Monday night’s game between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks marked the first time in eight years that Geno Smith was his team’s starting quarterback. The Seahawks got the ball first and for Smith and his teammates, things went perfectly.
Smith was already 3-for-3 on the drive when Seattle faced a third-and-two from the Denver 38. The Broncos tried to blitz but the Seahawks picked it up well enough. Smith stepped up and appeared like he was going to run for the first down. Denver’s defense converged on Smith, cutting his apparent running angle off.
But before crossing the line of scrimmage, he pulled up and passed the ball to a wide-open Will Dissly. The tight end caught the ball and ran in untouched for a 38-yard touchdown.
Geno Smith to Will Dissly for the Seahawks touchdown!
#MNF pic.twitter.com/xU2YUv0f1h — The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 13, 2022
The touchdown sent the already boisterous crowd in Seattle into an even bigger frenzy. They weren’t the only ones. The NFL world reacted in a big way to Smith’s big start.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll spoke highly of both Smith and Monday’s backup quarterback, Drew Lock, throughout the offseason. One drive obviously doesn’t prove that Smith will ultimately settle in and be an effective quarterback for Seattle. But his time there as the team’s full-time starting quarterback is off to a good start.