SEATTLE— In the NFL, or in any professional sport, there is no such thing as a moral victory. None.

So there is no joy or celebration at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center this week, I assure you.

But if you watched this game intently, you should come away with a positive outlook.

After the first three wins, we praised the Seahawks for finding a way to win no matter the circumstances. Overcoming countless costly mistakes against Denver, coming out and competing for an overtime victory over New England and then dominating the Miami Dolphins.

So the Seahawks may have lost their toughest test of the season yet, but think about it this way: the Seahawks offense rolled up over 500 yards in this game, with career marks for Geno Smith in passing yards. Kenneth Walker III returned with three touchdowns. The first glimpse of Ryan Grubb’s offense at full strength (minus injuries to the offensive line) with Geno Smith running the show was electric.

The Seahawks lost this game because they couldn’t stop the Lions, which isn’t a domino effect on Mike Macdonald’s defense, but rather the byproduct of entering the game with four defensive tackles injured and losing defensive back Julian Love halfway through the match. .

The takeaway here is that despite missing nearly half of their defensive starters, the Seahawks held their own and had late opportunities to win this game.

No moral victories, but it’s hard not to imagine what these Seahawks could be when healthy.

“We have to take care of our business,” Macdonald said after the match. “Detroit is a great team. They showed it, they proved it and they showed it again tonight. We want to be a great team, so we have to be a great team. We want to be the team that we can. ” believe we can become that, so that is our focus.”

Macdonald said there is urgency in a short week with the New York Giants coming to Lumen Field on Sunday. The positives we’re talking about don’t mean the Seahawks were limited only by the injuries; there’s plenty to clean up.

The reality is that even with these obstacles, it was likely a missed pass interference call in the end zone and an incorrect incomplete call on a two-point conversion that left them without a chance to win the game in the final minute. Just being in that position is kind of mind-boggling, forcing the guys who were on the practice squad on Sunday into action. That is a wild turn of events that is difficult to fathom.

If the offense really takes shape as the numbers suggest and the defense gets healthy — or at least healthier soon — there’s reason to believe the Seahawks can go on another winning streak.

It won’t be easy with upcoming games against San Francisco (Thursday night, on very short rest), Arizona and Buffalo all before October is over, but even in a short-handed losing effort there are plenty of signs to be optimistic.

Mike Macdonald has something going on with his new team and if the pieces fall into place, look out.