Geno Smith turned back the clock to secure a win for the Seattle Seahawks against their bitter rivals. In his 2+ years as the starter, he recorded his first win over the divisional foes.
However, after the game, the quarterback revealed extra motivation he got to take hold of the game, and former Seahawks player turned San Francisco 49ers coach KJ Wright is responsible for that added motivation.
Former Seahawks Legend Gave Extra Boost to Geno Smith To Win
After the heart-wrenching comeback victory, Smith appeared on Seahawks icon Richard Sherman’s podcast. The former cornerback asked Smith about the reason behind going “god mode” in the third quarter. Smith laid out his feelings in the open.
His reason was Wright, the San Francisco defensive quality control coach. Wright played 10 seasons with the Seahawks before moving to the Las Vegas Raiders for a season. Smith and Wright became teammates during Wright’s last season in 2020.
“Somewhere in the third quarter I had looked over to their bench, and I saw KJ standing over there and I was like, ‘What the?’ And I’m like, ‘Man, we just gotta beat these boys.’ I saw KJ, and it just kind of pissed me off a little bit. He’s a Seahawk; he shouldn’t have those colors on,” Smith said.
With less than 15 seconds remaining on the clock, Smith rushed for 13 yards to score a TD and win the game. He finished the contest throwing for 232 yards with 78% accuracy. The 34-year-old rushed for 29 yards in four carries.
Smith Reveals Motivation for Game-Winning Drive vs. 49ers
The Seahawks are third in the NFC West with a record of 5-5. However, the two-time Pro Bowler believes the win over the 49ers has given them the fuel to fight for the postseason.
“We won the game,” Smith said to the press. “We know how much was at stake; we’re trying to turn our season around.”
“We had a bye week, and we’ve got eight games ahead of us to put ourselves in the position that we want to be in. This is just a step in the right direction for us, so I was very ecstatic and happy for that,” he added.
READ MORE: NFC West Playoff Scenarios and Standings After Week 11
Their next game is important in their playoff race. In Week 12 they’ll face another divisional foe, the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals sit at the top of the NFC West with a 6-4 record.