Clayton: Seahawks excel in every phase against Texans in blowout win
Dec 13, 2021, 3:52 PM
Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks hands the ball to Rashaad Penny during the first quarter against the Houston Texans. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
(Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Even though it took until the second half to take control of the game, the Seahawks blew out the Houston Texans 33-13. That was expected.
Heaps: What changed for Seahawks’ defense from first half to second half
Russell Wilson continues to get better each week. He completed 17 of 28 for 280 yards and two touchdowns. His quarterback rating was 115.2. He continues to look like Russell Wilson.
The great part of the passing offense is how spread the ball around. He had completions to 10 players. Even though his yardage was low, DK Metcalf had eight targets for four catches and 48 yards. Wilson completed five passes to tight ends.
The big target was Tyler Lockett. Lockett had a monster game. He caught five passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Lockett continues to be a star. This is his third consecutive 1,000-yard season, tying Steve Largent for a franchise record. His ability to get deep and avoid corners is amazing. Plus, Wilson has been able to put the ball in the air and get those long completions. Impressive.
The offensive line had perhaps its best game as Wilson wasn’t sacked and the run blocking was exceptional. And they did this without starting right tackle Brandon Shell and backup Kyle Fuller. The line should be a little healthier for the Sunday game against the Los Angeles Rams.
The biggest story on offense was the career game for Rashaad Penny. He rushed for 137 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns. He finally looked like a first-round pick. The plan was to split time between Penny and Alex Collins, but Penny was so good he got the bulk of the plays.
Overall, the run game had 29 carries and 183 yards. That created the balance Pete Carroll is always looking for. They had 29 rushing plays and 28 pass attempts. Carroll loves that 50-50 type of balance.
It did help that the Texans have the worst rushing defense in football, but the Seahawks’ offense took what the Texans gave them. That is what the offense has been looking for all season.
The victory took the Seahawks to 5-8 and that is their second consecutive victory. It was also the second straight game they scored more than 30 points.
Defensively, the Seahawks were solid. Sure, they let rookie quarterback Davis Mills do too much early in the game as he completed his first 14 passes, but after that he completed just 19 of 35. The defensive line had a great day. They limited the Texans’ running offense to only 63 yards.
With games coming later with Detroit and Chicago, you figure the Seahawks can get to seven wins. We’ll see if they can do anything against the Rams and Arizona Cardinals. Still, Sunday was a very positive day.
Follow John Clayton on Twitter.
Carroll: Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett doing ‘Steve Largent stuff’
