D.K. Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks.
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks.
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Another football Sunday. Another Seattle Seahawks victory. It’s like that Bill Murray movie Groundhogs Day. Such a great movie by the way from such a great actor. It was the details that made this game a nail-biter from start to finish.
The Seattle Seahawks first half performance can be summed up in one word, ugly. Although each team had four possessions, Minnesota dominated. They held the ball for 20:16, running 41 plays for 197 yards, while the Seahawks could only muster 61 net yards in 18 plays. At the half, Seattle trailed 13-0.
The game changed drastically in the second half. Minnesota’s first three possessions of the second half were a three-and-out, a fumble, and an interception. In six minutes the Seahawks turned a 13-0 deficit into a 21-13 lead. Just like every other game this season, the lead didn’t last. Minnesota rallied for two touchdowns of their on their next two drives to retake the advantage. After a Russell Wilson pick, they were on the move again late in the fourth quarter with two minutes left in the contest. That’s when Seattle’s heroics started.
Facing a fourth-and-one at the Seattle six-yard-line, Minnesota decided to go for it instead of kicking a field goal to put them up by eight points. It was the wrong call. The Seahawks stopped running back Alexander Mattison cold, to force a turnover on downs. That allowed the Russell Wilson kitchen to open back up for the finale.
He took the Seahawks on the drive of the season. He wasn’t fantastic but he was #DangerRuss. The drive began with a 17-yard scramble to get the team away from it’s own goal line. Four plays later, he made a fourth-and-ten completion to D.K. Metcalf down the right side for 39 yards and the Seahawks were at Minnesota’s 38-yard line. Five of RW3’s next seven passes were incomplete leaving Seattle with a fourth and goal at the six. Somehow Chef Russ completed a bullet to his favorite waiter, Metcalf in the endzone to win the game.
Here are our four takeaways from the come from behind win.
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks.
Chef Russ was his usual highly efficient self early, even if he did toss his third pick of the season. For the most part, though, the passing game just never got on track. For a team that prided itself on big plays, Seattle only had two for 20 or more yards. The dynamic duo of receivers Tyler Lockett and Metcalf couldn’t get over 100 receiving yards against a very young and inexperienced Vikings secondary. That is until the final drive.
In classic “Let Russ win you the game late” Chef Russ moved the team 94 yards for the game-winning score. That got the passing game over 200 yards for the night. However, one very important thing this game showed is if Lockett and Metcalf aren’t making plays, the passing game struggles. Carson was the third leading receiving both in yards and in targets. The Seattle Seahawks need Greg Olsen or David Moore or Freddie Swain to step up on a more consistent basis. Even if it’s just enough to give their opponents something else to consider.
One thing fans always hear is the team that wins the turnover battle usually, wins the game. That’s mostly true. However, teams have to cash in on those opportunities.
Minnesota turned the ball over on two consecutive second half possessions. The Seahawks converted those turnovers into 14 points, which put them back in the game. Also, let’s not forget the fourth quarter stop that forced the Vikings to turn the ball over on downs. That led to the Seahawks, final, game-winning score. Before that series, Wilson threw a pick to set the Vikings up in Seattle territory. In short, The Seattle Seahawks scored 21 points off non-punt changes of possession, while Minnesota had zero points from one turnover.
Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, Seattle Seahawks.
In last week’s takeaways, I said that the Seattle Seahawks defensive performance against Miami was a step in the right direction. However, this game wasn’t, it started as a big step back. The defense did not play well in the first half at all. Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Dalvin Cook did whatever they wanted when they wanted to do it. The switch was flipped and it was much better in the second half.
They held the Vikings to a three-and-out on their first possession of the half. Then the Seahawks forced the two turnovers. Additionally, the D kept Minnesota from adding a dagger in the back score, with that fourth-and-one stop on their own six-yard line. Those series were the keys to victory.
In the first four weeks, the Seattle Seahawks run defense was outstanding. Against Minnesota, it looked like they were carrying red capes and yelling ole’ as Vikings running backs broke into the second and third lines of defense. Cook, the NFL’s leading rusher, dominated early with 65 rushing yards on 17 carries before leaving with a groin injury early in the third quarter. Buckup Alexander Mattison picked up where Cook left off, finishing the game with 20 carries for 112 yards (5.8 average).
Help is on the way with the recent signing of defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison. Hopefully, he can be the guy he was in New York, not the recent Detroit version.
Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks.
In professional sports, there will be games the opponents do a great job of taking a team’s stars out of the mix. On those occasions, it’s up to the supporting cast to step up. They did Sunday night.
Baby KamKam, Ryan Neal continued to make plays. Number 35 was often in the picture and usually near the ball. For the game, he had eight tackles, including two for loss and a pass defended.
In my opinion, with Neal, the Seattle Seahawks have three starting-caliber safeties. This should allow Ken Norton Jr to create some “exotic” defensive packages. Maybe he can use Jamal Adams is a “linebacker” with Neal and Quandre Diggs. Or when facing a dynamic quarterback like Kyler Murray they can stay in a nickel or dime packages more than normal. In those situations, Seattle can have more speed out there but not lose anything on the tackling side.
Neal’s play just allows the defense to be more flexible and adaptive without a drop-off. He’s a rising star.
If Russell Wilson is the king of efficiency, Sunday night, Chris Carson was the prince. For a running back that’s been labeled as having bad hands, it sure didn’t look that way in this game. He caught everything thrown in his direction. There was no drop off in his running game either, ripping off big chunks of yardage. None better than his 29-yard touchdown after half time. That was a fantastically beautiful run.
K.J. Wright didn’t stuff the stat sheet with tackles, but everyone knew he was in the game. First, he recovered a fumble. Then he made an incredible one-handed interception on Minnesota’s very next possession. Of course, that made up for the dropped interceptions he had last week.
What were your takeaways from the Seattle Seahawks fifth straight win to open the season? Let us know in the comments section below, or on social media.