Vintage, exquisite Russell Wilson U-turns Seahawks’ day, season in rally win over 49ers

SANTA CLARA, CALIF. — Russell Wilson was asked this past week to what he attributed never losing three games in a row in any of his decade-plus as the Seahawks’ starting quarterback.

“Not thinking about losing three in a row,” he said, chuckling.

He showed Sunday there is WAY more too it than just that.

The relentless leader spun, escaped, fired and willed his teetering Seahawks to a season-changing victory — all on one play in the third quarter that was full-vintage, montage-highlight-film Wilson.

He ducked and got away from free-blitzing 49er Dontae Johnson’s seemingly sure sack. With Johnson grabbing his feet, he spun his his head around to his right. Wilson saw Freddie Swain break off his route to the goal line. He shook free from Johnson. He fired a dart that had no choice but to stick to Swain inside the pylon.

The exquisite, how’d-he-do-that? touchdown gave previously broken Seattle a 21-7 lead in the third quarter, the signature play of its 28-21 victory at stunned, sun-drenched Levi’s Stadium.

It’s the signature play of Seattle’s season so far.

Wilson finished 16 of 23 passing for 149 yards and two passing touchdowns, one rushing. Alex Collins sparked the offense with long runs including a cutting, 14-yard touchdown.

Safety Quandre Diggs and extra defensive back Ryan Neal led the defense’s rebound from an awful start. Diggs intercepted Jimmy Garoppolo, Neal made four stops on third downs, and Seattle knocked Garoppolo out of the game with a leg injury. The defense also mostly throttled 49ers heralded rookie quarterback Trey Lance in the second half (9 for 18 passing, 157 yards, two touchdowns, one in garbage time late).

And the Seahawks (2-2) resurfaced in an NFC West that was threatening to leave them behind.

Now Seattle and its fans enter a quick-turnaround home game against the Los Angeles Rams (3-1), who lost at home to first-place Arizona (4-0), reminded of how long the 17-game season is — and how fortunate they are Wilson plays for the Seahawks.

Sacked three times and hit five others in his first eight attempts to throw Sunday, Wilson kept on. He broke a 7-7 tie in the third quarter by out-running every 49er back to Ronnie Lott to the goal line on a scramble run around left end for a 16-yard touchdown. He looked more like 22 years old, not his 32, on that run.

Then undrafted rookie Jon Rhattigan, the first West Point graduate to play for the Seahawks, turned in the best play by a would-be Army lieutenant in Seattle history.

After Wilson’s scramble-sprint score, Rhattigan raced down on Jason Myers’ ensuing kickoff. Recently signed 49ers running back Trenton Cannon dropped the kickoff near the 10-yard line, got up — and dropped the ball again when Seattle’s DeeJay Dallas hit him.

Rhattigan was there to pounce on the loose ball the San Francisco 14-yard line for a fumble recovery and the Seahawks’ second forced turnover of the game.

AVERT YOUR EYES

Wilson’s Houdini act erased memories of Seattle’s awful first half that threatened to derail the entire season.

Halfway through the second quarter, this game looked even worse than the Seahawks’ disaster in Minnesota the previous Sunday.

First-time play caller Shane Waldron’s new offense had minus-8 total yards and five consecutive three and outs to begin the game. Halfway into the second quarter, San Francisco (2-2) had a 207-yard advantage in total offense. But partly because of Diggs getting the first interception of the season for Seattle’s besieged secondary and reserve Neal making plays, the 49ers led only 7-0.

Then Collins (10 rushes, 44 yards), spelling lead back Chris Carson (13 carries, 30 yards) had catch and run for 28 yards on the first play of a drive--35 more total yards than the Seahawks had in the first 20 minutes of the game. Wilson hit DK Metcalf on a long crossing route on third and 1, for 28 more yards.

Then Waldron sent three tight ends all outside to the right of a spread formation. But Wilson looked only to the left, to Metcalf split wide there running an inside slant. Metcalf caught the quick pass and bulled his way across the goal line for an 11-yard touchdown.

Suddenly, almost inexplicably, the malfunctioning Seahawks were tied.

Wilson nearly had a second touchdown pass to Metcalf for the lead early in the third quarter.

Metcalf had cornerback Emmanuel Moseley beaten by 3 yards on a go route down the right sideline on a third and 10. Wilson uncharacteristically threw a line drive instead of a rainbow for Metcalf to sprint under with no safety over the top of the cornerback.

The ball hit Metcalf off the chest on a ball the receiver usually catches. But Wilson usually throws that way out in front of Metcalf, so far he sprints into the ball and Moseley isn’t even in view as the ball arrives. Neither happened. Instead of a sure, 72-yard touchdown, the somewhat underthrown ball went off Metcalf incomplete. Seattle punted. The game remained tied at 7.

NEAL SAVES THEM

The Seahawks’ defense started Sunday the way its previous Sunday had gone in Minnesota: unable to get off the field on third downs.

Then Neal entered the game.

After beginning the game with five defensive linemen for the fourth consecutive game to begin the season, Seattle began going to six defensive backs on third down in the second quarter. The sixth DB was Neal. He took outside linebacker Jordyn Brooks out of the game, leaving Bobby Wagner as Seattle’s only linebacker in passing situations.

In the second quarter Neal faked a blitz up the middle before the snap, then quickly got outside right to break up the blocking on a third-down screen pass to Kittle. That ruined the play, and the 49ers punted.

Neal then broke up a pass on another third down later in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Neal ended San Francisco’s first drive after halftime when he stopped rookie quarterback Trey Lance inside on a zone-read option run inside short of the line to gain.

The beginning of this game was worse than the end of Seattle’s loss at Minnesota the previous week.

And as bad as that left the Seahawks, that’s saying something.

The defense showed little resistence on San Francisco’s breezy, 71-yard drive to a touchdown on its first possession. Jimmy Garoppolo was not pressured by a five-man rush. New starting cornerback Sidney Jones, replacing benched Tre Flowers, got physically overwhelmed by 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley for an esasy, 21-yard touchdown pass. Lijke against the Vikings, it looked like San Francisco’s coaches out-schemed Seattle’s on the play, isolating a 6-foot-5, 235-pound tight end on a 6-foot, 186-pound cornerback for the score.

Late in the first quarter the Seahawks finally made a play in the secondary. Diggs cut in front of tight end George Kittle over the middle and intercepted Garoppolo’s pass. Seattle had a drive start at San Francisco’s 38-yard line.

Two plays after Seattle’s first interception this season., Nick Bosa sacked Wilson instantly on third and 7. Colby Parkinson, making his season debut at tight end off injured reserve with starter Gerald Everett on the reserve/COVID-19 list, was running a shallow cross from outside left on that play, but even that was too long developing for Seattle’s offensive line. Bosa easily beat left tackle Duane Brown, the Seahawks’ best lineman, for the sack. en easily there. Seattle punted again.

In the second quarter, Waldron called a quick slant by Metcalf, to get the ball out of Wilson’s hand ultra quick. In press coverage because San Francisco’s pass rush was succeeding, San Francisco’s Moseley jumped Metcalf’s quick route and broke up Wilson’s third-down pass.

That was the fifth time in five drives to begin the game Seattle went three and out and punted on offense.

On Wilson’s first eight drop backs he was sacked by the 49ers three times and hit on each of the five other times.

This was typical of the first 25 minutes of the game for Seattle’s offense: After a Carson 3-yard run to start a second-quarter drive, the Seahawks went:

minus-3 Carson run

minus-5 Dissly false start

minus-5 Wilson sacked for the third time

DIGGS OUT, IN, BACK OUT

After his interception Diggs left the game for one play in the first half, bent over at the waist with a trainer, before returning to the game for the first snap of the second quarter.

He returned to play into the second half, then left late in the third quarter.

Marquise Blair replaced Diggs at free safety in the middle.

MORE DB CONFUSION

Blair, usually a nickel defensive back inside closer to the line of scrimmage, was part of mess of a touchdown allowed to 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel late in the third quarter. Strong safety Jamal Adams tracked Samuel on his first move short near the line, then released Samuel as if he had outside, deep help.

He did not.

New left cornerback Sidney Jones went inside with Brandon Aiyuk’s deep in route. Blair was inside, too. No one was from Samuel to San Jose when Lance’s throw arrived for the 72-yard touchdown.

That cut Seattle’s lead to 21-13 entering the fourth quarter.

San Francisco missed the extra point when punter Mitch Wishnowsky pushed his second wide kick of the game. He was doing the placekicking because Robbie Gould injured his leg during pregame warm-ups.

This story was originally published by The News Tribune.

©2021 Cox Media Group