SEATTLE – An awkward hit ended quarterback Geno Smith’s night and may have done serious damage to the Seahawks’ playoff chances.
Smith left Seattle’s 30-13 loss to Green Bay on Sunday night with a right knee injury and was replaced by Sam Howell midway through the third quarter. The injury doomed the Seahawks’ comeback attempt and put a serious chill on their hopes for an NFC West title. They dropped into a tie atop the division with the Los Angeles Rams, who beat the Seahawks earlier this season and host them to end the season.
Smith will undergo scans on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.
“It’s tough,” linebacker Ernest Jones IV said. “Geno’s the heartbeat of this offense, the heartbeat of this team and one of our leaders. So obviously, you don’t want to see him get hurt. But we’ve got confidence in Sam, confidence in the guys behind him. So, I pray everything is OK with Geno. But we’ve got to be ready to go.”
Smith went down on a low hit by linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, who rolled over Smith’s leg. He tried to walk off the field, went down, then got up again and limped to the sideline, where he threw his helmet. He walked to the locker room with trainers a short time later.
Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said there did not appear to be any structural damage to Smith’s right knee. Smith returned to the sideline with an ice bag held in place by a bandage, and Macdonald said the team considered allowing him to return until a late turnover put the game out of reach.
Howell, acquired in an offseason trade with Washington, completed 5 of 14 passes for 24 yards with an interception and led one touchdown drive.
Smith entered the night ranking second in the league in attempts, completions and passing yards and was on the way to breaking all the Seahawks single-season marks he set last year.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for Geno, and just watching him through his career how he’s reinvented himself,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “And he’s playing really good football — I mean, you’re not the second-ranked passing leader in this game for no reason.”
Smith, who was not available to speak to reporters, struggled before he was hurt. He threw his fourth end-zone interception this season, tying the Browns’ Jameis Winston for the NFL high, when Carrington Valentine picked him off late in the first quarter. He was 15 of 19 for 149 yards and the pick, and Seattle trailed 20-6 when he left.
Howell said he’d be ready if called upon when the Seahawks host the Minnesota Vikings next Sunday.
“I prepare every week like I’m going to start,” Howell said. “But if I am playing, just getting those reps in practice will be important, and you just getting the whole week to get ready to go will be a big thing and I’ve got to make sure I’m doing the right things to prepare myself for Sunday.”
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