Just finish.
After losing a fourth-quarter lead to Washington just four days earlier, the Seattle Seahawks focused on grinding out a win at home against Philadelphia.
And through clenched teeth, Seattle closed out an impressive 31-14 victory at CenturyLink Field against a wounded and beaten-down Eagles squad on Thursday night.
“To finish the game like that was big time,” Seattle center Max Unger said. “We want the ball in our hands at the end of the game. We didn’t get it done last week, but we did a little better job this time.”
Once again, running back Marshawn Lynch was the catalyst, finishing with a season-high 148 rushing yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns.
It’s the fourth time in five games that Lynch has eclipsed the 100-yard mark.
The author of one of the most impressive runs in playoff history last season in the NFC wild-card game against New Orleans, Lynch was at it again against Philadelphia.
On Seattle’s second drive, set up by safety Kam Chancellor’s interception, Lynch somehow escaped a large pile of would-be Eagles tacklers at the line of scrimmage, and rumbled for a 15-yard touchdown run and a 7-0 lead.
He followed that with a beautifully blocked 40-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the rout was on.
“Unbelievable,” Seattle fullback Michael Robinson said of his running mate. “The guy blows my mind every time we step on the field. We made a commitment to run the ball a few weeks ago – I think right before the Dallas game – and he’s doing the right things. He’s doing an awesome job.”
The Seahawks pushed their lead to 24-7 by the end of the third quarter on a 49-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka and an 11-yard touchdown catch by Golden Tate, who filled in nicely for Sidney Rice with a team-high four catches for 47 yards.
Philadelphia’s cat-quick runner LeSean McCoy accounted for all his team’s scoring, with a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a 2-yard touchdown reception in the third.
Linebacker David Hawthorne capped the Seattle scoring by picking off quarterback Vince Young and running 77 yards for a touchdown.
Seattle had four interceptions, including two by cornerback Brandon Browner.
The Seahawks (5-7) have won three of their past four games, and coach Pete Carroll is giving his players until Tuesday off to get some much-needed rest in preparation for their last contest in a three-game home stretch – a Monday game with NFC West rival St. Louis.
“Maybe some teams quit at this time of year, but we’re still trying to do something,” Carroll said.
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.