Seattle quarterback Geno Smith has full belief in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron despite another ineffective attacking display against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Seahawks suffered a 31-13 Thanksgiving loss on a night on which little went right for an offensive unit that managed just 220 yards and has now gone seven quarters without registering a touchdown.
That record has seen Waldron come under increasing pressure but Smith, who played through an arm injury, says it is on the players, not the coaches, to raise their game.
He said: “I feel like Shane always does a great job and I’ve got his back 110 per cent. He knows that.
“I feel like it comes down to us executing better as players. No matter what the play is called, it comes down to the players making it come to life. So Shane’s called some great games for us and he’s going to continue to do that.
“I just think overall we’ve got to stay confident, we’ve got to keep believing in what we’re doing, keep believing and trusting our process and Shane’s going to continue to call great plays and we’ve just got to execute for him.”
Check out our other NFL stories here
Lions not panicking after Packers loss
Love impresses in Packers’ 29-22 upset win over Lions
Love: Lions win my favorite Thanksgiving memory
Seattle’s defeat was their fourth straight to an NFL West rival but Smith says hard work is the only way to get out of their recent slump.
I still believe in our coaches,” Smith added. “I still believe in our players. I think it’s been a tough stretch for us, but I believe that things will turn around.
“I think what we have to do is continue to work hard, if not work harder. There is no excuse for it. There is no words that I can say that will make it better, but what needs to be done is we need to work harder. We need to find a way.
“We’ve got a lot of talent. We’ve got a lot of good players on this offense and we’ve got the right coaches. So we’ve got to believe.”
The 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey was the architect of Seattle’s downfall with two touchdowns, moving him to 11 for the season, breaking a franchise record for rushing TDs.
“He’s a dog,” said San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy.
“”You just never know when he’s going to keep going or get out of something. For him to do that doesn’t really surprise me. But at the same time, I look up to that kind of stuff. It gives us a spark and energy to the offense when we need it most.”
