RENTON — Just three plays into Sunday’s game against Arizona, the Seahawks sent a message to the Cardinals’ defense — you’d better be ready for anything and everything.
Facing a third-and-five on their own 30 on the first drive of the game, the Seahawks unveiled a play in which the ball was snapped directly to running back Kenneth Walker III — who was standing just to the left of quarterback Geno Smith about five yards behind the line.
As the ball went to Walker, Smith leapt and turned backward, attempting to throw off the Cardinals into thinking the snap had gone over his head.
Whether any Cardinals were truly fooled is hard to know.
Something worked to open up a big hole that Walker ran through for 17 yards. The gain not only gave the Seahawks a first down instead of having to punt the ball back to the Cardinals, who had just scored, but also helped jump-start a drive that ended in a field goal that allowed the Seahawks to tie the game at 3-3.
Thursday, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron credited Smith for changing the play at the line of scrimmage — something he has done often throughout his six games as a starter this year, and an underrated factor in his surprising success guiding the Seahawks’ offense.
“I think it goes back to Geno having a good understanding of the defensive structure and where there are things that he can get to in a toolbox that he has to utilize and get to at the right time,’’ Waldron said. “He did an excellent job there of getting to it.’’
Smith on Thursday said the reason he did so was seeing that Arizona had eight defenders at the line of scrimmage.
“We said that they would present some challenging looks up front and that’s one,’’ Smith said. “You have all eight guys up, you don’t know who is blitzing, who is coming, and who is dropping out. But the good thing about is that when you snap it to Kenneth Walker III and you have guys pulling out and guys coming out on the edge, he runs up in there, gets 17 or 18 yards, and makes the defensive coordinator think twice about getting into that package.”
How much Arizona was dissuaded from using that front the rest of the game is also hard to know. But on a day when the Seahawks gained just 296 yards overall — 100 fewer than it had in any of the previous three games — every little bit helped.
It also gave future opponents something to think about.
As for whether it also showed whether Smith has an acting future was a subject of debate this week.
“It was all right,’’ Smith said of his acting. “I’d give it a B minus. I could probably do a little better, but it was all right. I think I got the job done, so that’s all that really matters.”
Said Waldron: “It was pretty good. I think at least one or two people thought the snap went over his head, so he did his part, but primarily got us into the right play there.”
Lockett again sits out
Receiver Tyler Lockett sat out practice for the second straight day with a hamstring injury.
Lockett also was limited in practice last Thursday before then playing against Arizona, with Carroll explaining later the team just wanted to give Lockett a rest day. Lockett played 55 snaps against Arizona, or 81%, a usual amount.
It’s unclear if Lockett is again mostly getting rest this week or if the injury could impact his availability against the Chargers in Los Angeles Sunday.
Aside from Lockett, four others also sat out practice for the second straight day — WR Penny Hart (hamstring), G Gabe Jackson (knee/hip) and cornerbacks Artie Burns (groin) and Isaiah Dunn (hamstring).
DL Quinton Jefferson was again listed as limited with a foot injury. But everyone else practiced fully, including nose tackle Al Woods, who sat out against Arizona with a knee injury.
Allen limited for Chargers
The big personnel question for the Chargers this week remains whether receiver Keenan Allen will play.
Allen has not played since the first game of the season because of a hamstring injury but has practiced on a limited basis the past two days.
But while the team seemed optimistic he would return this week, the Chargers have their bye following the Seattle game and Allen could wait another week before coming back.
Allen told the NFL Network he planned to use Thursday’s and Friday’s practices to gauge where he is in his recovery before making a decision on trying to play against the Seahawks.
The 30-year-old Allen has made the Pro Bowl each of the past five years with 97 or more receptions each season. He had four catches for 66 yards in the first game this season before being sidelined.