Three things from the Seahawks’ 31-17 playoff win over Carolina

The Seahawks owed a significant chunk of Saturday’s victory to the state of Virginia. After all, that’s where both Russell Wilson and Kam Chancellor came from, and that pair used Seattle’s win over Carolina as a showcase for the fact that if they’re not ranked among the top players at their respective positions, well, something is wrong with those rankings.

Three things we learned:

1. Chancellor remains underrated.

Hard to believe, I know. He has been chosen for the Pro Bowl in three of his five seasons in the league, and he was the first player drafted by Seattle’s current regime to sign a big-budget extension. Yet when people talk about Seahawks players at the top of their respective positions, it’s cornerback Richard Sherman and free safety Earl Thomas who get consideration – and Wilson increasingly merits an argument at quarterback – yet it’s possible Chancellor is the most important player to his defense. Not only has he picked off a pass in each of the team’s past three playoff games, but Seattle’s defensive turnaround coincided with Chancellor improving from the hip and ankle injuries that bothered him earlier in the season.

2. Wilson saved Seattle’s offense Saturday night.

The Seahawks rushed for 100 yards, most of that coming over the final quarter and a half. Midway through the third quarter, Seattle had gained 29 yards on the ground yet still led 14-10 largely because of Wilson’s ability dig the team out of third-and-long situations. Repeatedly. He converted three different third downs that required 7 yards or more, two of those for touchdowns. Translation: Seattle was not staying on schedule, as a coach would say, and yet Wilson was accurate enough to keep the Seahawks from falling into a hole. It was truly remarkable, and it continued through the end. Wilson was 8-for-8 passing on third down, including all three of his touchdown passes.

3. The Seahawks’ offense doesn’t lose track of its identity anymore.

Seattle’s first two losses of the season followed a similar pattern. The opponent controlled the ball in the first half, keeping Seattle’s offense from grinding away with Marshawn Lynch. Well, the Panthers controlled the second quarter, running 24 plays to Seattle’s five. Carolina held the ball for more than 12 minutes that period, had two extended drives, and Lynch rushed for just 21 yards. He carried the ball on the first two plays of the third quarter, had a 25-yard run later in the period, and this time, Seattle wasn’t sunk because it couldn’t control the ball in the first half.

Three things we’re still trying to figure out:

1. Was that Wilson’s best game as a Seahawk?

The game before Christmas in Arizona was pretty good. Actually, it was better than that, the way he stared down a defense known for its tendency to bring pressure. Wilson completed 20 of his 31 passes at Arizona for 339 yards, his most in a regular-season game. He wasn’t quite as prolific against Carolina, but he was even more efficient, throwing for three touchdowns and a passer rating of 149.2. Keep in mind, 158.3 is perfect. Wilson has now played seven playoff games for Seattle, throwing for nine touchdowns, and the only interception came on the final play of the only loss in Atlanta when he threw it into the end zone only to have it picked off. By Julio Jones.

2. What happened to Tharold Simon?

Simon stepped in for Byron Maxwell, whose illness prevented him from seeing any time on defense, and Carolina went after him. “He had a lot of work, and he had no help at all,” coach Pete Carroll said, providing some coverage for his second-year cornerback. Simon’s coverage on Saturday was much softer than he played in the regular season, which was puzzling. Simon was defending the Panthers’ Kelvin Benjamin on both of Carolina’s touchdowns. The first was a slant, the second on a fade to the corner on a play Carroll pointed out after the game. “It is too bad he didn’t make the play in the end zone,” Carroll said. “That’s a play he’s really good at, and just mistimed it a bit. Other than that, he survived the game and his confidence was strong.”

3. Does Wilson’s history as an infielder explain his recovery skills?

He had 11 fumbles attributed to him during the regular season yet he didn’t lose a single one. Seattle fumbled twice on Saturday night, once by Wilson and the other by Lynch. Wilson recovered both loose balls. Seattle committed a franchise-low 14 turnovers during the regular season largely because of Wilson – not just the fact he was intercepted seven times, but his ability to recover his own fumbles. On Saturday against Carolina, Wilson’s sticky fingers kept the Seahawks from committing a single turnover.

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