Russell Wilson’s one-man show isn’t enough for Seahawks in loss
Nov 20, 2017, 10:30 PM | Updated: 10:36 pm
Russell Wilson's 86 rushing yards were his most in a game in three years. (AP)
(AP)
Russell Wilson ran for 86 yards on Monday, his highest rushing total in any game over the past three years.
That’s certainly not a bad thing. The problem is that Wilson was pretty much the only thing the Seahawks had working on offense.
“I thought he was all over the place, making stuff happen,” coach Pete Carroll said.
Costly coaching decisions | Recap | 710 reaction | Photos
Wilson threw for 258 yards in the game and two touchdowns. He also rushed for almost twice as many yards as the rest of his team combined, and Seattle is now 5-6 in games in which Wilson rushes for 75 yards or more.
That’s surprising. It’s also true, and it points to the fact that relying on Wilson to do so much of the heavy lifting does not bode well for the Seahawks’ chances.
On Monday, he rushed seven times for 86 yards, an average of 12.3 yards. The Seahawks’ three running backs totaled 50 yards on 16 carries for an average of 3.1 yards, which is pretty standard for the team’s running backs this season.
How bad is Seattle’s rushing game? Bad enough that Mike Davis seemed like a breath of fresh air in his first game, and he totaled 18 yards on six carries before he was lost for the game to a strained groin muscle.
J.D. McKissic was Seattle’s No. 2 rusher behind Wilson, gaining 30 yards on seven carries. Eddie Lacy carried three times for 2 yards while Thomas Rawls was a healthy scratch.
But Seattle’s difficulty running the ball was underscored by the fact that his 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was Seattle’s third rushing touchdown of the season and its first from inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Yep. That’s right. It’s the tenth game of the season and Seattle just now ran for a red-zone touchdown.
And just like the rest of Wilson’s effort on Monday night, it wasn’t enough against Atlanta.
| Russell Wilson’s games with more than rushing 75 yards | |||||
| Rush yards | Carries | Average | Date | Opponent | Result |
| 86 | 7 | 12.3 | Nov. 20, 2017 | vs. Atlanta | L, 31-34 |
| 77 | 10 | 7.7 | Nov. 5, 2017 | vs. Washington | L, 14-17 |
| 80 | 8 | 10 | Nov. 27, 2016 | at Tampa Bay | L, 5-14 |
| 78 | 10 | 7.8 | Sept. 20, 2015 | at Green Bay | L, 17-27 |
| 88 | 6 | 14.7 | Dec. 21, 2014 | at Arizona | W, 35-6 |
| 107 | 14 | 7.6 | Nov. 9, 2014 | vs. N.Y. Giants | W, 38-17 |
| 106 | 7 | 15.1 | Oct. 19, 2014 | at St. Louis | L, 26-28 |
| 122 | 11 | 11.1 | Oct. 6, 2014 | at Washington | W, 27-17 |
| 102 | 13 | 7.8 | Oct. 6, 2013 | at Indianapolis | L, 28-34 |
| 77 | 10 | 7.7 | Sept. 29, 2013 | at Houston | W, 23-20 (OT) |
| 92 | 9 | 10.2 | Dec. 16, 2012 | at Buffalo (in Toronto) | W, 50-17 |
