With Steelers holding a 3-0 lead courtesy of a 44-yard field goal by Chris Boswell and then driving for what looked to be a second Boswell field goal attempt from the Seahawks 27 at the start of the second quarter, the Steelers ran a fake field goal attempt only to have backup quarterback Landry Jones get intercepted by Seahawks cornerback Jeremy Lane. Didn’t he hear? He was supposed to be receiving the gifts Sunday, not giving them. He was 21 of 30 passing for 345 yards, Wilson’s most in a regular-season game, topped only by a playoff performance at Atlanta in his rookie season. The Seahawks failed on a two-point conversion try, their third missed conversion of the game, and led 32-27, with 8:12 remaining. But this was the dagger that sealed the deal for the Seattle Seahawks who scored 19 points in the 4th quarter ensuring the 39-30 victory. Celek’s x-rays did not show any fractures, but reports have the tight end dealing with a high ankle sprain. “It was just fun to be a part of”.
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And get this: Baldwin didn’t see Wilson’s early throw as he crossed the middle behind a sea of bodies and arms until, as he put it, “as late as you can possibly imagine”.
He dragged through his postgame news conference until someone asked if he ever considered sitting. We can’t play down to anybody. He was not made available to the media after the game, and Tomlin did not know the results of the test. “We’ll see”, he said about a half hour after the game ended…. And you could argue that the Hawks – playoffs aside – never needed him more than they did Sunday. The defense continued to allow Roethlisberger and the Steeler offense to stick around thanks to blown coverages and missed/soft tackles, but was able to hold them to a field goal late in the game, which turned out to be a hugely important decision.
“That is what happens when teams get going”.
Wilson’s first major contribution came on third-and-goal from the 16 in the opening quarter.
TOUCHDOWN JIMMY: In his last 11 games against AFC opponents, Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham has 12 touchdown catches.
“Ultimately, the truth of it is, we found a way to win”, Wilson said. He saw something in his eyes – an aura that had gone from dogged to downright ruthless.
Wilson had fought illness most of the day, but battled to his best game of the season. Whatever it was, the big plays just kept coming.
The offense faced seven instances of third-and-10 or more.
Rawls has rushed for 604 yards while stepping in at various times with Lynch slowed by injuries. Wilson to Graham for another 18. Osweiler threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Bubba Caldwell with 1:09 left in regulation to put the Broncos up 24-21.
Seattle’s Baldwin caught six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns, while Kearse added four receptions for 47 yards and a pair of scores. But against the Steelers, it was a high-flyin’, gunslingin’ summer-blockbuster-like display.
NOTES: Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger left the field with two minutes remaining to undergo tests under the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Wilson was at his best on throws downfield. Roethlisberger would complete three passes on the drive that would finish with a 11-yard touchdown run on a reverse by Martavis Bryant. But it wasn’t enough to overcome a terrible decision by Mike Tomlin and a lousy day by the defense. “Those are the kind of matchups you want”. Roethlisberger got a week of rest thanks to the bye to let a foot sprain heal, but he’ll continue to wear a brace on his left knee due to an MCL sprain earlier in the season.
The Cincinnati Bengals halted a two-game losing streak with a routine 31-7 victory over the struggling St Louis Rams as quarterback Andy Dalton threw three touchdown passes.
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The Seahawks may not be able to do that against the Steelers because Pittsburgh’s passing attack is more than just Antonio Brown. Graham’s season came to an end with a patellar tendon injury on a pass to the end zone. Instead, the chronically inconsistent Seahawks offense rallied to spare the defense.
