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5 turning points that led to the Seattle Seahawks' first loss

The Seahawks lost their first game of the 2024 season in Detroit. In a difficult road environment, Seattle was outmatched and down several defensive starters. Still, the Seahawks showed fight in the 42-29 loss despite missing up to five starters in the second half.

What five moments led to the loss?

1:05 1st quarter: DK Metcalf fumbles in Lions territory

The Seahawks quickly fell behind 7-0 in the first quarter and wanted to respond. The offense crossed midfield and appeared to be on its own path to scoring. Geno Smith connected with Metcalf at the Lions' 34-yard line. Then the receiver fumbled after trying to get a few more yards past the marker. The Lions recovered and returned the ball to the 14-yard line. That wiped out the Seattle win and shifted the momentum significantly in Detroit's favor in what could have been a 14-point shift.

5:11 2nd quarter: Jahmyr Gibbs 1-yard touchdown run increases the Lions' lead to 21-7

The Seahawks had just engineered a touchdown drive to cut the lead to seven. But just as Seattle seemed to be stabilizing things, the Lions began their own long run. After six plays and 69 yards, the Lions broke through with their star running back Jahmyr Gibbs. That gave the Lions a 21-7 lead and kept the Seahawks at bay after making it a one-point game. The Lions responded brilliantly when it seemed like Seattle was gaining momentum.

2:52 3rd quarter: Jared Goff 70-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Williams

One could argue that this was the death knell for Dan Campbell's team. Once again the Seahawks came within a score of a touchdown drive, making the score 28-20. The Lions entered the field and wanted to answer. Boy, did they ever do that? Jared Goff hit Jameson Williams on a deep cross. After the catch, he ran past all Seattle defenders for a long touchdown run, putting the Lions back in the lead by two points at 35-20. Even though the Seahawks scored again and got within one point, this big play felt like a setback.

9:18 4th quarter: Tyler Lockett called for an offensive pass interference which negated the 4th down conversion

Since the Seahawks were down 35-27, they wanted to use this performance to tie the game. First, they faced a manageable 4th-and-3 from the Detroit 39-yard line. Instead of opting for a long field goal, Ryan Grubb's offense went all out to try. They appeared to convert on the fourth down attempt with Geno Smith finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the distance needed to move the chains. Then, like several times on Monday evening, a flag appeared in important places. Tyler Lockett was called for a devastating offensive pass interference call that not only negated the conversion but also forced the Seahawks out of field goal range. The Seahawks had to punt. The Lions then drove downfield and scored a touchdown, essentially putting the game on the ice.

2:16 4th quarter: Geno Smith passes incomplete for turnover on downs

With the smallest vestige of hope, the Seahawks were knocking on the door with a 15-point lead with just over two minutes left. The Seahawks reached 1st-and-goal all the way to the Lions' three-yard line. Geno Smith then threw four straight incompletions three yards from the end zone. One of them could almost have been intercepted. On fourth down, the ball fell incomplete again, ending the drive while trying to find Tyler Lockett in the back of the end zone. Any chance the Seahawks had of coming back ended immediately.

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