Blocked FG, Doug Baldwin’s late TD leads Seahawks past Miami 12-10

The Seahawks blocked a field goal to keep Miami from tying the score with 11 minutes left in the game.

They gave up a touchdown that allowed Miami to take the lead with just over 4 minutes remaining.

And then Seattle pulled off a 14-play high-wire act, twice converting fourth downs before Doug Baldwin caught a 2-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left.

Seahawks 12, Dolphins 10, and that huge whoosh heard at approximately 4:10 p.m. was all of Seattle exhaling.

Seahawks’ football. It’s enough to make your heart skip a beat if it doesn’t break it first.

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Russell Wilson played through a third-quarter ankle injury, and all of Seattle sweated its way through a game that not even a mother could love. There were 12 punts in the first three quarters and just nine points.

And even when it looked like the Seahawks cinched the win with Baldwin’s touchdown catch, the ensuing point-after attempt by Steven Hauschka was deflected, leaving the door open for the Dolphins to potentially win the game with a field goal. Miami got the ball with no timeouts and not nearly enough time, though.

Cassius Marsh stripped the ball from Ryan Tannehill on the Dolphins’ second play of the ensuing possession. After overthrowing a deep pass for Kenny Stills on first down, Marsh chased Tannehill down on second down, stripping the ball. Miami retained possession, but the clock expired before the Dolphins snapped the ball again.

Even if that snap had counted, Cliff Avril tackled Tannehill in the end zone.

Player of the game: Baldwin caught nine passes for 92 yards, including the game-winning touchdown.

Blocking is fundamental: The Miami Dolphins’ lined up for a 27-yard field goal that would have tied the score with just under 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Marsh got penetration on the right side of the line, deflecting the ball with his left hand. The Seahawks took over at their own 20.

Welcome back: Jimmy Graham was on the field for three plays in the first half. He did not have a pass thrown in his direction. He caught his first pass with 1:38 left in the fourth quarter for an 11-yard gain on second-and-6.

Pass it on: Wilson was 16-for-26 passing in the first half, his most pass attempts in the first half of any game in his NFL career.

Reed and react: Rookie defensive tackle Jarran Reed returned from a toe injury and tipped two passes at the line of scrimmage.

Let’s be Frank: Frank Clark was responsible for Seattle’s only sack of the first half, tackling Ryan Tannehill for an 8-yard loss.

First quarter

The Seahawks’ ran 19 plays in the first quarter. Twelve of those plays were passes as the Seahawks focused on getting the ball out fast. Seattle scored the first points of the game on Hauschka’s field goal with 5:11 left in the opening period. The first quarter wasn’t nearly as balanced as it appeared on the statistics. The Seahawks gained 77 yards compared to the Dolphins’ 68, but 50 of Miami’s yards came on a single play in which the Seahawks failed to account for running back Arian Foster on third-and-6. Tannehill completed a swing pass to Foster, who broke a tackle from free safety Earl Thomas and gave the Dolphins’ first-and-10 at the Seattle 26. Four plays later, the Seahawks forced a turnover on downs when safety Kam Chancellor stuffed Foster for no gain on fourth-and-1.

Seahawks 3, Dolphins 0

Second quarter

A Seahawks turnover opened the door for the Dolphins to tie the game at the start of the second quarter, safety Isa Abdul-Quddus picking off a pass that Wilson threw up for grabs. The Dolphins began their drive at the Seattle 42 – one of only two first-half possessions in which Miami had the ball on Seattle’s half of the field. The Dolphins kicked a 30-yard field goal with 8:49 left in the second quarter. Seattle reclaimed the lead on the final play of the half as it drove 72 yards in the final 1:52, culminating in a 38-yard field goal by Hauschka. Seattle had 119 yards of total offense in the second quarter; the Dolphins managed 43.

Seahawks 6, Dolphins 3

Third quarter

The Dolphins had 7 yards of total offense in the period, their only first down coming because of a late-hit penalty against the Seahawks’ Kam Chancellor. The Seahawks couldn’t take advantage of Miami’s offensive ineptitude, though, especially after Miami’s Ndamukong Suh stepped on Wilson’s left ankle during a third-quarter sack. The Seahawks had fourth-and-1 at the Miami 31. They could have attempted a 48-yard field goal. They could have run Christine Michael. Instead, Seattle lined up with a single back and attempted to throw to Baldwin from the slot as he went toward the sidelines.

Seahawks 6, Dolphins 3

Fourth quarter

Miami had four first downs total in the first three quarters combined. They gained seven on their two possessions of the fourth quarter. A blocked field-goal attempt kept the Dolphins from tying the score with 10:52 to play in the game, but Tannehill’s 2-yard quarterback dive with 4:08 to play capped a touchdown drive in which Miami needed only seven plays to cover 86 yards. Seattle’s ensuing drive was even more dramatic, the Seahawks twice converting fourth-down plays during a 14-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 2-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin. A penalty flag was thrown on the play, but picked up after officials ruled that there was no defensive holding.

Final: Seahawks 12, Dolphins 10

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