Seahawks’ 3 keys at Lions begin in the middle of the line; plus, the TNT’s pick

Johnathan Hankins has had this game circled for months.

So have his parents, James and Louise (Hankins) Ward. Plus a couple dozen of his friends and family members.

The big, veteran nose tackle grew up in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. It’s about 20 minutes from downtown Detroit and Ford Field, site of Monday night’s game between the first-place Seahawks (3-0) and the Lions (2-1) (5:15 p.m., channel 4).

“Got a lot of people asking for some tickets, so I’m trying to work through that,” the 32-year-old Hankins said this week.

He’s been in the NFL for 12 years. He’s played back in Detroit two previous times, in his rookie season of 2013 and the first game of 2014, when he was with the New York Giants. So he’s done this scramble for teammates road-game tickets before.

“I only get two. Well, we have to pay for the away games,” Hankins said. “And those tickets are way up in the sky.

“So people think they’re going to get 50-yard line, first two rows. I said ‘That’s not me, sorry.’...

“Everybody thinks they’re going to just be all together and it is not going to work that way.

“So, just got to be happy with what you get.”

From those nosebleed seats, they are going to be seeing their guy in a central role in Monday night’s game.

Literally, central.

Hankins is in the middle of the Seahawks’ defensive line — and their quest to be 4-0 for only the third time in franchise history.

He is the only true nose tackle on Seattle’s active roster.

Matt Gotel status

The team signed back Tacoma native Matt Gotel from Lakes High School this week, but as of Sunday morning Gotel remained on the practice squad. The team had waived him with an injury settlement Aug. 8.

Defensive coordinator Aden Durde said this week Gotel likely needs some time re-acclimating before he can help with Hankins’ load at nose tackle.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a process...there’s stuff that he’s missed,” Durde said, “and getting into it is just getting him back up to speed and going through that.”

The Seahawks will be without interior defensive linemen Leonard Williams and rookie first-round draft choice Byron Murphy against Detroit. On Saturday, Seattle declared them out for the game. Williams has a rib injury and Murphy will be sidelined Monday night by an injured hamstring.

That makes Hankins one of three Seahawks keys to this game.

1. Johnathan Hankins vs. Lions run game

The Lions are averaging 163 yards rushing per game through three weeks, fourth-best in the league. They are likely to have running backs David Montgomery pounding and Jahmyr Gibbs slashing at Seattle’s defensive front.

The Seahawks allowed 185 yards rushing at New England two weeks ago. And that was with Williams and Murphy healthy and in the middle of the D-line.

Last weekend against Miami, Hankins ruined three consecutive plays after the Dolphins had first and goal at the 4-yard line in the fourth quarter. That kept Seattle ahead 17-3 in what became its 24-3 win.

His two tackles for loss this season are tied for the league’s most among all 3-4 nose tackles.

“I didn’t know that!” he said.

“I guess just playing 12 years, understanding what I’m getting. To me, it isn’t really that complicated, but just playing a little bit more aggressively, having a better feeling of the defense.”

Hankins signed a one-year contract this spring as a free agent from Dallas. He played his most snaps as a Seahawk last week: 33 of 61 (54%).

He may play more than that in his hometown Monday night. He’s excited for that.

“We’re not excited that they got hurt,” he said of Williams and Murphy, “but I get to be out there a little bit more.”

Twenty-plus friends and family members will be watching in Detroit.

2. Can Geno Smith do it yet again?

The Seahawks’ quarterback has led his underdog team to wild, high-scoring wins over the Lions inside roaring Ford Field in each of the last two early seasons.

Two years ago, in his fourth start replacing traded Russell Wilson, Smith completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and two scores at Detroit. Seven of those throws were to DK Metcalf, for 149 yards. The Seahawks beat the Lions 48-45.

Last September, Smith led a Seahawks offense that played the Lions missing their two starting tackles. Fill-ins Jake Curhan on the right and Stone Forsythe on the left gave Smith the time to complete 32 passes, the second-most of his 12-year career, in 41 attempts, for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Both were to Tyler Lockett. The second one came in overtime. It sent Seattle to a 37-31 victory.

That’s 55 completions in 71 throws for 648 yards, four touchdowns and only one sack going 2-0 at Detroit for Smith the last two seasons. That’s an at-Lions passer rating of 123.4. Smith’s career passer rating is 86.9.

“Yeah, it just was a really fun atmosphere. I thought Detroit had a great crowd,” Smith said this week.

“I love it. I think it tests your will. It tests your communication. It’s super-loud. I feel like I’m screaming in the huddle just to get the play out. And then at the line of scrimmage, voice inflection, making sure all the guys can hear me.”

Smith is coming off a two-interception game against Miami. He blamed himself for Seattle’s sputtering offense against the Dolphins.

Detroit is last in the NFL, 32nd, in yards allowed to opposing wide receivers. A 100-yard day by Metcalf would make him the first in Seahawks history with three consecutive 100-yard receiving games.

Smith says he can’t wait for the latest challenge inside Ford Field.

“It’s something about those environments that just kind of charge you up, just makes you want to go out there and perform,” he said.

“We really look forward to any opportunity, but especially those great road games in environments like Detroit.”

3. Aidan Hutchinson vs. Stone Forsythe

This time, Forsythe will again be a fill-in at right tackle, for injured George Fant and starter Abe Lucas, who remains out indefinitely.

Last Sept. 17 in Detroit, Forsythe started at left tackle for injured Charles Cross. Forsythe, Seattle’s sixth-round pick in 2021, repelled Lions Pro Bowl pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson late in the game and particularly on Seattle’s overtime drive to the win. It was one of only three games last regular season Hutchinson did not have a sack or a quarterback hit.

Hutchinson was banged up last season. He’s not now. He leads the NFL with 6 1/2 sacks through three games. He had 4 1/2 in one game, two weeks ago against Tampa Bay.

Hutchinson moves from side to side on Detroit’s defensive line. He’s lined up at left defensive end, on the offense’s right edge, 94 times this season and at right end 76 times. He’s yet to take a snap over a guard through three games.

“They are going to line him up where they think they have the best match-up,” Hugh Millen said Thursday while discussing Hutchinson with The News Tribune on 93.3 KJR FM.

With Cross the most consistent member of a shaky Seattle offensive line, expect Hutchinson to line up mostly away from him and on third-stringer Forsythe. The one-one-one rematch from last season could determine this game.

The pick

A healthier Hutchinson gets through Seattle’s troubled offensive line. Montgomery and Gibbs exploit the lack of depth on the interior of new coach Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks defense, which has four starters out for this game plus starting weakside linebacker Jerome Baker (hamstring) questionable. That sets Detroit quarterback Jared Goff up for big pass plays to top receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.

Smith’s heroics keep the Seahawks in another wild, loud thriller.

Lions 31, Seahawks 27