Seahawks notebook: Seattle had success running the ball

Published 1:30 am Sunday, December 11, 2016

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Usually, when the Seattle Seahawks rush for 136 yards and a 5.2-yard average, they end up winning.

Sunday, five Russell Wilson interceptions and a lost Alex Collins fumble contributed to the Seahawks’ 38-10 defeat despite a strong effort in the ground game.

And once the Hawks fell behind 21-3 in the first half, running the ball was not a focus.

“The offensive line did a great job in the run game as a unit and we just didn’t capitalize,” running back Thomas Rawls said. “Too many turnovers.”

Rawls added 67 yards on 12 rushes to his 106-yard effort on 15 carries last week in the win over Carolina.

Had the game been more competitive, Rawls likely would have gotten more opportunities.

Sunday was the first chance for Rawls to play with a new backfield mate, fullback Marcel Reece, who was picked up as a free agent once Will Tukuafu was sidelined with concussion symptoms.

Reece was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Oakland Raiders, where he earned a reputation for his good receiving skills. He proved those to the Seahawks on Sunday, making two catches for 38 yards, including a 31-yarder when he tiptoed along the sidelines to make the grab.

“I’ve been getting a sense of who everyone is,” Reece said of his first week with the Seahawks. “Just getting the pulse of the team. I’m excited, even after today. When it comes down to it, it’s just one game.”

Reece was the lead blocker on a couple of Rawls’ better runs.

“He’s a dog, he’s a grinder, always going after it,” Reece said of Rawls. “I’ve seen how he works in practice and in the film room. He’s always asking questions and he wants to know everything. I know I want to work with him and help in any way I can.”

Once again, receiver Tyler Lockett contributed to the rushing game. Last week against Carolina, he rushed for a 75-yard touchdown on a fly sweep. Sunday, the Packers were watching for him, but he still picked up 15 yards on two carries.

“There’s a lot of talent,” Reece said. “I’m definitely excited about being here and being a part of everything this team can be. Everybody here uplifts each other. I’m excited about that, excited to be a part of what I hope will be a magical run.”

A PUNCH IN THE …

Sunday looked and felt like a punch in the gut to the Seahawks.

So Cliff Avril punched back. According to the Packers, at least.

Seattle’s defensive end, who leads the team with 10 sacks, got into shoving and pushing matches with Green Bay offensive linemen after multiple plays Sunday. One came after right guard T.J. Lang accused Avril of punching him in the private area.

Lang and Avril had to be separated following a play in the third quarter. On the Packers’ next drive, Avril was falling down trying to get to quarterback Aaron Rodgers — something Seattle’s four-man rush did not do often as Rodgers shredded the Seahawks on 18-for-23 passing for 246 yards, three touchdowns and a passer rating of just below perfect (150.8). As Avril was on the ground, Packers right tackle Bryan Bulaga got apparent revenge. Bulaga kneed the prone Avril in the stomach.

Avril doubled over back onto the ground. Trainers came onto the field. He left for one play, benefitted from a long replay review of an incomplete pass on the sideline, and re-entered the game.

After Green Bay’s 38-10 win Lang tweeted: “Sorry man, I’ll try to keep my composure next time I get punched in the (groin).”

In the locker room Lang said: “All their guys are intense players. … They like to kind of push you a little late, so we were definitely aware of that.

“We didn’t back down from anybody (Sunday). Got into it with him a little bit, a couple times. Just football. Two intense teams going at it. I don’t know if you guys saw the replay of what happened.

“The ref was standing right there and just said he didn’t see it.”

Avril initially called it friendly competition then said of Lang: “He don’t like me. I don’t like him. It is what it is.”

MISSING EARL THOMAS

No doubt, the Seahawks missed All-Pro free safety Earl Thomas. He is out for the season with a broken tibia he suffered last week in the win over Carolina.

“We didn’t have him back there. Me and him are crash and bash. We are bash brothers back there,” said strong safety Kam Chancellor, whose knee smashed Thomas’ shin the previous week when both were going for an interception.

“We just didn’t have his hustle out there. Earl has a hustle about him. And that’s something we just didn’t have.”

Steven Terrell made his second career start. Chancellor said there were no communication issues.

And Rodgers’ 150.8 passer rating and three touchdown throws were not because Terrell was in there. The Seahawks’ plan to rely on a four-man pass rush failed to pressure Rodgers. He had all day to pick apart coverage that could not stay with receivers for that long — even if it had Thomas as part of it.

ROOKIE BACKS STRUGGLE

Russell Wilson’s fifth and final interception banged off the hands of undrafted rookie running back Troymaine Pope in the fourth quarter. Micah Hyde intercepted the ball and returned it to the Seattle 19. Wide receiver Jeff Janis ran for a touchdown on the next play to increase Green Bay’s lead to 38-10.

Pope left a few minutes later with a sprained ankle.

Seattle’s sixth turnover came when rookie fifth-round pick Alex Collins lost a fumble in the final 2 minutes. Green Bay reserve nose tackle Christian Ringo hit the ball out of Collins’ arms on Collins’ seventh and final carry. Collins finished with 23 yards.

The last time the Seahawks had more than six turnovers in a game was 1995.

Pope and Collins were playing late because coach Pete Carroll said he was preserving lead back Thomas Rawls in a 38-10 rout.

SNOW NOT A FACTOR

There was a winter weather advisory across Wisconsin on Saturday night and all day Sunday. Green Bay had about five inches and it was still coming down during pregame warmups. But because the playing surface had been covered by a giant tarp and Lambeau Field has heating coils under its natural grass, the field was as green as CenturyLink Field.

It was also as wet as Seattle’s home field usually is. The heating and condensation under the tarp, plus light snow that fell into the first quarter, made the field slippery.

Rawls slipped trying to make a cut on third down early, ending a drive. Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright slipped twice on a Packers touchdown drive in the first quarter. Wright said he then changed to longer cleats.

EXTRA POINTS

Former Seahawk running back Christine Michael had 10 carries for 36 yards in his first game against his former team since they waived their former second-round draft choice a few weeks ago.. … This was the first time in his five-year career Wilson threw more than three interceptions in a regular-season game. He threw four in the NFC championship game in January 2015, also against the Packers, but Seattle rallied to win that game in overtime.