Smith-Njigba and running back Zach Charbonnet were the only offensive standouts as the offensive line allowed seven sacks for the third time this season. Neither Smith nor backup quarterback Sam Howell played well.

Charbonnet had limited options but was efficient with his carries. However, Smith-Njigba had another big game – recording his sixth straight contest with at least 70 yards receiving. He has led the team in receiving yards in seven consecutive games.

It was the fifth game this season in which Smith-Njigba was targeted more than 10 times. His connection to Howell and Smith was one of the few things that benefited the offense.

However, when Smith left the game early in the third quarter, the Seahawks offense was in even more trouble. Seattle only lasted one drive longer than three plays after that, and that possession consisted primarily of Charbonnet’s 24-yard touchdown run.

“I definitely know if (Smith) could be out there, he would be out there,” Smith-Njigba said. “Prayers are with him and hopefully we’ll get him back on Sunday…We have a next-man-up mentality. “(Howell is) ready for the job and capable enough to do it. We’ve seen it in practice a million times. We just didn’t get the job done.”

Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb showed no interest in establishing the run after the Seahawks were down 14-0 in the first quarter. The Packers scored on each of their four possessions in the first half, putting pressure on the Seattle offense.

As has been the case all season, the offense struggled when forced into a one-dimensional game plan.

“I think that’s even more true when you have to catch up,” Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett said after the game. “But we always used pace on different occasions. We felt like we could pick up the tempo a little bit to catch them off guard and catch them in certain coverages that we wanted to exploit. But I think they did a great job early on and put us in a place where we became one-dimensional.”

Lockett had just one catch but finished the game with the most receiving yards (22) he has had since Week 9. Last week, in Seattle’s Week 14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Lockett played without a catch for the first time since Week 13 of the 2019 season.

That’s more a result of Smith-Njigba’s rise and the continued threat of DK Metcalf, but the 10th-year veteran is on track to have his worst season since his third year in the NFL.

Seattle can’t put itself in situations where it has to stop the run. Charbonnet scored a long rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter and then did not receive another carry, although he did recover the ball with 10 minutes left in the game, trailing 23-13. There were ways to play football.

While Smith’s status in Week 16 remains unknown, the Seahawks have a chance to bounce back on Sunday against a two-loss Minnesota Vikings team.

“Everything is still ahead of us. All our goals,” Smith-Njigba said. “We just have to prepare for next week. Be ready for Minnesota and get a win.”

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