Season Comes to Merciless End for Russell Wilson, Seahawks as Rams Pull Wild Card Upset
Dating back to 2005, the Seahawks had been near invincible playing at home in the postseason. Whether the stadium was named Qwest Field or CenturyLink Field, they had captured 10 straight playoff victories in front of the rapid 12s.
But streaks are meant to be broken, and without fans in attendance and a punch-less offense led by Russell Wilson once again missing in action, the Rams mercilessly sent the home team on an early vacation, capturing a 30-20 victory in one of the most unwatchable games imaginable.
It’s a bitter end for a Seattle squad that opened the season with such promise, winning six of its first seven games while averaging north of 30 points per game. Wilson stood out as the MVP front runner, threatening Peyton Manning’s single-season touchdown record. But since then, despite finishing with a 12-4 record and an NFC West title, Wilson and a once-potent offensive attack has regressed tremendously, scoring 20 or fewer points in four of the final eight games.
Through it all, coach Pete Carroll remained unconcerned about the struggles and believed the group would turn things around for deep playoff run. But instead, somehow, the star quarterback and his counterparts found a way to sink to rock bottom at the worst possible time against the worst possible opponent.
"They did a nice job scheme wise. The five-man rush was difficult," Carroll said of the Rams' stifling defense. "If you can't find a way to get the ball out or slow them down, then you're up against it. That's when bad things happen. That's when the turnovers and the sacks happen. We weren't able to do it effectively enough."
Seemingly rattled from the opening drive and under constant duress from Aaron Donald, Wilson completed just six passes in the first half. One of them was caught by Rams cornerback Darious Williams, who jumped a bubble screen intended for DK Metcalf and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown to put the Seahawks behind 13-3 midway through the second quarter. Moments later, he rolled out to his left and launched a 51-yard bomb to Metcalf, cutting the deficit back to three points in what looked at the time to be a momentum-changing score.
Aside from that play and a garbage touchdown to Metcalf late in the fourth quarter, however, the seven-time Pro Bowler endured one of the worst statistical outings of his career. At one point in the second half, his completion rate dipped below 40 percent and he finished a dismal 11 for 27 for 174 yards while averaging just 6.4 yards per attempt. Several incompletions were nearly intercepted by Rams defenders and could have made the stat line look drastically worse.
"I thought it was really hard [for him]," Carroll remarked. "When you get rushed like that, get sacked five times against that group, it's just tough. This is no surprise, this is how they've played against other people... The pressure was hard, the coverage good, and we weren't able to function clean enough."
As Carroll noted, in Wilson’s defense, he didn’t receive much help with the exception of Metcalf’s 96 receiving yards. Even with all five starters back in the lineup along the offensive line, a talented Rams line swooped in on the quarterback like vultures with three drive-killing sacks and issues inexcusably persisted after half time when Donald had to leave with a rib injury.
Receivers and tight ends struggled to get open, ran routes short of the first down marker, and dropped multiple passes on evening. Numerous penalties set the Seahawks behind the sticks and put them off schedule, playing a key role in an embarrassing 3 for 14 performance on third down. They held on to the ball for only 26 minutes compared to the Rams 33 minutes of possession. All the ingredients were in place to cook up an offensive disaster.
As a result, a Seattle defense that played well most of the night and made countless stops in the first three quarters to keep the team in the game got worn down in the fourth quarter and yielded 10 points, ultimately sealing their fate.
"To me, it's a failure," safety Jamal Adams bluntly said. "That's our goal: It's about getting to the Super Bowl and winning it."
Heading into the offseason far earlier than expected and exiting in the Wild Card round for the second time in three years, the Seahawks will now have months to stew over this game. With numerous key players such as running back Chris Carson and cornerback Shaquill Griffin set to become free agents and others such as Adams ready to negotiate new contracts, a tough offseason that could lead to substantial changes in the Pacific Northwest looms.
For now, Carroll isn't going to fret about such upcoming decisions. But there's no question this disappointing loss will stick with him, his coaching staff, and his players for quite some time and could have seismic effects on the organization in coming months.
“I told these guys I have no place in my brain for this outcome. We were planning on winning and moving on. So, it’s really frustrating to be done. The suddenness of this is, there’s nothing like it. And you just have to deal with it. And so that’s what we’re gonna do.”
