Seattle, WA

Is Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s play a cause for concern?

Published

1 year ago

October 23, 2023

Is Seattle Seahawks QB Geno Smith’s play a cause for concern?

It’s hard not to play into some recency bias when it comes to the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive woes. Even with a Pro Bowl season from quarterback Geno Smith last year, this was a group that was good but not without questions.

With no DK, Seahawks rookies Bobo and JSN come up huge

It’s no surprise then that after a sloppy day, one of those questions is back: Do the Seahawks have a Geno Smith problem?

The numbers and context here are important, but I’ll spare you a roundabout answer: right now, no. Smith’s decision-making errors have proven costly in at least one loss. But six games in with several injured offensive linemen and two wins totaling nearly 40 points apiece, it’s hard to tell just yet whether those issues are going to stick.

Let’s start with those wins. The Seahawks’ offense in Weeks 2 and 3 totaled 37 points in each contest, with at least 24 points coming in the second half. They scored on a combined 7 of 11 trips into the red zone. Smith’s Week 2 game against the Lions was perhaps his best as a Seahawks starter.

After not dipping below 50% on red zone conversions for four weeks, the Seahawks have struggled mightily there over the last two outings. They’ve gone a combined 2 of 8, including two interceptions from Smith.

And that’s where the worry – fairly – comes in. Smith’s final line in Sunday’s win against the Arizona Cardinals was nothing to critique: 18 of 24 (75%) for 219 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, and a 113.0 passer rating is a fine day. But for the second time in as many weeks, Smith made a bad decision in the red zone that ended with a turnover (this time to a rookie Cardinals defender, Garrett Wilson, who was staring his way the entire time). He also mishandled a snap that resulted in a fumble.

1st Career NFL Game ✅
1st Career NFL INT ✅@garrettismynam3 x #BirdGang pic.twitter.com/roJu7qtB8i
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 22, 2023

“Yeah, it’s something we’ve been talking about,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters after Sunday’s game when asked whether he was concerned about Smith’s turnovers. “He got on the sprint, he’s outside the pocket and it didn’t happen on rhythm, so it went to a late rhythm. And he took a shot, trying to squeeze one in there – and he knows. We saw him do that in camp a few times, and it’s something that’s topical, and he’s sick about it. He should’ve just eaten the football or run with the football right there – that’s what the options are.”

Against a solid offense, one turnover can be a problem. Against a great offense, two can all but end a game. Thankfully for Seahawks fans, the Cardinals are not one of those offenses that can make Seattle pay for it. Neither are next Sunday’s opponent, the Cleveland Browns, but their defense is tops in DVOA and packs one of the biggest punches Smith and Seattle’s offense will face all season.

So yes, a quarterback who turns the ball over is an issue. But Smith’s seven touchdowns to four interceptions make his season far more similar to that of Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow rather than to the league’s worst. And while he’s not touching the yardage of the league’s most prolific passers (Tua Tagovailoa and Patrick Mahomes top the yardage list right now), he’s still top 10 in quarterback rating.

The problem with Smith isn’t that he’s a bad quarterback who’s sinking his team – because that’s quite simply not true. The problem is that he hasn’t yet shown he can consistently be a great quarterback, and that’s who Seattle needs as they inch near its toughest stretch of the season yet.

The good and bad news moving forward

Seattle came out of this one mostly healthy. That, and another stellar performance from their defense, is the best news from Sunday.

The bad news? An offense that needs to find a way to score more consistently in the red zone could go yet another week without starting right tackle Abraham Lucas.

“From what I’m hearing, I can’t say hey, yeah, he’s coming back,” Carroll said. “I don’t know that. He’s got to surprise us a bit. It’s just taking time for this process to get him right.”

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Recap: Seattle Seahawks rely on defense to beat Arizona 20-10
• Seahawks Instant Reaction: D steps up in win over Cards
• The Big Plays: Highlights from Seahawks’ Week 7 victory
• Seattle Seahawks rookie Jake Bobo’s TD catch must be seen to be believed

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

5 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

14 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

22 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

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Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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