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The biggest issue on defense is ... Jamal Adams' absence.

That's not to oversimplify what's gone wrong for Seattle's defense, which has had all sorts of issues during another awful start. The Seahawks are getting gashed against the run, in part because they're struggling in their transition to a 3-4 but also because they're missing tackles. They haven't gotten a consistent pass-rush from anyone other than linebacker Uchenna Nwosu. They're losing one-on-one matchups and committing too many penalties on the back end, where they're playing three young corners plus a backup at safety in Josh Jones because of the serious knee injury Adams suffered in the opener. A healthy Adams would be making a difference as a run defender and a pass-rusher.

The Seahawks traded Russell Wilson and have gotten better on offense. That's hard to deny after watching Geno Smith and superfriends pile up 555 total yards, 27 first downs and 48 points in a shootout win over the Lions at Ford Field. Smith finished 23 of 30 for 320 yards and three total touchdowns against a Detroit defense off to a historically inept start. Regardless of the opponent, the journeyman QB's command and execution of the Seattle attack counts as one of the season's biggest early surprises. "(Shoot), he's been on fire all year," wide receiver DK Metcalf (7/149/0 on Sunday) said of Smith. "He keeps building, keeps getting better week by week, and our chemistry keeps growing, and we're finally building an identity for ourselves."

Geno Smith is playing outstanding football at quarterback. Their offense has become fun to watch. The defense has issues.

QB Geno Smith's 77.3% completion rate is an NFL record through a team's first four games of a season. WR DK Metcalf is also dropping it in the bucket at key moments.

That clinch walk wouldn't have made it 😂 https://t.co/tYvaWQSaa6

— DK Metcalf (@dkm14) October 2, 2022

What they are: A fever dream.

Yeah, yeah, Geno Smith is having a better statistical season than Russell Wilson and nothing could possibly make Pete Carroll happier. But how does this four-game sample for Smith compare to past Wilson seasons?

Geno Smith leads the NFL in EPA per play and completion percentage above expected (CPOE) composite through four weeks, per RBSDM.com. I sat at my keyboard and read that back five times just now. That's absolutely insane.

Smith is running the offense like coordinator Shane Waldron is drawing it up, delivering accurate, on-time passes in and outside of play-action with league-leading consistency. And Rashaad Penny is maximizing the Seahawks' overperforming offensive line and ranks third in the NFL in yards per carry (5.96) entering Week 5. They're going to be a tough out every single week.

Geno Smith has two straight 300-yard games and a 108 passer rating. Is he the next unlikely late-career breakout? It's OK to be skeptical but this is going better than anyone would have guessed, Seahawks included.

They wouldn't be any better than 2-2 if they hadn't traded Russell Wilson.