Seahawks Survive Washington’s Comeback Bid, Clinch Playoff Berth

Back in the postseason for the eighth time in nine years, Seattle used a strong rushing attack to put together four lengthy scoring drives against one of the NFL’s best defenses and then held off a fourth quarter rally by Washington to stay in the hunt for an NFC West title.

Officially clinching a playoff berth for the third straight season and eighth time in nine years, the Seahawks built a 17-point lead midway through the third quarter and withstood a valiant comeback effort by the Washington Football Team to secure a 20-15 victory at FedEx Field.

Though the offense sputtered for most of the second half, Russell Wilson finished 18 for 27 with 121 passing yards and a touchdown pass to Jacob Hollister. Carlos Hyde led Seattle’s rushing attack with 55 yards on just two carries, busting a 50-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to give his team a 20-3 advantage. Defensively, cornerbacks Shaquill Griffin and D.J. Reed each intercepted Dwayne Haskins once apiece as the Seahawks held an opponent under 20 points for the fourth consecutive game.

Here are five quick takeaways from Seattle’s 10th win of the 2020 season:

1. By all accounts, Seattle’s offensive line deserves immense praise for a standout effort in all facets.

Set to square off with one of the NFL’s best defensive fronts headlined by Chase Young and Montez Sweat, a banged-up Seahawks offensive line was expected to struggle. Cedric Ogbuehi replaced Brandon Shell in the starting lineup, while Mike Iupati exited in the first half with a neck issue, further complicating matters. But thanks in part to a quick passing game, the unit didn’t allow a single sack and just three quarterback hits on the afternoon, consistently keeping Wilson clean. The offensive line also dominated physically the line of scrimmage in the run game, helping create big creases for Chris Carson and Hyde, who rushed for 118 yards on just 17 carries. Wilson also found success running the ball with 52 yards on six carries, including a 38-yard scamper late in the first half before hitting Hollister for six.

2. While opponent certainly impacted the situation, Seattle’s downfield passing attack continues to be MIA.

Due to Washington’s obvious talent along the defensive line, Seattle wisely came in with a game plan to get the football out of Wilson’s hands quickly with short routes and screens while also leaning more on the ground game. From that standpoint, it isn’t surprising the Seahawks struggled to big up big chunks of yardage in the passing game on Sunday. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett led the team with 15-yard receptions and both players were held under 50 yards receiving in the same game for the first time this season, so Washington deserves credit. There were certainly missed opportunities, however. Freddie Swain was unable to get his left foot down inbounds on what would have been a long touchdown pass in the first quarter and the team was eventually forced to settle for a field goal. Later in the game, Wilson looked to have Metcalf open in the end zone but put far too much air under the ball and the receiver landed awkwardly. For Seattle to make a deep playoff run, they have to find a way to hit on a few of these “shot” plays moving forward.

3. After being non-existent for three-plus quarters, the Seahawks pass rush came to life when they needed it most.

Entering Sunday’s game, Seattle had amassed 24.0 sacks over the past five games, with much of that success coinciding with the arrival of Carlos Dunlap and the return of Jamal Adams. But for the first 55 minutes of action, Dwayne Haskins rarely felt pressure in the pocket and as he continued to become more comfortable in the second half, the second-year quarterback began carving up the Seahawks primarily with crossers and curl routes in the middle of the field. Whether they brought extra rushers or only sent three or four after Haskins, it didn’t seem to matter and Washington put together two methodical touchdown drives to cut the lead down to five. But as the home team marched down to try to win the game, Seattle produced three sacks on the drive, starting with Alton Robinson producing a strip sack on Haskins. Moments later, L.J. Collier and Poona Ford teamed up to bring the quarterback down and Carlos Dunlap followed up with a vicious bull rush on the ensuing play to blow up Haskins, setting up a 4th and 24 situation that Washington ultimately didn’t convert.

4. The secondary continues to play well, but Seattle had its share of issues in coverage throughout this game.

Starring in the defensive backfield, Reed and Griffin turned in standout performances, combining for 10 tackles, two interceptions, and five passes defensed. Reed in particular shined throughout the game, swatting away a potential touchdown pass from Haskins to Terry McLaurin away in the end zone and dishing several big hits immediately after the catch. Quandre Diggs got a piece of the pass that was eventually picked off by Griffin, while Jamal Adams increased his record sack total to 9.5 on the season as a part of a strong all-around effort by the secondary. But while Washington only had one receiver finish with over 30 yards in the game, Seattle had its share of issues defending tight end Logan Thomas as well as running back J.D. McKissic out of the backfield. Thomas set a new career-high with 13 receptions for 106 yards, while McKissic burned his former team with nine receptions for 56 yards and a touchdown. Upcoming opponents will certainly take notice of the areas Washington found success breaking down Seattle’s coverage and look to exploit it further.

5. Continuing to play at a Pro Bowl level, Jason Myers finally receives some much-deserved recognition with a record-breaking day.

While it’s quite unfair, kickers and punters often only draw attention when things aren’t going well. That’s the unfortunate nature of special teams. Throughout the season Jason Myers has been lights out for the Seahawks, but aside from a few shoutouts by coach Pete Carroll, his efforts have largely gone unnoticed. That shouldn’t happen anymore after the veteran kicker connected on both of his field goal attempts on Sunday to extend his streak to 31 consecutive makes, breaking Olindo Mare’s franchise record. So far this year, he has split the uprights on all 20 of his field goal attempts, including making two kicks of 50-plus yards. He’s not the only one starring for Seattle’s special teams unit either, as Michael Dickson pinned Washington at its own three-yard line with a punt in the first and continues to make a strong case for his second All-Pro in three seasons.