On the Seahawks’ ensuing possession, Russell Wilson somehow avoided getting sacked by two Falcons defenders, lofted a pass over Vic Beasley Jr. and connected with Alex Collins for a 9-yard completion. Michael had two touchdown runs and rookie Alex Collins added his first National Football League touchdown on a 2-yard run.
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And when it was over, Seattle was 4-1, its best record after five games since the Super Bowl-winning season of 2013, and holding a 1½-game lead on the rest of the NFC West.
The Seahawks beat the Falcons 26-24 to improve to 4-1.
And Richard Sherman was in the middle of all of it.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan was spending as much time picking himself up off the ground than standing in the pocket looking for options downfield. The Seahawks’ defense shut them down entirely otherwise. Devonta Freeman led in rushing with 88 yards and a touchdown in 23 carries while Tevin Coleman had 31 yards in six catches.
For the first half it looked like it would be a struggle, but Ryan continued his streak of throwing for at least 200 yards in 44 straight road games.
Atlanta ran just three offensive plays and held the ball barely 2 minutes after Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka missed a 29-yard field goal. It paid off nearly immediately, as Atlanta’s first drive of the second half ended with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Jones.
Entering the week, it was announced Sherman would follow Jones in coverage everywhere except when the receiver was lined up in the slot.
And one final note: Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, who was very upset that pass interference wasn’t called, is Seattle’s former defensive coordinator. But Carroll’s philosophy is that something good is always just around the corner if the team keeps playing hard. “I’m not anxious about it one bit”, said Carroll.
Doug Baldwin says the Seahawks vow they will push through Sherman’s epic meltdown on the sidelines in the third quarter. We’ll still need our offense to put up big points, but so long as this defense continues it’s upward trend, the future looks bright for this team in 2017 and beyond. We tried to make an adjustment and just miscommunication.
Further pressed about the incident, Sherman offered, “I play with passion, so that was nothing new”.
“And yet if we’ve learned anything about this team under Pete Carroll, it’s that they can be a circus sometimes, and they can wobble on the field, but they are tough as hell”. We could have stopped them.
Bennett went down in a heap at the line of scrimmage due to a cut block by Atlanta right tackle Jake Matthews that caused Bennett’s right knee to bend awkwardly. But they’re closer than they were last season, close enough that they scared Carroll and his marauders to their socks in what was billed as – and became – a big-time game. They shut down Carolina for 3 quarters before loosening up in the fourth quarter. But in the rules as they are set today, Seattle won the game fair and square. The kick was blocked to prevent the Seahawks from tying it.
Seattle’s offense will never be confused for a top-flight unit, but once again the Falcons defense did an admirable job. The Falcons receiver was covered by Seahawks safety Earl Thomas and cornerback Richard Sherman, who appeared to bump Jones and hook his arm as he leapt to make the grab.
On the final Falcons drive, Ryan heaved the ball downfield to Jones on fourth down.
The second target came on Atlanta’s last offensive play of the game, which fell incomplete. Ryan’s third touchdown pass of the game, a 46-yarder to tight end Levine Toilolo, gave Atlanta its first lead at 24-17 with 17 seconds left in the third.
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The victory was Wilson’s 20th fourth quarter or overtime comeback.
