On a night in which they weren’t always razor-sharp, the Seahawks had more than enough to fend off underdog Washington.
Quarterback Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another as Seattle slugged its way to a 27-17 victory on Monday night at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.
Wilson vexed Washington with his arm and his feet. He rushed for 122 yards on just 11 carries, with his rushing score giving Seattle a 17-0 second-quarter lead. But Washington (1-4) would battle back, and it even had a chance to get the ball back down seven points with around two minutes left.
Then, on a 3rd-and-4 play at midfield, Wilson made a magical, game-clinching play.
With Washington outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan bearing in, Wilson ran all the way back to beyond his 35-yard-line, managed to keep the rush at bay and flipped a short pass to tailback Marshawn Lynch, who rumbled for a first down. The Seahawks (3-1) would add an insurance field goal with 21 seconds left for the final margin of victory.
Though Washington showed some grit in defeat, Seattle missed several chances to blow the game open. Three — yes, three — Percy Harvin touchdowns were nullified by penalty, including scores on back-to-back plays in the second quarter. The first and third TDs were zeroed out on penalties by left guard James Carpenter, while Harvin’s false start nullified his second touchdown. Overall, Seattle was penalized 13 times for 90 yards.
Washington got a blue-chip performance from wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who racked up 157 receiving yards against one of the game’s best secondaries. His 60-yard second-quarter TD catch put Washington on the board for the first time and gave the home team a little hope entering the second half. And in the third quarter, Washington stood in and gave Seattle a game. The Seahawks gained just 28 yards in the third period, and Washington drew to within 17-10.
But then Seattle countered with 12-play, 53-yard drive extended by a five-yard run by punter Jon Ryan on a fake field goal and capped by Wilson’s nine-yard TD pass to Lynch with 6:31 left. Now, the Seahawks had a little more cushion. Washington made one last real run, with quarterback Kirk Cousins (283 yards, two TDs) hitting Andre Roberts for a six-yard score with 3:35 left to cut the lead to 24-17. But in the end, Washington couldn’t get the third-down stop it needed, and Seattle pulled through.