SEATTLE -- After a shaky beginning, Russell Wilson got hot in the fourth quarter and kept the Seattle Seahawks in the middle of the NFC playoff race.
Wilson threw for 225 yards and his 15-yard touchdown pass to Ed Dickson with 5:08 left was the difference in the Seahawks' 27-24 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
In a key matchup in the battle for the two NFC wild-card spots, Seattle (5-5) snapped a two-game losing streak by overcoming an early 14-3 deficit. Wilson was shaky at times early in the game, but was outstanding in the fourth quarter, capping the winning drive by recognizing a blitz and hitting Dickson quickly for his second TD pass of the night.
Aaron Rodgers had a huge first half for Green Bay (4-5-1) and threw for 332 yards, but the Packers had just one scoring drive in the second half, helped by a 57-yard strike from Rodgers to Davante Adams. Rodgers threw two touchdown passes in the first half, but never got the ball back after Green Bay punted with 4:20 left.
Seattle ran out the clock thanks to two runs from Mike Davis.
Chris Carson rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown, overcoming the mistake of fumbling on the first play of the game and setting up Green Bay's opening score. Tyler Lockett had two key receptions late in the fourth quarter and Doug Baldwin had his first TD catch of the season for Seattle.
Rodgers was 21-of-30 passing with 10 of those going to Adams for 166 yards receiving. Backup tight end Robert Tonyan had the first catch of his career go for a 54-yard touchdown to give Green Bay an early 14-3 lead. The Packers led 21-17 at halftime after Jones caught a 24-yard TD pass from Rodgers in the final minute of the half, but Green Bay's offense was stymied in the second half.
The Packers gained just 114 yards in the second half, half coming on the one throw from Rodgers to Adams. That pass set up Mason Crosby's 36-yard field goal with 8:23 left, but Wilson had one more answer.
Wilson hit Lockett on consecutive plays for 18 yards -- to convert a third-down -- and 34 yards to the Green Bay 16. Two plays later, facing another third-and-long, Wilson recognized the blitz and hit Dickson quickly over the middle to put Seattle in front.
Green Bay 14 7 0 3 -- 24
Seattle 3 14 0 10 -- 27
First Quarter
GB--A.Jones 8 run (Crosby kick), 13:46.
Sea--FG Janikowski 39, 6:00.
GB--Tonyan 54 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), 3:10.
Second Quarter
Sea--Baldwin 6 pass from Wilson (Janikowski kick), 8:03.
Sea--C.Carson 1 run (Janikowski kick), 3:22.
GB--A.Jones 24 pass from Rodgers (Crosby kick), :44.
Fourth Quarter
Sea--FG Janikowski 43, 12:14.
GB--FG Crosby 36, 8:23.
Sea--E.Dickson 15 pass from Wilson (Janikowski kick), 5:08.
Attendance--69,007.
GB Sea
First downs 14 23
Total Net Yards 359 378
Rushes-yards 13-48 35-173
Passing 311 205
Punt Returns 3-31 0-0
Kickoff Returns 1-20 2-47
Interceptions Ret. 0-0 0-0
Comp-Att-Int 21-30-0 21-31-0
Sacked-Yards Lost 5-21 3-20
Punts 6-47.3 4-52.0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 5-80 6-30
Time of Possession 25:42 34:18
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Green Bay, A.Jones 11-40, J.Williams 1-5, Rodgers 1-3. Seattle, C.Carson 17-83, Penny 8-46, M.Davis 4-26, Wilson 5-17, Lockett 1-1.
PASSING--Green Bay, Rodgers 21-30-0-332. Seattle, Wilson 21-31-0-225.
RECEIVING--Green Bay, D.Adams 10-166, A.Jones 5-63, Kendricks 2-12, Tonyan 1-54, St. Brown 1-16, Graham 1-13, Valdes-Scantling 1-8. Seattle, Baldwin 7-52, Lockett 5-71, D.Moore 4-57, M.Davis 2-24, Vannett 1-17, E.Dickson 1-15, Wilson 1-(minus 11).
MISSED FIELD GOALS--Green Bay, Crosby 47.
Sports on 11/16/2018