Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson put an exclamation point on a splendid rookie season Sunday when he ran in the game-winning touchdown from one yard out with just under two minutes left on the clock.
The 20-13 win was secured, but scoring on the ground meant that Wilson remained tied with Peyton Manning for the NFL’s rookie record for touchdown passes by a rookie. Both men threw 26 of them on the season with Wilson passing up a chance to break the record on the winning play.
Coach Pete Carroll called a pass, he said Wilson deserved a shot at the record, but the Rams dropped their defenders into coverage at the snap. That defense opened up a running lane for Wilson, but the rookie said after the game that he did have the record on his mind when he saw tight end Zach Miller break free for a moment.
“I was about to throw it to Zach to break the record,” Wilson said, via the Seattle Times. “Then I realized, ‘That’s not me.’ I wasn’t worried about that. The whole thing was to win the game.”
Tying a record held by Manning while rolling into the playoffs on a five-game winning streak (not to mention PFT‘s offensive rookie of the year award) is a pretty good consolation prize for Wilson.