THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Geno + another strong draft = ... elite?

Well, that’s one question answered.

If you wondered about Geno Smith’s ability to manufacture a winning drive in the waning seconds of a fourth quarter …

There you have it.

With almost certain elimination from any playoff contention lurking close enough to sniff the odor, Geno put the fired-up Rams to sleep Sunday afternoon — calmly guiding the Seahawks 75 yards with rushers literally hanging all over him.

Putting to rest any doubt that he can handle such heat, the G-Man completed his masterpiece with just 36 seconds remaining.

Is that enough fourth-quarter magic for the doubters?

With time ticking away, Smith pushed the Hawks to the doorstep by escaping a mob to find Marquise Goodwin for 17 yards — and then throwing an absolute missile to DK Metcalf, who had Jalen Ramsey hanging all over him, for the winning 8-yard touchdown.

Geno’s heroics, mostly performed with no healthy running backs available to help the cause, allowed the Hawks to escape SoFi Stadium with a 27-23 victory.

You can puzzle over two obvious questions after seeing this triumph over the shorthanded-but-inspired Super Bowl champs.

First, please put to rest all that nonsense about Geno being a decent quarterback in meaningless games, but …

What about when it matters?

THIS ONE mattered, plenty.

Geno handled the final two minutes like Joe Montana, and he did it with rushers in his face, around his legs, and literally ripping the shirt off his back.

No problem.

The totals looked nice — 28 of 39 for 367 yards, three TDs and one funky pick when Bobby Wagner ripped the ball away from Tony Jones, Jr. — but the final drive was everything.

Literally.

Snatching the win left the Seahawks at 7-5, and still in the hunt for the playoff spot.

If the second question concerns how far this team remains from the NFC’s elite category, well, consider that we just referenced a key play involving Tony Jones, Jr.

Aside from losing that tug-of-war to Wagner, Jones played hard and ran for a couple of first downs — but he was only on the field because running backs Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Walker III, DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer were all out injured (Walker and Dallas getting dinged on Sunday).

Goodwin also got hurt in the game, but returned to catch that critical throw in the final minute.

Bottom line: This group is beat up, and with rookie tackles now having played 12 games, the running game is shot (no kidding, without anyone to take the ball), and it’s getting tougher to protect Smith without a Plan B to keep opponents honest.

Then there’s the issue of the Seattle defense, which made a few big plays against the Rams, but looks suspect at several positions.

L.A. is limping through the rest of the season with John Wolford replacing Matthew Stafford at QB, and Cooper Kupp out for the year.

Still, Sean McVay reverted to that bootleg/rollout offense he used in the Jared Goff days, and the Rams were more dangerous than they’ve been at any time in their current six-game losing streak.

The Seahawks again struggled with the run, yielding 171 yards overall, and a couple TDs to Cam Akers.

This is not the Legion of Boom.

NOW, NONE of this means that Pete Carroll and the young nucleus the Seahawks have put together don’t care about the playoffs.

Looking at the NFL’s best teams right now, you’d have to say that Seattle is a draft or two away.

But playing in the postseason is a great way to keep the building process moving along.

Meanwhile …

The Broncos keep losing, bless their hearts, so their first- and second-round picks in the 2023 draft are getting juicier by the week.

At some point, Carroll and GM John Schneider have to decide how long they should commit to Smith as their quarterback, and whether they want to select his successor in this draft.

With Geno playing Pro Bowl football, though, I’m guessing there will be no need to use one of those high selections on a QB.

The Seahawks need pass rushers, linebackers — large, fast, angry people on the BOTH sides of the ball.

Oh, if something bizarre happens and they get a shot at Alabama’s Bryce Young, I mean, maybe …

The emphasis will NOT be at quarterback, however, unless the Seahawks believe they’ve uncovered a generational talent.

If so, they’d have to take him, use the franchise tag on Geno for a year or two, and go from there.

It worked with Patrick Mahomes, who sat for his rookie year.

The real answer to our second question, though, is pretty simple.

Carroll and Schneider have to duplicate the success they just had in this draft.

Back-to-back jackpots.

If they manage it, maybe we’ll need the word “elite” for the 2023 season.

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Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”