Three instant impressions after the Seahawks’ four-game win streak was snapped in a 30-13 loss to the Packers: How bad is Geno Smith’s knee injury?

Whether the Seahawks can hang on in the NFC West race to make Week 18 in Los Angeles against the Rams meaningful will likely rest on if Geno Smith misses time after suffering a knee injury in the third quarter. Smith was furious after the play.

He was furious there was no penalty called against Edgerrin Cooper for hitting him around the ankle and causing Smith to bend awkwardly.

He was furious that he was injured during a critical game late in the season – to the point of spiking his helmet when he got to the sideline. Smith was not having a good game before the injury.

He was 15 of 19, but struggled to generate much downfield in the passing game and threw an end zone interception on a ball that never should have left his hand. Sam Howell was thrown into a tough situation jumping in for Smith in a game where the Seahawks were trailing 20-3 and needing to throw.

And he deserves recognition for leading Seattle to a touchdown in the fourth quarter to pull within 23-13. But fans would probably feel much better about the Seahawks chances if it was Drew Lock stepping in to take snaps than Howell at this point.

There were some cringeworthy throws mixed in during Howell’s stint where he was 5 of 14 for 24 yards, was sacked four times and threw an ugly interception with about five minutes to go where the only person with a chance to catch it was the Packers’ Cooper – which he did.

Smith continues to be Seattle’s best chance at success. Defense absent too long It seemed notable in the moment that Green Bay won the coin toss and opted to take the ball rather than deferring to the second half.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur liked his offensive game plan against the Seahawks defense and wanted to get it on the field right away.

Green Bay’s first quarter, especially, was masterful. Josh Jacobs ran with the same motivation he showed two years ago when he ran for a career-high 229 yards at Lumen Field while still a member of the Raiders. Jordan Love wasn’t asked to make difficult decisions or throws.

Green Bay’s offensive line staggered the Seahawks front-seven early, and it took until the second half before they recovered.

Love finished 20 of 26, threw two touchdowns and wasn’t sacked. Last week against Arizona, the Seahawks were sloppy defensively for one drive before making the fixes. It took far too long against the Packers.

A class above When the Seahawks rallied from a 14-0 deficit to win in New York against the Jets two weeks ago, they did so against an inferior opponent who provided plenty of help along the way.

Green Bay was not an inferior opponent. The Packers showed they are one of the four best teams in the NFC and outclassed the Seahawks across the board. They weren’t going to blow a 14-0 lead. The Packers dominated nearly every part of the game.

The line of scrimmage, coverage in the secondary, poise in the pocket – in all those areas, Green Bay was the superior team. Seattle’s playoff hopes are now down to a three-game stretch. Next week against Minnesota is a must-win. The day after Christmas is a must-win.

Otherwise, Week 18 in Los Angeles may end up being completely meaningless for the Seahawks.