Seahawks’ offense finishes strong

The Seahawks’ offense struggled for much of the game on Sunday, but they came through in the clutch, at the end.  Russell Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for a touchdown with 31 seconds to go, sealing a hard-earned victory.

The game on Sunday was a lot more stressful than it should have been.  No game is easy in the NFL, though, and the Seahawks deserved to win this game.

The offense was the main reason why this game was as tight as it was, but even so, there were still some bright spots.

The Seahawks’ offense started the game off with some nice plays.  Darrell Bevell was calling quick passes and Russell Wilson was spreading the ball out.

The early success was slowed down in the second quarter, though, and the offense struggled for most of the second, third, and fourth quarters.

There were a few things that held the offense back.  Tyler Lockett dropping two catches on third down were huge momentum killers.  Penalties are an easy way to stop any drive, and the offense had way too many.  And, of course, the offensive line wasn’t pretty.

The offensive line was tough to watch, as they got overmatched at most positions.  Sowell and Webb really struggled and didn’t give Wilson much time to throw the ball.

More from 12th Man Rising

• 4 prospects Seahawks could reach for at No. 20 in 2023 NFL Draft
• Seattle Seahawks Mock Draft: Post-first wave of free agency 
• Seahawks podcast: A review of the first week of free agency
• 4 experiments the Seattle Seahawks could cut short in 2023
• 3 pros and cons of Seattle Seahawks drafting Anthony Richardson

One bright spot on the offensive line was Justin Britt.  Britt made the correct protection calls and looked very comfortable at the center spot.  Britts’ turnaround from last season has been remarkable, and has certainly surprised us all.

Russell Wilson did what he could with the lack of pass protection, making defenders miss and extending plays.  Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle sprain on one of those scramble drills, and this injury clearly limited his performance.

Wilson played through the ankle injury, which was an exceptional display of mental toughness.  He was clearly hurt and wasn’t able to step into his throws or run for first downs.  His gutsy effort to throw a TD pass to win the game, while dealing with an injury, was simply amazing.

Doug Baldwin was unbelievable all game and led the team with 9 catches and 92 yards.  Baldwin still is very underrated and doesn’t get talked about enough in the national media.  He frequently makes clutch catches at the end of games, and added to his collection on Sunday.

A really cool part of this game was Thomas Rawls and Jimmy Graham playing after recovering from serious injuries.  They both made important plays for the offense, and their contributions will continue to grow as they get back into game shape.

Rawls made a few explosive runs and a nice catch out of the backfield.  Graham also got in the action, and made a huge catch on the last drive.  It was an emotional game for both these players, and it was great to see them running around again.

Although the offense looked rough for much of the game, they came through in the clutch when the team needed them.  Russell Wilson drove the offense down 75 yards and found Doug Baldwin in the end zone for the game winning touchdown.

Next: Seahawks: Week 1 thoughts

The offense made plays when it mattered, and Wilson showed why he is a top quarterback in the NFL and an exceptional leader.  He put the offense on his back during the last drive, and made sure that the Seattle Seahawks finished week 1 with an important win.