SEATTLE — Again the Seattle Seahawks offense was struggling, again they were failing to convert in the red zone, and again there was reason to question whether the passing game has regressed from a year ago.
Then as he has done so many times before, quarterback Russell Wilson flipped the switch in the third quarter and took over. Wilson engineered the only touchdown drive of the game for either team to give the Seahawks some much-needed breathing room in an eventual 19-3 victory over the NFC West first-place Arizona Cardinals.
In leading the Seahawks on a nine-play, 75-yard drive, Wilson went 6-for-6 for 70 yards — including a 20-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Helfet — and scrambled for 15 yards on a third-and-11 play to keep Seattle from having to settle for yet another field-goal attempt.
Wilson, who was sacked seven times and used his elusiveness to avoid several other sacks, saved his best escape act for that touchdown drive. Wilson spun away from Cardinals linebacker Alex Okafor to find a wide open Marshawn Lynch for what would end up being a 23-yard gain. Wilson retreated so far on the play that he was roughly 18 yards behind the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball.
“Obviously I think we let Russell Wilson be Russell Wilson on too many occasions,” said Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathiue.
While Wilson was at his very best on that drive, his strong play wasn’t limited to one possession. Wilson completed 17 of 22 passes for 211 yards, didn’t turn the ball over and posted a 121.6 passer rating that was the highest against Arizona this season. Wilson also rushed for a game-high 73 yards on 10 carries. He hit Ricardo Lockette for a 48-yard gain with a throw he jokingly referred to as a no-look pass. Because on that play, which set up a field goal, Wilson looked off coverage, causing cornerback Patrick Peterson to leave Lockette thinking the ball was going left. Wilson threw a strike to the other side of the field without ever resetting his feet, which were set toward the left side of the field.
“I thought he made a bunch of great plays today,” Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said. “Now, he got sacked a bunch, and they got him, but he made some things happen. He showed that magic he has to get out and create. He created with his legs. The great throw he hit Marshawn on, getting out of trouble, you know, he was nailed in the backfield. I thought he played a really good football game under extreme duress, and showed great poise, and kept coming back. Then, when the protection was there, he stood strong in the pocket and made his throws. I just thought it was a really good game for him.”
Considering the opponent, the importance of the game and the growing concern over Seattle’s passing game, it might have been Wilson’s best performance this season. When asked about the passing game during the week, Wilson repeatedly said the struggles were “on me.” He was taking ownership for a problem that only partly falls on him.
But on Sunday he showed how a good quarterback can mask other flaws for an offense. Such as a pass protection that allowed him to be hit 11 times. And even after taking a big step forward, Wilson says he and the offense have plenty of room for growth going forward.
“There are so many things that I can do better,” he said. “There are so many things that our team can do better offensively. I don’t think we’ve scratched the surface yet. I expect us to score 50 every game. I just believe that we can, because we have before. For us, there’s a lot of things that we can do.”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com
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