O’Neil: Seahawks steal the show in playoffs-clinching win over Chiefs
Dec 23, 2018, 9:17 PM | Updated: 11:33 pm
Russell Wilson gave Seahawks RB Chris Carson an assist on his fourth-quarter TD run. (AP)
(AP)
Russell Wilson pushed the Seahawks to a victory on Sunday night.
Seahawks 38, Chiefs 31 | Takeaways | 710 Reaction | Photos | Stats
That’s not a figure of speech. With less than 3 minutes in Sunday’s game and the Seahawks trying to lock up the win, he put two hands on the back of running back Chris Carson and pushed to make sure his running back scored the touchdown that cinched both the Seahawks’ victory and Seattle’s sixth playoff berth in Wilson’s seven seasons on the team.
The Seahawks earned this one, not just showing they could stand toe to toe with one of the league’s heavyweight offenses, but that they could win on the scoreboard: Seattle 38, Kansas City 31.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes put on a show in the second half, throwing for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the final two quarters.
Then Wilson stole that show, completing 12 of the 16 passes he threw in the second half for 217 yards and two of the most audacious fourth-quarter completions you’ll see from a quarterback.
Discretion? That wasn’t part of Seattle’s game plan. Not even when they held a three-point lead and got the ball back with 4 minutes, 36 seconds left, because instead of nursing the clock, Wilson went for the Chiefs’ jugular.
Facing second-and-12 at his own 34, he threw deep to Tyler Lockett down the sideline for a 45-yard gain. Two plays later – after a first-down sack – Wilson threw 29 yards to Doug Baldwin, who tipped the ball with one hand, before grasping it with both at the 1-yard line.
Ridiculous play #2: Doug Baldwin #KCvsSEA pic.twitter.com/18GpeOIiTO
— SNF on NBC (@SNFonNBC) December 24, 2018
Carson put the Seahawks in the end zone on the next play with a little help from Wilson, and the Seahawks had enough cushion to withstand a final field goal from the Chiefs.
The Kansas City offense was pretty good. The Seahawks’ offense was better.
Seattle gained 464 yards, Kansas City finished with 419. Carson rushed for 116 yards, scored two touchdowns and became the first Seahawk in four years to reach 1,000 yards rushing on the season.
Mahomes threw for 273 yards, Wilson for 271. Mahomes had three touchdown passes. So did Wilson. Mahomes rushed for 33 yards, Wilson had 57.
Baldwin caught seven passes for 126 yards, which included a diving touchdown catch in the third quarter, and then he came back from a leg injury in the fourth quarter to make the game-clinching grab.
Seattle’s victory combined with Washington’s loss to Tennessee on Saturday guarantees the Seahawks one of the NFC’s two wild-card berths in the playoffs. They will be guaranteed the No. 5 seed if they beat Arizona in the regular-season finale or the Minnesota Vikings lose their final game.
But the seeding will get sorted out next weekend. On Sunday, the Seahawks outgunned a team that came into the game 11-3.
