Wilson Throws 3 TDs In 2nd Quarter, Seahawks Top Lions 28-14
Russell Wilson was perfect.
Seattle's game plan was pretty good, too.
Wilson threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter to put the Seahawks ahead and they went on to beat the Detroit Lions 28-14 Sunday, leaning on their running game and defense just as they have throughout their turnaround.
"We can do whatever we want right now," Wilson said.
The Seahawks (4-3) looked sharp on both sides of the ball coming off their bye and won for the fourth time in five games after opening the season with two losses.
"I'm always going to regret that we started lousy," Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
Wilson completed 10 passes, two for scores, before having an incompletion late in the second quarter. He finished 14 of 17 for 248 yards, leading to a perfect quarterback rating. Wilson's 24-yard pass to Tyler Lockett, 15-yard throw to David Moore and 12-yard pass to Ed Dickson for touchdowns gave Seattle a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Chris Carson, who had 105 of Seattle's 176 yards rushing, scored on a 7-yard run early in the fourth to put the Seahawks up 28-7.
"We ran 42 times," Carroll said. "I couldn't be more fired up about that."
Detroit acquired run-stuffing defensive tackle Damon "Snacks" Harrison from the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick just four days before the game, but he wasn't able to immediately help one of the NFL's worst run defenses.
"We have to start learning how to play off him," Lions defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois said.
The Lions (3-4) had won three of four in large part because they didn't turn the ball over much and finally found a running game. They lost the ball three times and had just 34 yards rushing against Seattle.
"I've got to do a better job getting the team ready," Detroit coach Matt Patricia said.
The Lions got off to a solid start against Seattle, breaking a scoreless tie late in the first quarter on Matthew Stafford's 39-yard pass to Marvin Jones. The Lions were then held scoreless for two quarters before Stafford threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Jones early in the fourth to cut the deficit to 14.
Stafford lost a fumble midway through the fourth quarter and threw an interception with 3:08 to go at the Seattle 1.
SURPRISE!
To seal the victory, Seahawks punter Michael Dickson ran out of his end zone and gained 9 yards on a fourth-and-8 from the Seattle 3 on a play that was designed for him to take a safety.
"He went against all traditions and everything, but he saw the situation and he took advantage of it," Carroll said. "It was truly a surprise ."
Clearly, the Lions also did not see the play coming.
"We'll go back and look at it and see where the breakdown was in that situation," Patricia said. "He saw the space and he took it."
BEGINNING OF END
The game, though, began to slip away from Detroit earlier in the afternoon when Ameer Abdullah fumbled on a kickoff return in the second quarter.
Wilson took advantage, connecting with Moore for a go-ahead touchdown pass that went off his left arm and helmet before he grabbed it. On Seattle's next drive, Carroll won a challenge to have Moore credited with a catch to keep a drive going that ended with Dickson's touchdown.
"A year ago, that would not have been a catch," Carroll said.
STAFFORD SETBACK
Stafford was 27 of 40 for 310 with two touchdowns, an interception and a fumble. He had thrown two touchdowns without an interception in the previous three games. Unlike recent games, he could not rely on a running game and was forced to throw more than planned.
"We were coming in with a balanced game plan and obviously the score got to where it was," Stafford said. "We had to try and do some things to get back into it."
TIMELY CELEBRATION
The Seahawks celebrated Lockett's touchdown with a nod to baseball just hours before Game 5 of the World Series. Lockett was trying to look like a pitcher when he threw the football and hit Doug Baldwin, who ran at his teammate as if he was charging the mound and was hit with a phantom punch.
Wilson, who played two seasons of minor league baseball, joined in and threw a fake punch.
"I came out of the bullpen for that one," he joked.
INJURY REPORT
Seahawks: SS Bradley McDougald left with an apparent shoulder injury, but was able to return. "He got banged around, but he was ill," Carroll said.
Dickson and linebacker K.J. Wright returned from injuries to play for the first time this season. "It's a great boost," Carroll said.
Lions: LB Christian Jones left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.
UP NEXT
Seahawks: Host Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.
Lions: At Minnesota next Sunday.
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