O’Neil: Yes, you can be alarmed by a 28-point Seahawks victory
Oct 2, 2017, 2:26 PM
The Seahawks' offensive outburst in the second half overshadowed a poor first half. (AP)
(AP)
Things changed quickly for Seattle in the second half of Sunday’s victory over Indianapolis.
Whether it was the turning point for this one game or for the entire season remains to be seen, but it was more than enough to win against the Colts. Now it’s time to figure out what else this win taught us:
Three things we learned
1. It is possible to be alarmed by a 28-point victory. Even in the NFL.
The Seahawks set a franchise record by scoring 36 points in the second half, including 28 in a row, and yet, there’s still an undercurrent of concern over the warts that were evident in the first two and a half quarters. The offense cost Seattle almost as many points (two) as it scored (three) in the first half, and for the third time in four games this season, the Seahawks held the ball for fewer than 11 of the 30 minutes played in the first half. And while the Seahawks scored as many touchdowns (two) as they allowed against the Colts, being on the field for two-thirds of the first half isn’t an ideal template for winning games late.
2. The Seahawks can turn things around in a hurry.
While it certainly wasn’t Seattle’s plan to keep Sunday’s game close, that is actually the blueprint for most Seahawks’ blowouts. The games are close, and then all of a sudden they aren’t. It’s not something the Seahawks plan for, but Pete Carroll definitely wants his team to be ready to capitalize on those swings in momentum and bury opponents, especially while playing at home. Carroll afterward didn’t want to examine the causes of another slow start nearly so much as he wanted to celebrate what happened when the Seahawks clicked it into gear. “It just took us a while again,” Carroll said, “and you can ask me all those questions why, and whatever, I don’t care. We got going. We finally got it going.”
3. Russell Wilson is on fire.
Not literally. That would be unhealthy. But if he was a character in a video game – say something like “NBA Jam” – there would be cartoon flames coming off every ball he’d throw. In the past six quarters Wilson has played, he has completed 43 of 59 passes for 568 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. When you factor in Wilson’s 23-yard touchdown run and consider that one of those interceptions occurred because the ball bounced off the hands of tight end Jimmy Graham, it’s even more impressive.
