So who saw that one coming? Certainly not this reporter, who like almost everyone else predicted a comfortable Ravens victory. But hey, not everyone thought the Seahawks were going to lose.
“I can give you 53 guys who though we were going to win,” said fullback Michael Robinson. “That’s the way it is. You’re always going to have doubters and things like that, but it feels good to finally prove some of them wrong.”
Seattle goes to St. Louis to play the 2-7 Rams next week, then finishes with four of six at home, so even if a lot of other people gave up on the Seahawks after a 2-6 start, they think big things are ahead in the second half of the season.
“We can build on this,” said safety Earl Thomas. “It’s a big, big, big, big win. Everybody’s got a high morale; it hasn’t been like this in a minute. It just feels good to get that W, man.”
Player of the game
RB Marshawn Lynch picked up 109 hard-fought yards on the ground, including Seattle’s only touchdown, and added 58 yards receiving.
Robinson summed up Lynch’s day best, saying, “The man walks aggressively.”
Play of the game
We’re going to go with two, and both game on Seattle’s final drive. Trying to run the clock out, the Seahawks converted on third down when Jackson hit Golden Tate for 24 yards. Facing third-and-five again three plays later, Jackson threw a short pass to Lynch, and looked like he was going to be stopped a couple yards short of the first down. Instead, Lynch put a ridiculous move on two Baltimore defenders, one of whom happened to be Ray Lewis, and picked up the first down.
“He made like he out there in the back yard playing against some of his cousins or something,” said Jackson.
Redeemed unit of the game
Seattle’s much-maligned special teams, which have given up three return touchdowns this year, played a huge role in Sunday’s win. Kicker Steven Hauschka tied a team record with five field goals, and the kick coverage team forced two first-half fumbles, both of which led to field goals.
Stat that may interest only me, but this is my blog so I’m putting it here
Joe Flacco completed 29 passes, which is, well, kind of a lot, but that stat is pretty misleading when it comes to the play of Seattle’s secondary. Of those completions, none went for 20 or more yards, and only five were to receivers. That means Flacco completed 24 passes to tight ends and running backs, which isn’t generally a recipe for big plays.
Injury update
Safety Kam Chancellor and receivers Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin all suffered concussions. Right guard John Moffitt injured his knee and will need an MRI Monday to determine the severity. Safety Atari Bigby and defensive end Anthony Hargrove both left the game with hamstring injuries.
All right, y’all, that’s all for me. Check back tomorrow for news from Pete Carroll’s press conference.
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