Wilson makes difference as Seahawks win
Peterson, Lynch shine
SEATTLE — Russell Wilson found himself admiring Adrian Peterson breaking tackles and Marshawn Lynch bullying his way through a pileup.
The matchup between the top two rushers in the NFL didn’t disappoint. The difference was Seattle’s rookie QB. Lynch ran for 124 yards and a touchdown, Wilson threw three first-half touchdown passes and the Seahawks overcame 182 yards by Peterson in a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday that could hold greater importance later in the season.
Peterson tore through the Seahawks defence for one of the finest games of his career, yet was stuck being a spectator as Seattle slowly pulled away in the fourth quarter mostly on the legs of Lynch, with a few key passes by Wilson tossed in.
“I am a fan,” said Wilson. “Watching those two guys run the football, you don’t see it too often in this lifetime.”
Those passes in the fourth quarter kept alive two long drives and capped another strong day by Seattle’s improving quarterback. Wilson threw a pair of touchdowns to Golden Tate and another to Sidney Rice. His 11-yard strike to Rice in the first quarter came when Wilson bought time moving out of the pocket then found Rice sprinting across the back of the end zone.
Tate later caught a six-yard touchdown before making a highlight reel leap that nearly became disastrous. Tate took a short screen pass, danced away from a couple of defenders near the line of scrimmage, then jumped over Minnesota cornerback Josh Robinson at the goal line, just getting the ball over the line before it was knocked loose on a big hit by Everson Griffen.
The second of Tate’s touchdowns gave Seattle a 20-17 lead at halftime. Then it was time for Lynch, who spent most of the first half watching Peterson sprint through the Seahawks defence.
Lynch had a three-yard TD run in the third quarter to give Seattle a 10-point lead. He ran for 69 yards in the second half and added two receptions that included a key 24-yard screen pass that led to Steven Hauschka’s 40-yard field goal with 6:23 left and a 30-20 Seattle lead.
The Seahawks (5-4) sealed the win by running the final 5:27 off the clock, converting two fourth downs, and ending a two-game losing streak.
While Peterson carried the ball just five times in the second half, Seattle fed Lynch with 15 attempts. The Seahawks held possession for more than 21 minutes in the second half, including more than 12 minutes of the fourth quarter.
Wilson finished 16 of 24 for 173 yards. Rice and Tate both had four catches, but Wilson connected with eight different receivers.
Peterson’s big day started early as he went 74 yards on the second play of the game, only to be caught at the 1 by Brandon Browner. Peterson scored two plays later, the first time this season the Seahawks did not score first.
Peterson’s 144 yards at halftime were the most in his career in the first half. The Vikings (5-4) had six rushes of more than 10 yards in the first half against a Seattle defence that was giving up an average of less than three per game.