Masterful Wilson helps Seattle light up London

THE NFL returned to Wembley with the Seattle Seahawks cruising to a 27-3 victory over the struggling Oakland Raiders, on the back of three touchdown passes by quarterback Russell Wilson

(pictured) and a dominant defence.

London’s 22nd NFL game was finished as a contest early in the third quarter once the Seahawks went 20-0 ahead, with the fixtures to come in the next two weeks likely to be far more competitive.

The Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers face off at Wembley on Sunday 21, followed by champions the Philadelphia Eagles taking on the Jacksonville Jaguars a week later.

After Wilson’s short pass to Jaron Brown capped off a 14-play touchdown drive, Seattle’s defence delivered.

If no longer the vaunted unit of five or six years ago, there are still some significant talents on that side of the ball, including defensive end Frank Clark, who showed his class with two sacks on Raiders quarterback Derek Carr in the space of three plays.

The latter led to a fumble which Seattle recovered to set up Wilson just outside the end zone. He duly delivered, a bomb to David Moore leading to the wide receiver taking a nasty tumble over the video board into the pack of waiting photographers, with all duly coming up unharmed and Seattle leading 14-0.

Oakland lost Pro Bowl receiver Amari Cooper to a concussion and you had to feel for Carr. He was toughing it out with a crucial run for a first down only for his effort to be followed up with a dropped pass, a sack by Seattle and a missed field goal.

No such issues for the Seahawks, who after a field goal held a commanding 17-0 half-time lead. Sebastian Janikowski’s second field goal and a touchdown grab by Tyler Lockett finished off the rout in the second half.