seahawks’ season-opening face plant feels like so much more

SEATTLE – Wins can be celebrated almost regardless how they came about. But all losses are distinct in their own depressing way.

For the Seahawks, the 30-13 season-opening face plant against the Los Angeles Rams falls in the rare category of stunningly unexpected to an embarrassing degree.

It seems almost unfair that the Seahawks are now only 0-1 because there should be added numerical punishment for the way the outcome was compounded by an astounding absence of composure, leadership and resilience.

They responded to the welcoming ovations of a full-house crowd – with high expectations – by putting forth one of the all-time fall-from-ahead collapses, leading 13-7 at intermission only to be outscored the rest of the way 23-0 and outgained 257 yards to 12 yards.

Thirty minutes of play. Twelve yards gained.

The Hawks are a team with a proud history of success and competitiveness and, except for a few occasions, performing with an admirable degree of class. But late in the game Sunday, they were called for two of the most comically ironic penalties in franchise history.

Trailing by two touchdowns with less than 5 minutes remaining, receiver D.K. Metcalf was flagged for taunting. What, you might ask, is a Seahawk doing taunting a Rams player at this point? The replay showed Metcalf coming up from behind Ahkello Witherspoon and shoving him to the turf.

Metcalf is 6-4, 235 pounds and built like a Michelangelo sculpture, a bona fide success in his chosen field, but he feels the need to deck an unwary opponent? He claimed, afterward, that it was retaliation for something Witherspoon had said.

Retaliation? No, this was a chicken-spit, sucker-shove from behind and it has no place in the game. Witherspoon may have been theatrical and flopped a bit, but Metcalf gave him the chance.

Coach Pete Carroll coaches players to give everything they have, but to perform in a way that brings honor to the game. Metcalf did the opposite.

A few minutes later safety Quandre Diggs, a captain, a tough player known for the quality of his effort, was whistled for unnecessary roughness. Also silly and ill-timed. Everybody on that team had cause to be upset with the way things had fallen apart, but unnecessary roughness doesn’t compensate for the glaring shortage of appropriate roughness in the third and fourth quarters.

Carroll, whose halftime speech will not be saved for posterity or further use, called it surprising and disappointing.

Surprising? Sure. The Rams were a five-win team last season and were playing without their best receiver Cooper Kupp, a former Eastern Washington star who is on the injured-reserve list.

Sunday afternoon started with a sonic ovation by the crowd when linebacker Bobby Wagner was announced. He is one of the great Seahawks and the last connection to the Super Bowl-winning Legion of Boom.

Having played last season with the Rams before coming back to Seattle for his 11th season as a Seahawk, Wagner responded with a massive game of 19 tackles.

Wagner was philosophical, although obviously unhappy, reminding the media that the Hawks have 16 more games and good teams learn from the mistakes and bounce back on the strength of their camaraderie.

Wagner is totally correct. He responded to the challenge of this game not with cheap shots or retaliations, but by coming within one tackle of his career high, 20.

This edition of the Seahawks is very young, and they played immaturely on this day. If they’re to figure it out, Wagner may have to teach them.

There were some bright spots, mostly coming in the first half. Back Kenneth Walker III finished with 64 yards on 12 rushes, and linebacker Boye Mafe looked much better against the run than he did as a rookie.

Jordyn Brooks, who was coming back off a serious injury, made 12 tackles.

As Carroll suggested after the game, the Hawks have to get turned around quickly, as they next face the surprising Lions in Detroit, a team that upset defending champion Kansas City on Thursday.

“Now we’re going against the hottest team in the world,” Carroll said.

Quarterback Geno Smith was asked if this game was a wake-up call.

“It better be,” he said.

Yes, it better be, because the Seahawks lost the game, lost their composure and lost much of the reservoir of good feelings they had going into this season after an unexpected strong effort in 2022.

“It’s just one game,” Wagner said.

One loss. But it seemed like so much more.