3 Up, 3 Down: Winners, Losers from Seahawks Week 15 Victory Against Washington
Following a dominating victory over the Jets, the Seahawks hit the road and were looking to extend their winning streak to two games, but they first needed to get past coach Ron Rivera and his NFC East-leading club.
Leaning on the defense once again, they held Washington's offense to just three points through the first three quarters and generated four sacks along with a pair of interceptions. Despite allowing 12 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, they held on to a five-point advantage and didn't crumble before the end of regulation.
Unlike through the first half of the campaign, the passing game wasn't the main focus in this matchup, as the offense enjoyed plenty of success running the ball and couldn't be stopped in the trenches. Thanks to some outstanding blocking from the offensive line, all three running backs and quarterback Russell Wilson made a strong impact on the ground, which played a major factor in a 20-15 victory that clinched a playoff berth for Seattle.
Let's dive into our three big winners and three losers from Seattle’s first win against Washington since the 2014 campaign.
Three Up
D.J. Reed
Appearing in just his eighth game with Seattle, Reed has done an excellent job of making the most out of this current opportunity and has continued proving why San Francisco made a huge mistake by letting him walk. Along with recording four solo tackles, the 5-foot-9 cornerback also proved to be phenomenal in pass coverage, producing a trio of pass defenses and his second interception of the season.
Helping keep Washington’s passing game in check, the 24-year old performed extremely well in man coverage, especially in the red zone where he saved a touchdown late in the third quarter. As for his turnover, the former Kansas State product stepped up at the perfect time to pick off quarterback Dwayne Haskins' pass, providing his team with possession at their own 41-yard line.
Jamal Adams
Following his record-breaking showing against the Jets, Adams continued adding to his incredible inaugural campaign with the Seahawks, as he served as one of the top defensive performers through all four quarters of this contest. Already owning the single-season record for most sacks by a defensive back, the 6-foot-1 strong safety added another sack to his resume in the first half.
Emerging from the secondary at the perfect time, the LSU standout sacked Haskins Jr. during a third down play, forcing Washington to punt for the second time in the opening quarter. Being at the right place at the right time in the second half, the 25-year old snuffed out a potential big yardage play from former Seahawk J.D. McKissic, preventing another third down conversion and forcing their offense to punt yet again.
Chris Carson
Coming off one of his best statistical performances of the season, the Seahawks were counting on Carson to lead their running game once again and he certainly didn’t disappoint during this matchup in the nation’s capital. Carrying the ball 15 times for 63 yards, the 26-year old also added a pair of catches for six yards.
Making an impact on third down, the 5-foot-11 ball carrier continued the offense’s drive multiple times, including his four-yard gain that ultimately allowed his team to extend their lead to 6-0 early in the second quarter. Paired with teammates Carlos Hyde – who posted 55 yards on just two carries and scored a 50-yard touchdown – and Rashaad Penny, the offense didn’t have any issues running the ball, which resulted in 181 total rushing yards.
Three Down
Freddie Swain
Despite performing effectively when the ball has been thrown in his direction this season, the opposite occurred for Swain during his 14th career NFL contest, as he missed out on a perfect opportunity to generate his third touchdown of the campaign. In addition, this was also a fairly quiet showing for the former sixth-round pick, completing just a single catch for only three yards – his second-lowest total of the season.
Sprinting 39 yards down the left sideline, the rookie receiver was able to secure the deep pass from Wilson in the first quarter, but officials determined his left foot came down out of bounds, negating the touchdown. As a result of his incompletion, the offense was ultimately forced to settle for a 40-yard field goal, which extended their edge to just six points in the first half.
Rasheem Green
After missing nearly the entire first half of the season due to a neck injury, Green has now played in seven games since being activated from the injured reserve, but still hasn’t been able to shake off the rust and has struggled to find his footing. The 6-foot-4 defensive end couldn’t find a way to break free off the edge as a pass rusher and also missed a couple tackles in the running game as well.
Needing to create pressure in the backfield, particularly in the fourth quarter, the 23-year old was held in check by Washington’s offensive line, providing Haskins Jr. with a solid amount of protection in the pocket. To make matters worse, the USC standout also failed to generate a single tackle for the second consecutive game.
Russell Wilson
Putting his rough stretch behind him during a bounce-back outing against New York in Week 14, Wilson was aiming for another impressive performance, although he wasn’t needed to carry the offense this time around. Focused heavily on the running game, the 5-foot-11 signal caller only completed 18 of his 27 pass attempts and threw for just 121 yards – his lowest passing total of the season.
Even though he did throw a much-needed touchdown before halftime, the ninth-year pro was picked off at the worst possible time off a deflection, which seemingly sparked Washington’s offense and allowed them to trim their deficit to just five points midway through the fourth quarter. Set to face off against Los Angeles in a potential NFC West division title showdown next weekend, it’ll be crucial for the six-time Pro Bowler to protect the ball next time out and he will need to have a more productive overall day to grab a division title for his team at Lumen Field.
