SEATTLE, Wash. — It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
The Seattle Seahawks took their Week 2 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, 12-9, after a slow start to open up their home stretch at CenturyLink Field. It was a low scoring game the majority of the afternoon before Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson put together the go-ahead drive for the Seahawks.
Here are five rapid reactions to the win:
1. Russell Wilson Finished Strong.
It took until the fourth quarter for the first touchdown of the game to be scored, but the timing of it was just what the Seahawks needed.
Down 9-6 in the fourth quarter, Wilson led the Seahawks on a 10-play, 82-yard drive that resulted in a Paul Richardson 9-yard touchdown pass. On the drive, Wilson pulled the ball and ran four times for 27 yards as the Seahawks marched down the field to retake the lead, 12-9, after Blair Walsh missed the extra point. The drive was exactly what Seattle needed not only to move up in the game, but to get something going offensively.
Wilson finished the game 23-of-39 passing for 198 yards and the touchdown to Richardson. He kept the ball 11 times, recording 34 yards on the ground.
2. Wilson And Tyler Lockett Were Clicking On Offense.
In his first game back from a leg injury, Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett only caught one pass and mostly put in work on special teams against Green Bay. It was a different story against the 49ers in Week 2.
Lockett had a smooth connection with Wilson on Sunday, being targeted nine times and hauling in six passes for 64 yards, one reception off his career high. Four of Lockett's receptions came in the first quarter.
Lockett still occupied his usual duties as a return man with J.D. McKissic inactive, but he was definitely more of a factor on offense this week.
3. Have A Day, Carlos Hyde.
Opposing running backs don't typically have much success against the Seahawks run defense, but San Francisco running back Carlos Hyde seems to be an exception recently. Hyde rushed for 124 yards against the Seahawks on Sunday, marking the second consecutive game at CenturyLink Field he has topped 100 yards rushing. The majority of Hyde's yards came on a 61-yarder he broke in the second quarter, which was the longest run of his career.
Last season against Seattle, Hyde ran for 103 yards on 21 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Since 2012, Hyde is the fifth running back to gain over 100 yards rushing against the Seahawks defense at CenturyLink Field.
4. A Slow Day For The Run Game Until Late.
While Hyde had success on the ground for the 49ers, the Seahawks were unable to get much started for themselves until the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks got running back Thomas Rawls (high-ankle sprain) back from injury, but rookie Chris Carson saw most of the action out of the backfield and made the most of his opportunity. Carson ran for 93 yards on 20 carries while Rawls only touched the ball on the ground five times for four yards. C.J. Prosise saw some action but mostly in passing downs — he recorded three catches for 22 yards.
For a majority of the day, the 49ers limited the Seahawks on the ground until Wilson's fourth quarter touchdown drive helped set up Carson to close out the game on the next drive. Wilson obviously had some success running with the ball, especially in that fourth quarter, but the Seahawks ground game as a whole has been a bit slow. Hopefully they can start off running the ball like they did late when they travel to Tennessee next week for a game against the Titans.
The Seahawks come out victorious for their home opener at CenturyLink Field 12-9 against the 49ers.
5. Kickers Were A Big Factor Again.
For the second game in a row, the Seahawks relied on Blair Walsh for scoring most of the game.
Walsh went 3-for-3 last weekend against the Packers in the Seahawks' 17-9 loss and followed that up against the 49ers by connecting on kicks from 25 and 27 yards out. Walsh did the extra point following Richardson's touchdown, but the Seahawks have gotten a lot of their points early this season through special teams.
For the 49ers, kicker Robbie Gould scored all nine of their points, going 3-for-3 through the uprights.
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