SEATTLE — In a disappointing 31-10 defeat against the Buffalo Bills, the Seattle Seahawks demonstrated the extent of their frustrations, which culminated in a physical altercation between two of their own players on the sideline.
Linebacker Derick Hall was penalized for a 15-yard late hit on quarterback Josh Allen during a third-and-15 situation, where Allen had failed to complete a pass. This penalty allowed the Bills to advance and ultimately score a touchdown, contributing further to the Seahawks’ woes.
Following the incident on the field, Hall and defensive end Jarran Reed continued their disagreement on the sideline, engaging in a shoving match that required teammates to intervene. This altercation highlighted the Seahawks’ overall struggle throughout the game.
“There’s some frustration there,” acknowledged coach Mike Macdonald. “Our guys are close-knit and support one another, but they’re emotional players, and flare-ups like this can happen. While it seemed to smooth over later, that penalty wasn’t a smart decision. That’s not the approach we teach when it comes to dealing with quarterbacks.”
This episode was just a fraction of the Seahawks’ numerous errors. They exhibited a variety of mistakes, including fumbles, interceptions, and penalties, which marred their performance.
Macdonald commented further, “We were simply outplayed in every aspect of the game. When you make the mistakes that we made today, things tend to spiral out of control. We didn’t help our cause. The list of issues is exhaustive. Ultimately, we have to face the fact that we were outplayed and outcoached, and it’s necessary for us to correct these issues moving forward.”
The chaos began in the second quarter when the Seahawks were in a promising position at second-and-goal on the Bills’ 3-yard line. However, center Connor Williams snapped the ball over quarterback Geno Smith’s head. Though Seattle managed to recover the fumble, they faced significant setbacks and settled for a mere field goal instead of a touchdown.
On their next possession, Smith fell to the ground due to Williams accidentally stepping on his foot during a crucial fourth-and-goal attempt from the 1-yard line. Following that, Hall’s penalty on the Bills’ next drive illustrated the short attention span for focus on fundamentals within the team. After the game, Hall expressed an understanding of Reed’s frustration regarding the situation.
“He’s the leader of our team, and when things get tough, you need to rely on those leaders. We could both improve our actions, but he just wants me to play smart, play fast, and maintain physicality,” Hall stated. “That was his core message during that tense moment.”
Later in the game, Smith’s pass was intercepted, which derailed a promising 25-yard Seahawks drive. Moreover, he was penalized for taunting shortly after that. Toward the end of the fourth quarter, Dee Williams mishandled a punt that Buffalo’s Mack Hollins managed to recover. The Seahawks also fumbled three times, losing one, and were flagged 11 times for a total of 82 yards.
Reflecting on the week leading up to the game, Smith said, “I felt we prepared thoroughly and held great energy throughout the week. Unfortunately, we failed to translate that into our performance today. Our many self-inflicted errors are a recurring theme this season.”