Bad to brilliant: Russell Wilson keeps Seahawks’ playoff hopes alive

7:02 pm | November 15, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:


SEATTLE — Russell Wilson bounced back from a poor start with an excellent finish to send Green Bay packing.

Sound familiar?

No, Wilson wasn’t as bad in the first half this time as he was in the NFC Championship Game in 2015, nor was he as brilliant Thursday night as he was at the end of that epic Seattle Seahawks rally over the Green Bay Packers in 2012.

But the result was the same: A comeback win that keeps Seattle’s season alive.

Seahawks 27, Packers 24.

It was one they needed in order to have a realistic shot at reaching the playoffs. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, Seattle’s postseason chances would have dropped to 13 percent with a loss, making this a virtual must-win. That number is now 40 percent.

It started poorly, with running back Chris Carson losing a fumble on the first play from scrimmage, setting up an easy Packers touchdown. Wilson missed Doug Baldwin wide open in the end zone, then missed what might have been another touchdown when he overthrew Tyler Lockett deep down the sideline. Wilson even needed Baldwin to make a one-handed catch on a poorly thrown bubble screen, highlighting how off he was early in this game.

Four false starts in the first half — of a home game, no less — added to what was some of the sloppiest football the Seahawks (5-5) have played all season.

It didn’t help that Aaron Rodgers was picking apart the Seahawks’ young defense on the way to a pair of first-half touchdown passes and a near-perfect quarterback rating. But Seattle’s defense buckled down, forcing punts on four of Green Bay’s five possessions in the second half.

And Wilson (21-of-31, 225 yards, 2 touchdowns) found the finishing touch he and Seattle’s offense had been missing all season. He led a seven-play, 75-yard drive late in the fourth quarter that was aided by two long completions to Lockett. Wilson capped the drive with a 15-yard go-ahead touchdown to Ed Dickson.

The Seahawks improve to 8-1 on Thursday night under Pete Carroll.

More importantly, they kept their playoff hopes alive.


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