Seahawks’ Russell Wilson after ugly day in Buffalo: ‘The one thing we do great is repond’
Really, in the truest sense of the title “most valuable,” Russell Wilson absolutely remains the front-runner to be NFL MVP.
When he plays near perfectly, the Seahawks win — as they have six times through eight games this season.
But if Wilson makes mistakes, pretty much more than one, Seattle loses.
It’s that simple right now for the NFC West leaders.
Their quarterback is that valuable.
That fact was absolutely true on Sunday at Buffalo, in the inverse, negative sense. Wilson threw for 390 yards, the third-most in his nine-year career. But it was the most inconsequential 390 yards passing in Seahawks history.
Wilson committed four turnovers. He had two interceptions and two fumbles lost while sacked five times. That and a Seahawks defense that remains historically bad is why Seattle (6-2) lost 44-34 to the Bills on a brilliantly warm and sunny day in western New York.
“We’ve just got to be cleaner,” Wilson said.
He, not “we,” absolutely must.
Wilson has seven turnovers in Seattle’s two losses. Five of his eight interceptions this season have come in those two defeats in the last three weeks, at Arizona in overtime and at Buffalo.
The NFL’s highest-scoring team has had 34 points in each of its losses.
Seattle’s defense, ranked last in the league entering Sunday, allowed 459 more yards Sunday. Buffalo’s Josh Allen had 415 of those passing.
It was the third time in eight games a quarterback threw for more than 400 yards against the Seahawks. A fourth, New England’s Cam Newton, threw for 397 against Seattle, in Week 2. That’s half the eight games this season the Seahawks have allowed 397 yards passing.
The most yards throwing against Seattle in the franchise’s 45-year history have come this half season: 472 by Dallas’ Dak Prescott, in Week 3.
But the Seahawks won those previous four games, while Wilson was setting NFL records and establishing his MVP candidacy. That’s how valuable Wilson has become to Seattle’s season and Super Bowl hopes.
Asked if he feels more pressure to be almost perfect with how his defense is allowing so many points and yards, Wilson smiled.
“No. I don’t feel pressure,” he said.
“We are all in this together.”
The blitzing Bills sacked Wilson five times and hit him 11 more times Sunday. Those 16 times were the most any NFL quarterback had hit the ground in a game this season.
The recipe to disrupting Seattle’s offense and thus — given its poor and porous defense — its season remains intact: Send swarms of blitzers to pressure Wilson. Get the ball out before Wilson can throw to game-changing receivers DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett down the field.
Buffalo is tied for 10th in the NFL with 19 sacks through eight games. But more than a quarter of the Bills’ season total came Sunday on Wilson.
“They did pressure effectively,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “They were willing to get after it and take their shots at us.
“We didn’t pick some stuff up. We missed played a couple things. Need to get the ball out a couple times.
“With that many shots, a whole variety of things, we could have done better. You know, we were playing from behind the whole time and they took advantage of it.”
Yes, it was 14-0 Buffalo before it was 10:30 a.m. in Seattle Sunday.
Plus, the Seahawks were without lead running back Chris Carson (sprained foot) and No. 2 back Carlos Hyde (strained hamstring) for the second consecutive game. So the Bills basically ignored on rookie DeeJay Dallas, third-down back Travis Homer, practice-squad call-up Alex Collins and Seattle’s running game. Dallas, Homer and Collins produced just 15 carries for 52 yards Sunday.
Instead, it was blitz Wilson or bust for the Bills.
Wilson and the Seahawks busted.
The sacks came while Buffalo’s secondary stayed step for step on all of Lockett’s and Metcalf’s pet pass routes. Double moves, quick moves, improvisational routes while scrambling, the Bills were exquisitely prepared by veteran defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier for whatever Wilson and Seahawks play caller Brian Schottenheimer had for them.
“Yeah, they made some good plays,” is all Wilson really said about that.
Down 34-20 with 11-1/2 minutes remaining, Wilson got sacked on consecutive plays to begin Seattle’s key answer drive. On third and 25, a situation ripe for mistakes, Bills All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White made an All-Pro play.
White brilliantly peeled back up field on third and long and left his assigned receiver David Moore on his short route in the flat. White knew Wilson would go to deep-running DK Metcalf on an out route. He ran back and snared Wilson’s second interception of the game and eighth this season.
Buffalo scored on Allen’s 3-yard run on the next play to take a 41-20 lead and essentially end the game.
“Upset when we were down late. Twenty-seven made a great play,” Wilson said of White’s interception.
Wilson answered briefly with his first touchdown of the game when David Moore got behind every Bills defender as his quarterback scrambled for an easy, 55-yard touchdown pass. Down 41-27, Seattle’s defense got only its third three-and-out in 12 drives Sunday.
“Despite all the mess of the game, we had a chance,” Wilson said.
Then he and his offensive line messed up. Again.
On the ensuing possession, third and 2, Seattle had one of its “didn’t pick stuff up” plays. Right tackle Brandon Shell and right guard Damien Lewis both took ex-Seahawks defensive end Quinton Jefferson on an inside pass-rush move. No one took Bills linebacker A.J. Klein. He blitzed as free as a stampeding Buffalo outside. Neither Seahawks blocker saw him. Wilson didn’t either.
Klein ripped the ball from Wilson as he sacked him for Wilson’s fourth turnover. Buffalo turned that into a field goal and a 44-20 lead.
“We just don’t turn the ball over like that,” Carroll said, “but we did today.”
Wilson’s first turnover came in the first quarter, with the Seahawks already down 14-0. Carroll chose to go for it on fourth and 1 from the Bills’ 5-yard line. As Wilson rolled right, Buffalo’s defensive preparation won again. Every one of Wilson’s four receivers to the side he rolled was blanketed. The Seahawks lost the play at that point. Wilson was left to chuck a hopeful pass near tight end Jacob Hollister.
Safety Jordan Poyer intercepted it in the end zone.
“It’s fourth and one, trying to make a play,” Wilson said. “I’m not just going to throw the ball out of the back of the end zone.”
It was 24-10 Bills and the Seahawks had the first possession after halftime with a chance to get back in the game then. But Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes ran down the scrambling Wilson from behind, sacked him and knocked the ball free. White recovered the fumble at the Seattle 23. Buffalo turned that into a field goal and a three-score lead again.
So it went for Wilson and, thus, the Seahawks on a Sunday to forget.
But then, as they were boarding their plane for the interminable flight home to Seattle, a reprieve. The Seahawks learned rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins beat the Cardinals in Arizona. That kept the Seahawks atop the NFC West, one game ahead of the Cardinals (5-3) and Rams.
Seattle is at Los Angeles next Sunday to begin the second half of the regular season.
As a reminder: Wilson is 31-8 after an in-season loss. That’s the best such record in the league in 50 years, since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
“The reality is, the Seattle Seahawks are 6-2. We are still in a good position, the driver’s seat, to continue to win and continue to lead and try to find a way to make something special happen,” Wilson said.
“It’s a long journey. This season, we’ve gone through a lot. The reality is, it’s always a long season, but we’ve been battling through a lot. We’re just staying focused on the mission. That’s all we can do, and understanding is not everything is going to be simple.
“The one thing we do great is respond. And let’s make sure that we respond at a high level.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 7:49 PM.
