This time last year, Geno Smith was just expecting to keep his job.
In September, he'd just beaten out Drew Lock to become the Seahawks quarterback replacing traded Russell Wilson for the 2022 season.
Now — 12 months, four team passing records for a season, a first career postseason start, first Pro Bowl selection and a new $105 million contract later — what are the 32-year-old Smith's expectations entering Seattle's 2023 season opener Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams as the team's franchise quarterback?
"High expectations. Very high expectations," Smith said Thursday.
Higher than repeating the wild-card entry into the NFC playoff Smith and the Seahawks got last season. That is, dethroning the San Francisco 49ers as NFC West champions to get home playoff games en route to the Super Bowl.
"I think the world of my teammates. I think the world of my coaches," Smith said. "I believe we have a tremendous opportunity this season, with the players that we have and the coaches that we have.
"I expect to go out there and play well. Obviously, we've got to prove it. It's not going to be given to us.
"And that's what I'm looking forward to, is the opportunity to prove myself. Again."
For Smith, what else is new?
This summer was his first since 2014, his second year in the NFL and with the New York Jets, that Smith knew he was his team's starting quarterback. He lost his Jets starting job at the start of 2015, after teammate Ikemefuna Enemkpali broke Smith's jaw with a sucker punch in the locker room.
He started just two games the next six years.
Before he surprised the entire league last season, Smith spent seven seasons on seven, one-year contracts as a backup for four teams.
Now? This week, Seahawks teammates voted Smith as team captain for the first time. It's Smith's first time as any team's captain since his final college season starring at West Virginia. That was in 2012.
Eighteen of his Seahawks teammates that voted for him weren't yet in high school when Smith was last a captain. That includes the two running backs he will be handing the ball to on Sunday, Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, his new rookie first-round draft choice at wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and his starting left tackle Charles Cross.
Smith is the first quarterback not named Russell Wilson to be a Seahawks captain since the late Tarvaris Jackson in 2011.
"It means a lot," Smith said. "It's something we all strive for and I appreciate them voting me as captain."
Smith's focus: 3rd down, red zone
Smith isn't the only Seahawk thinking grandly about where his offense and this season is headed.
DK Metcalf's expectations?
"I mean, just to be the best in the world," the fifth-year wide receiver said.
"Then, we work back from there. But just starting out, just trying to be the best offense, running, passing the ball, being the best efficient offense and just putting up the most points, I think that's the best way I can describe it.
"But you know, with the key additions that we had with Jaxon, Zach, at the end of the day, I think we have that goal to be attained, you know, at the end of the season. So just out there practicing every day going against the defense, you can see that we're going to be an explosive offense. And then the defense is definitely challenging us everyday.
"We're going to be firing on all cylinders."
Forget the constant question of whether Smith in year two as Seattle's starter can possibly duplicate his 4,100 yards passing, 30 touchdowns and league-leading 68% completion rate, or whether last year was a one-off season.
For the Seahawks to take the next step toward the Super Bowl, Smith, Metcalf and Seattle's seemingly loaded offense must improve in two key areas.
Effectiveness on third downs and in the red zone.
The difference between winning and losing in the NFL is so small, games often come down to who can most often seize their chances to extend drives and score touchdowns when in prime positions to do so.
Ten of Seattle's 17 games last regular season were decided by one score. That includes both games in 2022 against the 5-win Rams. In the Seahawks' last four playoff years they've played an average of 11 one-score games per season.
Last year, Smith set franchise records for completions, attempts and completion percentage and the Seahawks made the postseason despite themselves in these two key offensive areas.
Seattle was 20th in the league converting third downs and extending drives last season, a rate of 38.3%. The team was just above 30% the last three games of last season. The offense was 37.3% on third downs in 2021, Wilson's final season with the team.
The two Super Bowl teams from last season, Kansas City (48.9%) and Philadelphia (47.6%), were second and third in the league on third downs.
In the red zone, inside opponents 20-yard lines, last season the Seahawks were 27th in the NFL. They scored touchdowns on just 48.3% of trips inside the 20. It was just 33% of the time to end the season.
Again, Kansas City (71.1%) and Philadelphia (68%) were second and third in the NFL in the red zone for touchdowns in 2022.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron Thursday called third downs and red zone "critical" for his Seahawks.
That's why the Seahawks drafted Smith-Njigba in the first round this spring, and not a needed defensive tackle or end. The 20th-overall pick in the draft from Ohio State instantly becomes the third wide receiver with Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. He will most often play from the slot, inside Metcalf and Lockett.
If defenses continue their approach of the last two seasons of bracket coverage of Metcalf or Lockett with a safety over the top and cornerback underneath — sometimes both of them — on third downs and in the red zone, coach Pete Carroll and Waldron believe they now have the answer. It's Smith throwing to Smith-Njigba in single coverage against a nickel defensive back or safety. The Seahawks believe that will be a huge advantage for Seattle on the game's biggest plays.
"He's an automatic baller, natural football player, natural pass catcher," Metcalf said of the 21-year-old Smith-Njigba.
"Teams are going to have to pick their poison if they're going to play man against us."
Early in training camp Waldron, the play caller, spent less time reviewing early-down plays the offense had already installed and knew. He spent more time drilling third-down and red-zone plays and the errors Seattle made on those last season.
Those mistakes include details such as target points for blockers in the running game — the Seahawks had just one rushing touchdown inside the 5-yard line and multiple more negative plays there in 2022 — footwork and breaks off the line by receivers at the snap and Smith's quickness in decision making on a tighter field and against blitzes.
Carroll made it offense versus defense on third downs every training-camp practice. Each day there was a period of 11-on-11 scrimmaging in the red zone. When defensive backs and wide receivers did one-on-one drills in full pads, they did it into the end zone on throws from inside the 20.
"The thing we are seeking is the consistency," Waldron said. "We did a good job last year of creating explosive plays, scoring touchdowns outside the 10-yard line, outside the traditional red-zone plays. But then we did have drives that stalled in the red zone.
"(And) it's really eliminating those negative plays that got us off track, off schedule. Same thing could be said on third down."
The quarterback knows third downs and red zone are the areas key to fulfilling these Seahawks expectations, said Waldron, the play caller.
"That was a major emphasis for us, third downs, red zone, being better in those specific areas. We have a bunch of reps at that," Smith said. "Pete put us in competition over and over. Third-down competition. Red-zone competition. And a lot of back and forth between the offense and the defense.
"We'll be able to see throughout the season if we actually got better. But I think we did."
