Grading the Game: Russell Wilson, Seahawks’ defense flunk out against Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Among the many dubious numbers and feats to come out of the Seahawks’ 38-10 loss to the Packers Sunday is that it assures Seattle will have a losing record on the road for the first time since 2012.

The Green Bay loss dropped Seattle’s road record to 2-4-1 with just one road game remaining on Jan. 1 at San Francisco.

Seattle had gone 5-3, 5-3 and 6-2 on the road the last three seasons, and entered this year having won 18 of their past 26 away from home.

The last time Seattle had a losing road record was in 2012, Russell Wilson’s rookie season, when the Seahawks started out 1-5 before winning their final two as part of a late-season five-game winning streak that served a turning point of the Pete Carroll era.

Whether Sunday serves as a different sort of turning point remains to be seen.

But the reality is that in Seattle’s last two road games it has seen two of its most cherished streaks snapped — a 14-5 loss at Tampa Bay two weeks ago was the first time the Seahawks had not been within one possession in the fourth quarter in an NFL-record 98 straight games, dating to a loss at Pittsburgh on Sept. 18, 2011, while the defeat to the Packers snapped a 95-game streak of not losing by more than 10 points.

And the more ominous news is that Sunday’s loss could make it more difficult to not have to win a game on the road to get to the Super Bowl as the Seahawks fell to the No. 3 seed in the NFC behind Dallas (11-2) and Detroit (9-4).

Here are grades from a lost day.

OFFENSE

While this wasn’t Russell Wilson’s worst passer rating it felt like his worst game as a Seahawk as he not only threw five interceptions on a day when Seattle had six turnovers, but also simply missed on a few other throws.

The tone was set when Wilson was off target early on two possible touchdowns, overthrowing Doug Baldwin on Seattle’s first possession and then Jimmy Graham on the second. He later threw a pass at the feet of Baldwin on a third down.

True, three of Wilson’s interceptions were deflected. But Wilson simply had a bad day throwing and now has eight interceptions in the last three games — tying his total from all of last season.

Seattle statistically ran it OK with Thomas Rawls gaining 67 yards on 12 carries before departing midway through the second half — Carroll said he was not hurt but that the team just took him out.

But the early deficit meant Seattle couldn’t really stick with the running game.

Carroll said he thought the offensive line played okay. Still, Wilson was hit nine times.

One of the only bright spots was the play of newly-acquired Marcel Reece as a fullback, catching two passes for 38 yards.

Grade: F.

DEFENSE

In the first game since free safety Earl Thomas broke his leg, the Seahawks turned in one of their worst defensive outings of the Pete Carroll era.

But while the loss of Thomas and its impact will be examined heavily, what was the more glaring issue was the lack of a pass rush as the Seahawks rarely got pressure on Aaron Rodgers, who was playing with a sore hamstring.

Seattle’s only sack of Rodgers came on the final play of the third quarter — snapping a streak of 10 straight quarters without a sack.

Seattle stayed in a four-man rush much of the night rather than bringing pressure, which Carroll said was simply the game plan but might also have been in part a concession to playing without Thomas and his ability to clean up things in the back end.

Cornerback Jeremy Lane was beaten for the first touchdown. But it was also a play when Rodgers was able to easily dance out of danger and let Davante Adams get downfield, which typified the kind of night it was for the defense.

The Seahawks had just three quarterback hits on 25 pass attempts, two by Cliff Avril. Frank Clark doesn’t have a sack in the last four games and just two quarterback hits, and Michael Bennett doesn’t have a quarterback hit since returning from a knee injury against Carolina.

Grade: F.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The rout meant special teams hardly came into play.

But a Jon Ryan punt of just 31 yards set up a short field in the second quarter that led to a 48-yard touchdown drive that put the Packers up 21-3.

Grade: C-minus.