Smith does his job and Seattle now waits for Wilson’s return

RENTON, Washington (AP) – In the bigger picture of what he was asked to do, Geno Smith did his job as a three-week starter at the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.

He won the game he should expect when the Seahawks beat Jacksonville 31-7 on Sunday. He kept Seattle competitive in losses to Pittsburgh and New Orleans before making some late mistakes.

Smith served his role as a bridge between Russell Wilson, who was undergoing finger surgery, and the reality of when the Seahawks’ QB franchise may be able to return.

“I’m not trying to be arrogant or anything, but I’ve been doing it for a long time. You can pull up the tape from 2014 where I do the same, ”Smith said after passing 20 of 24 with two TDs against the Jaguars. “The reality is that I know who I am. I’ll never get too big or too high. ”

But now all eyes will be on Wilson, especially after his Monday afternoon tweet about the removal of the needle in his surgically repaired right middle finger. Removing the stylus is the first step in realistically determining when Wilson may be able to take action again.

There are still medical exams and grip tests going on that will help determine Wilson’s progress. But with Seattle not playing for 13 days, the chances have increased that Wilson will be ready in Green Bay on November 14th.

“We only hope for the best in terms of his return and that everything is handled really well,” Carroll said on the Monday before Wilson’s tweet.

WHAT WORKS

The context of who they played against needs to be considered, but it was another solid day for Seattle’s defense.

The Seahawks handicapped the Jaguars for three quarters before ceding a large portion of the yards to Trevor Lawrence in the fourth quarter while maintaining a large lead. Seattle limited the Jaguars to just 99 yards total attack in the first half and 6 of 18 on the third and fourth down-conversion attempts in the game.

Though Lawrence had a great fourth quarter, the Seattle allowance of 309 yards was the third straight week that kept his opponent under 350.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

As Carroll said, the Seahawks game hasn’t “found” it yet. Seattle only managed 69 yards storming Jacksonville.

Alex Collins had 44 yards on 10 carries but was playing with an excruciating groin injury that should get better with ease. Rashaad Penny got seven carries but only managed 7 yards as he continues to struggle to find a role after missing time with a calf injury earlier in the season.

“I like what we do in the run-game scheme, but we have to find consistency,” said Carroll. “Where I really notice it is the end of the game. We didn’t let the ball go well in the fourth quarter. And then you really want to hammer the football. ”

INCREASE

Carroll sounded as optimistic as he had been for several weeks about the status of Chris Carson, who is down with a neck problem. Carroll said Carson will be examined by the team’s medical staff next Monday after they say goodbye. When unlocked, Carson expects to practice with a view to potentially playing Green Bay in week 10.

Carson has struggled to get going this season with a season high of 91 yards in Week 1 against Indianapolis. Carson has missed the last three games.

“We’ll find out where he is as soon as we start training,” said Carroll. “He’s determined to do this so I’ll keep my fingers crossed for him.”

Stock

Defensive lineman LJ Collier was a healthy scratch for the sixth time in eight games on Sunday and apparently left the former first-round pick without a role for the Seahawks.

Collier started all 16 games for Seattle last season and had three sacks. But that year he was barely able to get on the field despite the Seahawks’ regular lineups with five defensive linemen in their base packages. Collier was active in week 2 against Tennessee and week 5 against the Rams, but did not play otherwise.

INJURIES

Seattle CB DJ Reed suffered such a tight groin against the Jaguars that he could not have played without a blowout. Carroll said Reed had an MRI on Monday that showed no additional damage. The extra week off should be key to increasing the chances that Reed could be back in time for the Packers on November 14th.

KEY NUMBER

38 – Wilson underwent finger surgery on October 8th. If he can play at Green Bay on November 14th, it will be 38 days between the operation and Wilson’s possible return to the field.

NEXT STEPS

The Seahawks will travel to Green Bay in week 10, a place where they will struggle hard. Including the playoffs, Seattle has lost its last nine trips to Lambeau Field. His last win at Green Bay came on November 1, 1999.

___

More AP-NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

https://apnews.com/article/nfl-sports-jacksonville-jaguars-seattle-seahawks-geno-smith-84838a44763e001dbe386ae048b40c9a