Geno Smith is completing lots of passes -- 80-plus percent in both games. But they’re not really going anywhere. He’s finished under 200 passing yards in both games, and Seattle’s offense hasn’t scored a point in its last six quarters.
Smith completed 23 of 28 passes in the opener against the Broncos. He threw 2 TDs in the first half of that game, with the Seahawks hanging on to win 17-16. (One gets the feeling that will be looked back on as by far the high point in what otherwise should be a long, forgettable season for the team.)
The limitations of the offense became more apparent on Sunday. Smith completed 24 of 30 passes, but the team wasn’t even competitive against San Francisco, with its only points coming on a return of a blocked field goal. Too many of Smith’s completions are underneath balls that don’t do any damage. And the Seahawks have been unable to get their running game going.
Smith’s stat line is unusual but not unprecedented. Using the numbers at Pro-Football-Reference, I see 72 other quarterbacks that have completed 80 percent of their passes (with at least 20 attempts) for teams that have lost their games. (It even happened to another quarterback on Sunday, Jacoby Brissett – the third time there have been two such quarterbacks on the same day.)
Seven other quarterbacks have been able to complete 80-plus percent (with 20-plus attempts) while playing for teams that lost by at least 20 points. I’ve got them tagged with black dots. And eight quarterbacks have done it while playing for teams that scored fewer than 10 points.
Going forward, looks safe to operate under the assumption that Seattle will finish with a bottom-5 offense this year.
| 80-PERCENT PASSERS WHO LOST | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Opp | Result | Com | Att | Pct | Yards | TD | Int |
| 1967 | Bob Griese, Mia. | NYJ | L 14-33 | 17 | 21 | 81.0 | 160 | 2 | 2 |
| 1968 | Sam Wyche, Cin. | Hou. | L 17-27 | 20 | 25 | 80.0 | 228 | 1 | 0 |
| 1974 | Norm Snead, NYG | N.E. | L 20-28 | 28 | 35 | 80.0 | 272 | 2 | 1 |
| 1983 | Steve Bartkowski, Atl. | at S.F. | L 20-24 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 243 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985 | Neil Lomax, St.L. | at Was. | L 27-29 | 37 | 46 | 80.4 | 468 | 2 | 1 |
| 1985 | Gary Danielson, Det. | Min. | L 28-29 | 24 | 30 | 80.0 | 218 | 4 | 0 |
| 1985 | Steve DeBerg, T.B. | at Det. | L 7-13 | 25 | 29 | 86.2 | 272 | 1 | 0 |
| 1985 | Steve Bartkowski, Atl. | Det. | L 24-27 | 24 | 28 | 85.7 | 299 | 2 | 0 |
| 1985 | • Steve Bartkowski, Atl. | at Pitt. | L 10-35 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 167 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | Gary Danielson, Det. | at S.D. | L 24-27 | 20 | 25 | 80.0 | 269 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | Dan Marino, Mia. | Ind. | L 28-31 | 26 | 32 | 81.3 | 304 | 3 | 1 |
| 1988 | Randy Wright, G.B. | T.B. | L 10-13 | 22 | 27 | 81.5 | 181 | 1 | 0 |
| 1990 | Troy Aikman, Dall. | at NYG | L 17-31 | 21 | 26 | 80.8 | 233 | 1 | 1 |
| 1991 | Jeff Hostetler, NYG | at Dall. | L 16-21 | 28 | 34 | 82.4 | 368 | 1 | 1 |
| 1992 | Jim Everett, LAR | at S.F. | L 24-27 | 20 | 24 | 83.3 | 232 | 2 | 1 |
| 1993 | • David Klingler, Cin. | at Pitt. | L 7-34 | 17 | 21 | 81.0 | 135 | 1 | 0 |
| 1994 | Hugh Millen, Den. | at S.F. | L 19-42 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 217 | 0 | 0 |
| 1994 | Jim Kelly, Buff. | at Det. | L 21-35 | 29 | 35 | 82.9 | 273 | 2 | 2 |
| 1996 | Mark Brunell, Jac. | at N.O. | L 13-17 | 28 | 35 | 80.0 | 250 | 1 | 0 |
| 1998 | R. Cunningham, Min. | at T.B. | L 24-27 | 21 | 25 | 84.0 | 291 | 2 | 1 |
| 2001 | Elvis Grbac, Balt. | at Cle. | L 14-24 | 16 | 20 | 80.0 | 142 | 0 | 2 |
| 2003 | Mark Brunell, Jac. | at Car. | L 23-24 | 23 | 27 | 85.2 | 272 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | Jamie Martin, St.L. | S.F. | L 20-24 | 33 | 41 | 80.5 | 354 | 1 | 2 |
| 2005 | Jamie Martin, St.L. | at Ind. | L 28-45 | 17 | 21 | 81.0 | 134 | 1 | 2 |
| 2006 | David Carr, Hou. | Buff. | L 21-24 | 25 | 30 | 83.3 | 223 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | David Carr, Hou. | at Ind. | L 24-43 | 22 | 26 | 84.6 | 219 | 3 | 0 |
| 2006 | Jeff Garcia, Phil. | at Ind. | L 21-45 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 140 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | • Joey Harrington, Atl. | T.B. | L 7-31 | 16 | 20 | 80.0 | 139 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | • Shaun Hill, S.F. | Min. | L 7-27 | 22 | 27 | 81.5 | 181 | 1 | 0 |
| 2007 | Chad Pennington, NYJ | at Buff. | L 14-17 | 32 | 39 | 82.1 | 291 | 1 | 2 |
| 2007 | Chad Pennington, NYJ | at Ten. | L 6-10 | 26 | 32 | 81.3 | 264 | 1 | 2 |
| 2007 | David Garrard, Jac. | at Ind. | L 25-28 | 24 | 29 | 82.8 | 257 | 2 | 1 |
| 2007 | Jeff Garcia, T.B. | at Det. | L 16-23 | 37 | 45 | 82.2 | 316 | 2 | 0 |
| 2007 | Matt Schaub, Hou. | Ind. | L 24-30 | 27 | 33 | 81.8 | 236 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 | Drew Brees, N.O. | at Den. | L 32-34 | 39 | 48 | 81.3 | 421 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009 | Drew Brees, N.O. | T.B. | L 17-20 | 32 | 37 | 86.5 | 258 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | Chad Henne, Mia. | Pitt. | L 24-30 | 16 | 20 | 80.0 | 140 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | Carson Palmer, Oak. | Det. | L 27-28 | 32 | 40 | 80.0 | 367 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | Dan Orlovsky, Ind. | at N.E. | L 24-31 | 30 | 37 | 81.1 | 353 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | NYJ | L 28-30 | 36 | 45 | 80.0 | 319 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | at Ten. | L 17-20 | 20 | 24 | 83.3 | 184 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | Drew Brees, N.O. | Cin. | L 10-27 | 33 | 41 | 80.5 | 255 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | Brandon Weeden, Dall. | Atl. | L 28-39 | 22 | 26 | 84.6 | 232 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | Josh McCown, Cle. | at St.L. | L 6-24 | 26 | 32 | 81.3 | 270 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Luke McCown, N.O. | at Car. | L 22-27 | 31 | 38 | 81.6 | 310 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | T.B. | L 20-23 | 37 | 45 | 82.2 | 397 | 2 | 1 |
| 2016 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | Dall. | L 30-35 | 37 | 46 | 80.4 | 408 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | Case Keenum, LAR | at Det. | L 28-31 | 27 | 32 | 84.4 | 321 | 3 | 1 |
| 2016 | Sam Bradford, Min. | at Det. | L 13-16 | 31 | 37 | 83.8 | 224 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | • Matthew Stafford, Det. | at Balt. | L 20-44 | 24 | 29 | 82.8 | 292 | 1 | 1 |
| 2017 | Jay Cutler, Mia. | Oak. | L 24-27 | 34 | 42 | 81.0 | 311 | 3 | 0 |
| 2017 | Nate Sudfeld, Phil. | Dall. | L 0-6 | 19 | 23 | 82.6 | 134 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | • Jameis Winston, T.B. | at Chi. | L 10-48 | 16 | 20 | 80.0 | 145 | 1 | 2 |
| 2018 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | at Oak. | L 21-24 | 25 | 29 | 86.2 | 282 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | Cam Newton, Car. | Sea. | L 27-30 | 25 | 30 | 83.3 | 256 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | Carson Wentz, Phil. | Car. | L 17-21 | 30 | 37 | 81.1 | 310 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | Derek Carr, Oak. | at Den. | L 19-20 | 29 | 32 | 90.6 | 288 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | Drew Brees, N.O. | T.B. | L 40-48 | 37 | 45 | 82.2 | 439 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | Marcus Mariota, Ten. | at Hou. | L 17-34 | 22 | 23 | 95.7 | 303 | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | at Dall. | L 24-26 | 24 | 30 | 80.0 | 307 | 2 | 0 |
| 2019 | • Luke Falk, NYJ | Cle. | L 3-23 | 20 | 25 | 80.0 | 198 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Gardner Minshew II, Jac. | K.C. | L 26-40 | 22 | 25 | 88.0 | 275 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | at Ari. | L 33-34 | 30 | 36 | 83.3 | 356 | 4 | 0 |
| 2019 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | at Ind. | L 24-27 | 29 | 34 | 85.3 | 304 | 3 | 1 |
| 2020 | Deshaun Watson, Hou. | at Ind. | L 20-27 | 33 | 41 | 80.5 | 373 | 2 | 0 |
| 2020 | Drew Brees, N.O. | G.B. | L 30-37 | 29 | 36 | 80.6 | 288 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | Justin Herbert, LAC | at T.B. | L 31-38 | 20 | 25 | 80.0 | 290 | 3 | 1 |
| 2020 | Kyler Murray, Ari. | Mia. | L 31-34 | 21 | 26 | 80.8 | 283 | 3 | 0 |
| 2020 | Teddy Bridgewater, Car. | at N.O. | L 24-27 | 23 | 28 | 82.1 | 254 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | Jared Goff, Det. | Chi. | L 14-16 | 21 | 25 | 84.0 | 171 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | Tua Tagovailoa, Mia. | Atl. | L 28-30 | 32 | 40 | 80.0 | 291 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | Geno Smith, Sea. | at S.F. | L 7-27 | 24 | 30 | 80.0 | 197 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | Jacoby Brissett, Cle. | NYJ | L 30-31 | 22 | 27 | 81.5 | 229 | 1 | 1 |
Statistics compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com
—Ian Allan