A Grip on Sports: Close does not count in the NFL, which means there will be more than a few verbal grenades tossed around again when the Seahawks’ season ends

A GRIP ON SPORTS • The simple truth is the Seahawks are simply not good enough. And yes, it took 15 games to pound that lesson home – though the 12s seemed to have figured it out weeks ago.

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• Every time the Hawks match up with one of the NFL’s better teams, they show they just can’t. Match up, I mean. Or win, which is even more important.

It happened again Sunday in Lumen Field, a stadium once more populated in too large a degree by the opponent’s fans. Not the Packers’ or Cowboys’ or even the 49ers’. The Vikings, a fan base with a much smaller following. Nowhere near a national brand.

And yet, as the Hawks desperately tried to tie a 27-24 game late, Lumen seemed way-too noisy, way-too Viking-centric. And when Jason Myers’ 60-yard field goal fell way-too short, there were way-too-many cheers.

Once again Seattle had come close. Once again the Seahawks had come up short. Once again they had lost at home, something that happened six of the nine times they played at Lumen this season.

And once again, the pre-snap penalties, often an indicator species in the NFL’s home-field ecosystem, were way-too evenly distributed.

Though the big flags were not, most notably a missed pass interference penalty against the Vikings late – it was so obvious even the Vikings fans shown by Fox seemed to be expecting it – and a key face mask penalty against Seattle in the go-ahead drive. The latter was protested vehemently by the cited player, rookie Byron Murphy II, who said he didn’t grab Sam Darnold’s as much as brush it.

Replays were unclear, but many more egregious violations have not been called this season, including a couple that may have decided games. This one played a major factor too, so much so Mike Macdonald cited it while arguing the Hawks are this close to success.

“We could have had a third-and-18 with two downs to go to try and seal it, and all of a sudden two plays later now we’re down three,’’ he said postgame. “So, that’s how close we are. But we’re not there yet obviously.’’

No, they are not. And that’s the main problem.

• A big reason why Seattle is close but not there yet? Quarterback play.

Geno Smith is OK. Pretty good. But not good enough to carry a flawed team any further. And will be way-too expensive come contract-renewal time.

Yep, when the Hawks are eliminated from the postseason, whether it comes Thursday night in Chicago, Sunday in Los Angeles or, after a miracle or two, seven days later in So-Fi, next season becomes the focus.

And what to do at football’s most-important position.

Smith isn’t the answer. Neither is backup Sam Howell. Could a rookie quarterback be in the offing next season?

After Sunday’s loss, the Hawks are slotted into the 17th spot in the draft’s first round, though a couple more losses could bump them up as high as 12th or so. Last year, they picked 16th, too late for any of the six quarterbacks taken in the opening round.

All but one of them – Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, picked by Minnesota, but injured and sitting out as cast-off Darnold has been a revelation – have been successful, though former Husky Michael Penix Jr. didn’t get a shot until this week.

Maybe it’s time for Seattle to invest draft capital to ensure it can pick a quarterback, one with the potential to have the type of return-to-investment Smith had a couple seasons ago. Or maybe the Hawks will be lucky and someone like Dillon Gabriel will fall to wherever the franchise ends up making its first pick.

Something has to happen between now and next Labor Day. Not just to improve the chances of winning on the field but to excite the folks who show their confidence by donning a Leonard Williams jersey and filling one of the 68,740 Lumen Field seats eight or nine times a year.

The defense is getting close. The offense has most of the pieces. The coaching staff, including the head guy, will have another year of experience.

Close was not good enough this season. But it was what we got. It certainly will not be good enough in 2025. It will be time to win.

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WSU: Take a breath. A deep one. Christmas is coming. Maybe Santa will drop a surprisingly well-received new coach down the Bohler Gym chimney. But until then, you will have to be satisfied reveling in the ghosts of Christmas past. Like linebacker Frankie Luvu, who once again was the defensive star for the Washington Commanders. And the lead element of in Ethan Myers’ NFL locals roundup. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, we begin with linking Mike Vorel’s column about college football, one we linked when it ran in the Times. And do so again as it is on the S-R website. … We also linked this recruiting roundup Jon Wilner shares in the Mercury News, and we do it as it is also on the S-R site. … Wilner also has his thoughts in The Mercury News on the CFP’s first round. And how it can be improved upon in the near future. … Same with Stewart Mandel on The Athletic site. … The biggest game New Year’s Day? The Rose Bowl matchup between top-seed Oregon and the Big Ten’s Ohio State. At least that fits in a tradition model. A conference-game rematch? That’s different. … Oregon State just keeps adding players. … The Ducks could use a few more transfers but the coaching staff is a bit busy. … In news we all expected, Steve Belichick is reportedly leaving Washington and joining his father in North Carolina, as defensive coordinator for the Tar Heels. … Colorado feels it has Travis Hunter’s defensive replacement already on board. … Did you know USC had some bright moments this season? Me neither. … Who gets credit for Arizona State’s success? … Arizona is trying to improve its offensive line. … Among the future Pac-12 members in the Mountain West, Boise State is a big underdog against Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl. … Recruiting never stops, including among members of your roster. Just ask Fresno State or San Diego State. … Colorado State has added another transfer as it preps for the Snoop Dog Arizona Bowl. … In basketball news, the Oregon State men have matched its best start in 30 years. … Washington hopes its best shooter is rounding into form. … UCLA, which is the next opponent for Gonzaga, has a player its needs to have step up.

Gonzaga: The Zag men are on a break, returning to practice on Christmas day. Jim Meehan shares that news. … Tommy Lloyd turned 50 on Saturday. Just thought we would pass that along. … Elsewhere in the WCC, Saint Mary’s lost at home for the first time this season, falling to future Pac-12 member Utah State as the Aggies finished nonconference play at 11-1.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, there are two vibes among the Montana basketball teams. The men feel they are headed in the right direction. But, after another loss in Florida, the women are going the wrong way. … The Idaho State women missed a chance to head to break on a win Saturday night. But the program picked up a major gift. … The ISU men have a foundation in place for conference play. … We missed this yesterday but Sacramento State officially hired its new football coach. UNLV’s Brennan Marion will bring his go-go offense to the Hornets.

Seahawks: We mentioned the home field record above. Dave Boling delves into it in even more detail in his column from Lumen and points out five of the Hawks’ eight wins have come on the road. Maybe it’s a positive the home schedule is over. … We linked the game story above. And we do it again. … There are always grades. And rules. And takeaways – especially when Smith is your quarterback (cue rim shot). … The Hawks needed more from him but they didn’t get it. … Yep, close. What could have been. But, instead, late lapses and another loss. … Minnesota has the best record in the NFC (along with Detroit). Who saw that coming 16 weeks ago? And Darnold? What a story.

Kraken: Seattle’s losing streak reached five games with another rout, this one 5-2 in Denver. The Avalanche swept the season series with the Kraken.

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• What a morning. The 5 a.m. hour included feeding three dogs – and making sure they were outside. The 6 a.m. hour included cuddles so they would settle back down. The 7 a.m. one finished up with tug of war and fetch. What’s in store for the 8 a.m. stretch? Hopefully sleep so I can finish this column. Dog sitters rule. … An update: They did not settle. Until later …