Castoffs deliver for the Seahawks
SEATTLE 46, INDIANAPOLIS 18
SEATTLE — It took a trio of relative unknowns to wake up the Seattle Seahawks.
J.D. McKissic took the second carry of his career 30 yards for a touchdown and Bobby Wagner scooped up Marcus Smith’s forced fumble and rumbled 21 yards for a score in a 13-second span late in the third quarter, and the Seahawks beat the Indianapolis Colts 4618 on Sunday night.
Justin Coleman had a 28-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first half and Seattle overcame a slow first 30 minutes from its offense to put away the Colts.
McKissic was once cut by Atlanta, but his athleticism earned him a spot in Seattle. Coleman was deemed expendable by New England and was acquired in a trade just before the start of the regular season. And Smith, who finished with 11⁄2 sacks, was a first-round pick who was a bust with Philadelphia.
Their big plays turned boos that cascaded down at halftime with Seattle trailing 15-10 into cheers in a hurry. CenturyLink Field was left shaking after Wagner scooped up Smith’s fumble and weaved through tacklers for Seattle’s second defensive score and a 32-18 lead.
Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and had two passes intercepted, but his most important play was a 23-yard run in the third quarter to give Seattle an 18-15 lead. Adam Vinatieri’s 40-yard field goal pulled the Colts even.
But Seattle answered with a 75-yard drive that was capped by McKissic’s touchdown sprint. Wilson threw touchdown passes of six yards to Luke Willson and 27 yards to McKissic in the fourth quarter, and the Seahawks outscored Indianapolis 36-3 in the second half.
The victory came with a big blow in the final minutes when starting running back Chris Carson suffered a left leg injury. Trainers immediately put an air cast on Carson’s leg and he was carted off the field.
Jacoby Brissett threw an 18-yard strike to Donte Moncrief late in the first half to give the Colts the lead. Brissett was 16 for 29 for 157 yards and was sacked three times. The biggest play turned out to be Smith’s sack, knocking the ball from Brissett’s hands.