Seahawks get the win, Russell Wilson credited with a save
Oct 8, 2017, 10:45 PM | Updated: 11:21 pm
(AP)
LOS ANGELES – Russell Wilson’s worst throw of the day led to his most important moment in Sunday’s game.
“That was a phenomenal play,” coach Pete Carroll said.
The coach wasn’t talking about Wilson’s throw to tight end Luke Willson. That pass came on first-and-10 from the Los Angeles 15, and Seattle’s quarterback was thinking touchdown as he attempted a back-shoulder throw.
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“We thought we had a really great play,” Wilson said.
Wilson never saw the safety coming, John Johnson cutting in front of the intended target to pick off the pass at a dead sprint in which he seemed bound to reach the end zone.
“There was a point there that there’s nobody in the stadium that thought, ‘That guy’s not scoring,’ “ Carroll said. “Then out of nowhere Russell just kicks in high gear.”
Wilson: “I just put my head down and started running.”
Wilson ran Johnson down along the sideline, forcing him to cut back inside where J.D. McKissic was also in pursuit. Wilson then made the tackle, tripping up Johnson at the Seattle 19 for a return of 69 yards.
The Rams wound up kicking a field goal, but without Wilson’s tackle, the Rams would have had a second touchdown that would have made all the difference.
“Really what was great about that was our defense,” Wilson said. “Our defense being able to stop them there on a huge drive after a crappy play by me.”
Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was asked if he saw Wilson’s tackle.
“He hit somebody?” Richardson said.
Well, kind of. More like he grabbed an ankle and held on.
“I’m going to go give him a shoulder massage, then,” Richardson said.
A pat on the back would actually do quite nicely for Wilson, who finished 24-for-37 passing for 198 yards against a Rams team that has consistently given him trouble.