Seahawks are very different teams from quarter to quarter
Third quarter shows Seahawks fighting to come back
In the collective third quarters the offense was still stagnant. Wilson was 22 for 38 for 245 yards, one touchdown and another interception. His passer rating drops to 75.0. Through the first three games, the equivalent of three quarters in this combined “game”, the offense only musters a field goal and a touchdown pass to Chris Carson. Not exactly a winning performance.
The offense finally came to life in our equivalent of the final quarter, the Colts game. Wilson scored on a typically amazing 23 yard scramble, and J.D. McKissic added a brilliant 30 yard run. The Seahawks finished off their scoring binge on the very next play from scrimmage as Bobby Wagner turned a Jacoby Brissett fumble into a 21 yard touchdown.
Unfortunately, that was one of the few highlights for the Seattle defense. While the first touchdown allowed in the third quarter was on a six yard “drive” by the Packers, the points still count. The Titans scored three times in the third quarter, twice on blown assignments that resulted in scoring plays over 50 yards each. The defense got back into their groove against the Colts, but Seattle was already behind 35 – 10 in the third quarter “game”. Too little, too late.
Final result: Opponents 38, Seattle 32
Seahawks roll in the fourth
Finally, the Seattle team we’ve been waiting for showed up in the fourth quarter. Offensively, the Seahawks became a juggernaut. Russell Wilson played like Russell Wilson. Frankly, if you’re going to play lights out, the fourth quarter is the time to do it, and that’s exactly what he’s done. Wilson has completed 28 of 40 passes for 361 yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions. That’s a passer rating of 137.6. Even more important, he led his team on six scoring drives, winning one game and icing another.
The Seahawks defense came back strong as well. They only allowed three field goals and no touchdowns, eliminating the lapses that cost the team so dearly in the third quarter.
Final result: Seattle 36, Opponents 9
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In the end, the Seahawks are still 2 – 2 when combining their scores by quarter. The offense is frankly awful in the first halves, as they only account for 19 points. The second half shows a completely different team, as they rolled up 61 points on offense. Russell Wilson turned back into the superstar he is in the fourth quarter. The running game was dominant in the fourth quarter, too. Chris Carson averaged over six yards per carry, while Eddie Lacy averaged over seven.
The Hawks improvement in the fourth quarter gives me hope that they’re starting to wear teams down as the game progresses. Add in that the coaching staff is making good adjustments, and you have a formula for more wins than losses. And that adds up to the playoffs once again.