Sunday Rewind: Revisiting Seahawks Week 9 Victory Against Buccaneers
Following a successful road trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Seahawks traveled back home and were looking to extend their winning streak to two games in a Week 9 matchup against the Buccaneers.
Continuing Seattle’s season-long trend, this game against Tampa Bay was another close finish and it needed to be settled beyond regulation. Luckily, the offense received possession of the football to begin overtime and was able to end the contest with a heroic touchdown 10 plays later.
Let’s look back upon some of the critical moments that ultimately led to the Seahawks’ 40-34 victory against the Buccaneers during their first matchup against one another since 2016.
1. Trailing 7-0, Tyler Lockett’s 19-yard touchdown reception evens the score early.
After winning the opening coin toss, the Buccaneers started their opening drive at their own 25-yard line. Striking quickly, Tampa Bay’s offense traveled 75 yards on just seven plays and capped off their drive with an eight-yard touchdown run from running back Ronald Jones II, taking an early 7-0 lead.
Looking to answer, the Seahawks' offense didn’t waste any time as they relied heavily on their passing game and gained 75 yards in just six plays. With receiver Tyler Lockett’s 18-yard reception pushing the offense to Tampa Bay’s 32-yard line, the speedy pass catcher was targeted once again two plays later, this time for a 19-yard touchdown reception at the back of the end zone.
Now tied at 7-7, only two minutes drained off the clock before the Seahawks regained possession of the ball. With that said, the offense was forced to punt just three plays later, which ultimately helped the Buccaneers score their second touchdown of the opening quarter.
2. Attempting to trim Tampa Bay’s 21-7 lead, Jacob Hollister’s touchdown reception closes the gap to an eight-point deficit.
Following a missed field goal attempt from kicker Jason Myers, the Buccaneers’ offense started their first drive of the second quarter at their own 37-yard line and it only took them two plays to surge into Seahawks’ territory. Moving the sticks forward four different times, Tampa Bay marched into scoring position and was able to find the end zone for the third time in the first half.
Making matters worse, Seattle’s offense failed to create any momentum on the following drive, being forced to punt after just four plays. However, the defense stepped up and forced a punt from Tampa Bay’s offense 29 seconds later.
Thanks to a critical defensive pass interference penalty against cornerback Devin White, the offense advanced to the Buccaneers’ one-yard line in just four plays. On the next play, quarterback Russell Wilson connected with tight end Jacob Hollister, who was able to break a tackle and fall just over the goal line for the score.
Despite this important touchdown, Myers’ woes continued as he missed his point after attempt, leaving Seattle behind eight points to begin the second half.
3. Following Chris Carson’s fumble, Rasheem Green’s fumble recovery ends another scoring opportunity for Tampa Bay and provides Seattle with excellent starting field position.
After Myers connected on a 37-yard field goal attempt, which tied the game at 24 apiece, Seattle’s defense was able to force another punt from Tampa Bay’s offense. With just over 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks were facing their most important drive of the game but surrendered the ball just three plays later.
Despite gaining three yards, running back Chris Carson lost the ball as he was being tackled to the ground, which was his second fumble of the game and his fifth on the season. Taking over at the Seahawks’ 45-yard line, the Buccaneers were provided a prime scoring opportunity only to squander it three plays into the drive.
Needing to gain five yards to earn a first down, quarterback Jameis Winston picked the worst time to fumble the ball, allowing defensive end Rasheem Green to pick it up and travel 36 yards to Tampa Bay’s 15-yard line. While the offense couldn’t surge into the end zone for seven points, they were able to take a three-point advantage as a result of Myers’ 22-yard field goal.
4. Tied at 34-34 in overtime, Hollister’s second touchdown of the game hands Seattle its seventh victory of the season.
With the Seahawks and Buccaneers trading touchdowns late in the fourth quarter, the scoreboard read 34 apiece with just 46 seconds left in regulation. Three plays into Seattle’s fourth drive of the quarter, the offense surged to Tampa Bay’s 31-yard line thanks to a massive 21-yard rush down the sideline from Wilson.
After gaining just nine yards over the next three plays, the offense was forced to attempt a field goal from 40 yards away with just three seconds left in the contest. Unfortunately for the Pro Bowl kicker, Myers missed once again, this time wide to the right.
As a result of winning the coin toss, the Seahawks started overtime with possession of the ball and began their drive at their own 25-yard line. Gaining 40 yards through their first eight plays, the drive stalled at the Buccaneers’ 35-yard line as the offense needed to gain six yards to move the chains forward.
Making a game-changing catch, receiver D.K. Metcalf turned his body around and caught a 29-yard pass before falling out of bounds, helping the offense record its first third-down conversion since the first quarter. Two plays later, Wilson connected with Hollister a few yards shy of the end zone, but the 6-foot-4 tight end was just able to extend the ball across the goal line before his knee touched the ground, earning him his second touchdown of the day and the game-winning score.
