Short-handed Seahawks drop shootout special to Lions for first loss

DETROIT – The Seahawks left Ford Field with a 42-29 loss and wondering about a two-point play they didn’t get.

They left ruing what might have happened had there not been a penalty they did get.

And they will wish they had a fully healthy defense to throw at the Lions.

What they won’t question is an effort Monday night that kept the Lions on their heels until deep into the fourth quarter, despite Detroit seeming to score at will on a short-handed defense.

The Lions four times had leads of either 14 or 15 points only to see the Seahawks’ Geno Smith-led offense rise up every time to respond with a score of their own and hang in it.

Smith finished career highs of 395 yards, 38 completions and 56 attempts.

Finally, a penalty on Tyler Lockett negating an apparent fourth-down completion when the Seahawks were driving for a potential tying score midway through the fourth quarter proved too much to overcome.

The Lions used the flag to drive the field for one final TD and cement the win and finally end the Seahawks’ hex on Detroit – they have beaten Detroit each of the last three years.

When the game was over the Lions had a little bit of history, having completed all 19 passes they threw.

Quarterback Jared Goff was 18-of-18 for 292 yards. Goff also caught a 7-yard TD pass from receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. It was the most passes thrown by a QB in NFL history without throwing an incompletion.

Detroit’s offensive success was disheartening against a Seahawks defense that entered the game allowing just 43 points in its first three games.

It wasn’t altogether surprising considering the Seahawks entered the game playing without five key defensive players – defensive linemen Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II and linebackers Jerome Baker, Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe – and lost safety Julian Love to a thigh injury in the first half.

Still, coach Mike Macdonald was surely hoping for better than allowing the Lions to score touchdowns on 6 of 8 possessions in one stretch while never throwing an incompletion.

Smith led the Seahawks on touchdown drives of 75, 80 and 70 the first three times the Seahawks had the ball in the second half, each time cutting Detroit’s lead to a touchdown.

The Seahawks finally got the stop they appeared to need to try to tie the game when linebacker Tyrel Dodson raced over to tackle Montgomery for a 2-yard loss on a third-and-one pitchout.

After the punt, the Seahawks took over at their own 21 with 12:49 remaining, down just 35-27.

At that point, Smith was 28 of 38 for 290 yards and a touchdown.

An incomplete pass on a slant to Lockett made it fourth-and-three at the Lions 39 with 9:18 remaining.

The Seahahawks momentarily appeared to have it when he threw to Jaxon Smith-Njigba to the 27.

Lockett was called for offensive pass interference, as Lockett appeared to try to block his receiver rather than running a route.

The Seahawks argued the call vehemently, with Smith continuing to shout as he walked to the sidelines.

The Seahawks punted, and that appeared to prove too much for them as the Lions easily moved 80 yards in seven plays for a TD on a Goff pass to St. Brown of eight yards to make it 42-27 with 5:23 left.

Even then, the Seahawks came right back, driving to Detroit’s 3-yard line with 2:33 left before four straight Smith incompletions.

That appeared as if it might finally, actually end the suspense.

But on second-and-10 the Seahawks’ Dre’Mont Jones sacked Goff in the end zone for a safety to make it 42-29 with 2:01 left. Finally, a Smith pass in the end zone was picked off with 1:00 left and that was that.

The loss dropped the Seahawks to 3-1 and left just two unbeaten teams remaining in the NFL. It also meant the Seahawks couldn’t match the best start in history of 5-0 in 2020.

They were down 15 entering the fourth quarter thanks to a decision that will undoubtedly spur discussion all week.

After cutting Detroit’s lead to 28-20 on a Kenneth Walker III 1-yard run with 3:03 to play in the third quarter, the Seahawks decided to go for two.

The first attempt was no good when a Smith pass to DK Metcalf was ruled incomplete, though some thought the replays showed he might have caught it.

Lions cornerback Carlton Davis III was called for defensive pass interference, moving the ball to the 1, and the Seahawks did not challenge the ruling.

They again tried to throw it and a pass to the left side to Jake Bobo was incomplete.

The move was in keeping with a recent trend of teams going for two at some point before the end of the game to move the score off a potential overtime margin.

Once again the Lions struck quickly this time on the first play – a 70-yard pass from Goff to Jameson Williams. Goff found Williams wide open in the middle of the field. Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon was moving in the opposite direction and couldn’t turn around quickly enough to try to make a play, leaving Williams free to saunter down the side line, high-stepping into the end zone and then dunking the ball over the cross bar, earning a personal foul penalty.

No matter as Detroit kicker Jake Bates nailed a 48-yard PAT to make it 35-20 with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter.

That seemed like it might be enough for Detroit to finally put Seattle away.

But the Seahawks came right back with another long drive to cut it to 35-27 with 14:48 left it the game on a 21-yard run by Walker as the Seahawks got its running game going in the second half.

But then came Seattle’s stop, and then the Lockett penalty.

For a moment early in the game it looked like maybe the Seahawks could overcome the defensive losses.

Detroit won the toss and elected to receive, hoping to make an early point.

Instead, the Seahawks forced a three-and-out, capped by a Jarran Reed sack for a 10-yard loss.

But the Seahawks could get only one first down before being forced to punt.

And then the trouble began.

Detroit drove 93 yards in 12 plays to take a 7-0 lead.

Then with the Seahawks driving, Metcalf fumbled while trying to gain extra yards after a catch that took it to the Detroit 34.

Davis scooped it up and returned it 49 yards to the 14, where the Lions needed just three plays to score and take a 14-0 lead.

But foreshadowing what they would do all night, the the offense quickly responded, going 70 yards in 10 plays, with a 29-yard pass from Smith to Metcalf setting up a one-yard run by Walker to make it 14-7.

The Lions responded with their own 70-yard drive to retake a two-touchdown lead at 21-7, which is where the game stood at halftime.

The Seahawks had 177 yards to Detroit’s 158 at the half.