Russell Wilson throws 5 picks, Seahawks lose 38-10 to Packers
Dec 11, 2016, 4:50 PM | Updated: 7:24 pm
Russell Wilson was intercepted five times in Seattle's loss to Green Bay, the most in his career. (AP)
(AP)
GREEN BAY, Wisc. – The snow stopped falling by the time Seattle kicked off to start Sunday’s game against the Packers.
The avalanche, however, was just beginning in a game where the only suspense was how high the result would rank on the list of Seattle’s most lopsided losses under Pete Carroll.
It was Green Bay 38, Seattle 10, and the 78,057 witnesses who paid to be there will tell you that it wasn’t even that close. It was, however, Seattle’s worst loss since drafting Russell Wilson and the third-largest margin of defeat since Carroll became coach in 2010.
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It was the most points Seattle has allowed in any game since they gave up 39 to Arizona in November 2015, and not one of them had all that much to do with Earl Thomas’ absence. To complain about Seattle’s inability to pressure Aaron Rodgers or for its corners to cover Green Bay’s wide receivers would only distract from the eyesore that was Seattle’s passing game.
Wilson was picked off five times, his most in any regular-season game in his career. That it came against Green Bay – the team that picked him off four times in the NFC Championship game two seasons ago – made it sting a little more.
So did the fact that Aaron Rodgers threw three scoring passes, completed 75 percent of his pass attempts and – most tellingly – was done for the day with 11:46 to play. He wasn’t sacked until the final play of the third quarter.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks gave up 24 unanswered points after kicking a field goal on their first possession, and they were in danger of failing to score a touchdown for the fourth time this season until rookie Tanner McEvoy caught a 21-yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter.
This wasn’t like the previous stinkers from Seattle’s offense, though. In those games, Seattle’s offensive ineptitude was fairly all encompassing. This time, the suffering was more of the self-inflicted variety with six turnovers and not a single takeaway.
Two of Wilson passes were picked off at or near the end zone. The first came on a pass intended for Doug Baldwin at the end of the first half. The second came on Seattle’s first possession of the third quarter when Wilson again underthrew a well-covered Jermaine Kearse, resulting in a ball that was tipped and then intercepted.
Wilson’s final two interceptions couldn’t be blamed on the quarterback. A third-quarter pass to Baldwin went through the receiver’s hands, caromed off his helmet and was picked off. A fourth-quarter throw bounced off Troymaine Pope’s hands and popped into the air for safety Micah Hyde.
It all added up to an undistinguished end of a historical streak.
The Seahawks had not lost by more than 10 points for an NFL-record 95 straight games going back to a 34-12 loss at home to Cincinnati on Oct. 30, 2011, a game best remembered because it was the last one Charlie Whitehurst ever started for Seattle. The only other time that Seattle lost by double digits in that time was a 10-point loss in Week 2 of last season. That game was also at Green Bay.
Historians and masochists will note that the 28-point loss was Seattle’s largest margin of defeat since Seattle suffered a 41-7 loss to the New York Giants on Nov. 7, 2010. That came one week after the Seahawks were beaten 33-3 in Oakland.
Those are the only two games in which Seattle lost by more points since Carroll became the coach.
FIRST QUARTER
The concern about Seattle being vulnerable on the back end of the defense turned out to be prophetic on Green Bay’s third play from scrimmage. Except it wasn’t free safety Steven Terrell who gave up the play, but nickel cornerback Jeremy Lane who let receiver Davante Adams get behind him for a 66-yard touchdown.
It was the longest play from scrimmage allowed by Seattle this season and the longest scoring play against the Seahawks since the Steelers’ 69-yard touchdown pass to receiver Markus Wheaton in Week 12 last season, a play where Lane was also in coverage.
GB – Davante Adams 66 pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick) at 13:30 (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:30). Score: Packers 7, Seahawks 0.
Sea – Steven Hauschka 28 field goal at 6:16 (Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 7:14). Score: Packers 7, Seahawks 3.
SECOND QUARTER
Russell Wilson was intercepted only twice in the first 342 passes he attempted this season.
But beginning with his final throw in the first half of that Week 12 loss at Tampa Bay, Wilson was intercepted four times in his next 69 attempts.
The fourth of those interceptions came early in the second quarter as he threw a pass intended for tight end Jimmy Graham, who fell down after his feet became tangled with Packers safety Morgan Burnett. Burnett picked off the pass and returned it 19 yards to the Seattle 26. The Packers scored their second touchdown of the game four plays later.
The Seahawks had a 31-yard punt after their next possession, which didn’t help as the Packers got the ball at the Seattle 48 to start what turned out to be their third touchdown drive of the first half. That gave Green Bay 21 points, the most Seattle had given up in the first half all season.
GB – Ty Montgomery 1 run (Crosby kick) at 9:36 (Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 2:17). Score: Packers 14, Seahawks 3.
GB – Jordy Nelson 9 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) at 5:15 (Drive: 5 plays, 48 yards, 2:44). Score: Packers 21, Seahawks 3.
THIRD QUARTER
The third quarter began the same way the second period ended: with Wilson being picked off at the goal line. In the second quarter, it was Damarious Randall who ran back to cut in front of wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who had appeared to be wide open only to have Wilson underthrow the ball while on the run.
The third-quarter interception was even more egregious as Wilson underthrew Jermaine Kearse, who was well-covered by LaDarius Gunter. The ball was tipped and picked off by Quinten Rollins.
Seattle’s next possession ended with an interception, too, Wilson’s pass going through the hands of Baldwin, bouncing of his helmet and picked off by Randall for his second of the game.
GB – Nelson 3 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick) at 4:24 (Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, 3:16). Score: Packers 28, Seahawks 3.
FOURTH QUARTER
The most telling stat from Sunday’s game was that Wilson was picked off five times. The second-most telling stat was that Green Bay back-up quarterback Brett Hundley entered the game for Rodgers with 11:46 to play. Garbage time came early.
GB – Crosy 38 field goal at 10:31 (Drive: 5 plays, 19 yards, 1:15.) Score: Packers 31, Seahawks 3.
Sea – Tanner McEvoy 21 pass from Russell Wilson (Steven Hauschka kick) at 8:21 (Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:10). Score: Packers 31, Seahawks 10.
GB – Jeff Janis 19 run (Crosby kick) at 5:43 (Drive: 1 play, 19 yards, 0:07). Score: Packers 38, Seahawks 10.
