Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett do most everything for Seahawks but play D; 39-32 loss at Saints

Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett, even rookie Ken Walker in place of injured Rashaad Penny — they all did everything up and down the Superdome field to win and put the Seahawks into an unlikely division lead.

Everything, that is, except play defense.

Seattle’s other side of the ball ruined Walker’s dynamic 69-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes left by allowing New Orleans’ Taysom Hill to run almost free for a 60-yard score right after it. The Saints, without their starting quarterback and top two receivers, rolled up 440 yards and 39 points on the Seahawks’ troubled defense in Seattle’s head-shaking, 39-32 loss Sunday.

Coach Pete Carroll called it a particular tough loss for all the Seahawks (2-3) gave away.

“We had all kinds of opportunities to get this done. There were too many things that went wrong,” Carroll said.

“We made it too easy on them.”

Smith continued his efficient and big-play season. He completed 16 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns, two to Tyler Lockett and one to DK Metcalf.

His prettiest and perhaps most precise pass of the season got the Seahawks back within 31-25 in the first minute of the final quarter.

Smith’s arcing arrow of a throw landed between three Saints defenders in the end zone, plopping into the hands of Lockett. That trimmed New Orleans’ lead to 31-25.

“Geno was phenomenal again,” Carroll said. “Just exquisite football.”

The Seahawks got a stop on fourth down when the Saints lined up to go for it near midfield and Boye Mafe charged at the line, causing Saints tight end Juwan Johnson to false start into a penalty. New Orleans then punted.

That’s when Walker ran.

The rookie second-round draft choice had spent much of the first month of his debut season struggling to learn the plays, and to pass block. That kept him limited to only a bit role. But after Rashaad Penny injured his ankle early in the second half, it was Walker’s time.

He took a hand-off from Smith with acres of open space in front of him. Wide receiver Dee Eskridge gave him the one downfield block he needed on Walker’s 69-yard touchdown, his first career score.

The Seahawks’ 32-31 lead lasted 92 seconds.

Hill lined up in Wildcat formation, took a direct snap, ran left through Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs’ arm-tackle try along the single line of Seahawks defenders and ran 60 yards for the touchdown. The Saints led again with a two-point conversion, 39-32 with 5 minutes left.

Hill, the Saints’ tight end/quarterback/running back did that all day. He romped for 112 yards and three touchdowns — on just nine carries. That was even though the Seahawks knew he was going to be the focus on New Orleans’ game plan, with starting quarterback Jameis Winston plus their top three wide receiver Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave out injured. Olave got hurt during Sunday’s game.

“Unacceptable,” new starting safety Ryan Neal said.

Smith got sacked holding onto the ball for a long time and spinning, looking for a receiver on third down. That 14-yard loss ended the Seahawks’ subsequent drive.

New Orleans (2-3) converted a third down on a shallow pass at the weakest part of Seattle’s defense, the linebackers. Alvin Kamara ran for another first down. The Seahawks used all their time outs on defense, and the Saints ran out the clock to their second win in five games.

The Seahawks come home to play Arizona next week with so many issues on defense, their offense has to be perfect for them to win.

Sunday, it wasn’t.

Yet it flashed again.

Trusting Geno Smith

The rapid increase in trust coach Pete Carroll, play caller Shane Waldron and all Seahawks in Smith the last three games showed most at the end of the first half.

Rookie defensive backs Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen created a bonus chance for Seattle’s offense with the Saints ahead 17-13 in the final minute of the second quarter. Bryant used the “situational tackling” Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt stressed all last week after Detroit shredded the Seahawks. They specifically worked on the first-arriving tackler standing up ball carriers and teammates taking the opportunity to make a play on a stopped-but-still-upright runner. That’s what Bryant did after new starting safety Ryan Neal stood up Saints do-it-all back Kamara following his catch at the Seattle 39-yard line. Bryant’s hit forced Kamara to fumble. Woolen recovered and returned the ball past midfield.

On second and 6 with at the Saints 35 with 14 seconds and no times out remaining in the half, Waldron trusted Smith to throw for the end zone. Either throw for a touchdown, throw the ball away, just don’t take a sack with Jason Myers already in range for at least a field goal.

Lockett ran past two Saints defensive backs right to left on a post route to the end zone. Smith stepped up in a tight pocket and threw a perfectly lofted pass to Lockett for the startling touchdown. Instead of seemingly certain to trail, the Seahawks led 19-17 into the third quarter.

Woolen. Again.

Woolen continued making big plays. The fifth-round pick and converted college wide receiver got his third interception in three games, late in the third quarter. That gave Smith and the offense the ball near midfield down 24-19.

On third down, Smith threw to wide-open Metcalf for what would have been a 32-yard touchdown and the lead. But officials called Seahawks rookie left tackle Charles Cross for holding Kaden Elliss. Cross was blocking the Saints linebacker on the left edge Smith scrambled to, with his hands inside the frame of his body. Usually that’s OK for officials.

But Elliss sold that he was allegedly being held, hard. He threw both hands into the air while Smith was throwing the Metcalf. The official bought it.

Instead of a 26-24 lead, Seattle punted after Smith had to scramble away from pressure on third and long.

Two plays later, Kamara ran 54 yards through mostly open field on a screen pass, to the Seattle 24. Tight end Adam Trautman then split Seahawks safeties Neal and Diggs down the middle of the end zone for a 22-yard touchdown pass.

Seattle was suddenly down 31-19 entering the final quarter.

Michael Dickson’s punt that wasn’t

The Saints had that second-quarter lead because Michael Dickson didn’t punt deep out of his own end.

The Seahawks’ punt unit splayed unusually to each sideline as if perhaps a fake was on during a fourth and 4 with the score tied at 10, but Seattle was called for a false start. On the fourth and 9, Dickson ran right and the line shifted that way in front of him, as if it was a rugby-style punt he’s done many times. The blockers not releasing down the field suggested it was called to be a punt, because linemen cannot go past the line of scrimmage legally before a ball is punted.

But Dickson never punted. He hesitantly shuffled right — right into New Orleans’ Carl Granderson. He forced Dickson to fumble. The Saints recovered at the Seahawks 13.

Hill then ran out of Wildcat formation for his second rushing touchdown of the half.

“That was not a fake punt,” Carroll said. “That was a rollout punt, that he might have to run sometime, if things aren’t there. But we are supposed to kick the football there.”

Defensive changes

Carroll and defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt made changes in an attempt to be better than the Seahawks were in Detroit, where they allowed 520 yards and 45 points.

Neal and Diggs paired as the starting safeties. Neal, a sixth, dime defensive back last season, started over Josh Jones.

Neal broke up a pass into the end zone from Dalton to Trautman to deny the Saints a touchdown in the third quarter.

That was after Metcalf lost a fumble to begin the Seahawks’ opening possession of the second half. The Saints converted that second gift possession in Seattle territory into Andy Dalton’s touchdown pass of 16 yards to Chris Olave and a 24-19 lead.

The official on the field initially credited Seahawks rookie nickel cornerback Coby Bryant for ripping the ball from Olave’s arms as they fell together onto the ground in the end zone with Olave catching the pass. Saints coach Dennis Allen challenged that ruling. The NFL officiating replay review center in New York changed the ruling to a touchdown, saying Olave completed the process of a legal catch before Bryant got the ball free.

Rookie Boye Mafe was the starting outside linebacker with Uchenna Nwosu.

Darrell Taylor had been ineffective starting the first three games at left outside linebacker. Darryl Johnson had replaced Taylor in the starting lineup at Detroit, then Johnson got a foot injury in the second quarter against the Lions. He went on injured reserve this past week.

Christian Jones entered on early downs in the second quarter for Nwosu at right outside linebacker. Those were his first snaps on defense since his call up Saturday from the practice squad. Hurtt coached Jones in Chicago a few years ago.

Rashaad Penny leaves injured

Rashaad Penny ran for 6 yards on the second play after the Saints took a 24-19 lead in the third quarter. He got pushed out of bounds awkwardly on his left leg and foot and limped with help from trainers to the Seahawks’ bench.

After Seattle’s drive ended with a sack of Smith, Lockett came over to Penny, who had his head down as doctors continued to look at his left ankle. Lockett tapped the often-injured Penny on the back.

The running back couldn’t put weight on his foot as he limped without his shoes with Seahawks assistants under each of his arms to the back of a motorized cart. It drove the Seahawks’ leading rusher into the locker room.

The team fears he may have fractured his tibia, his shin bone. He may miss most if not all the season.

“He’s crushed,” Carroll said.

Gabe Jackson, Al Woods injured

Penny was the second starter to leave injured in the third quarter.

Right guard Gabe Jackson left with a hip flexor. Phil Haynes replaced him.

Nose tackle Al Woods had a sack and was wrecking linemen into the backfield again — until he injured his knee in the third quarter. The 35-year-old veteran co-captain of the defense did not return.