PITTSBURGH — Three impressions from the Seahawks’ 28-26 victory over the Steelers on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field.
Danger Russ does it all
Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns and, yeah yeah yeah, those were cool. But did you see the two blocks he threw?
The Seahawks star QB — the highest-paid player in the NFL — paved the way for Rashaad Penny’s first touchdown of the season.
On third-and-2 late in the third quarter, Wilson handed off to Penny, who ran up the middle before making a nifty cutback to his right, getting Anthony Chickillo to whiff on a tackle attempt.
As he turned upfield, Penny found a surprising lead blocker.
Wilson blocked two — yes, two — Steelers defenders to pave the way for Penny’s 37-yard touchdown.
That gave the Seahawks a 21-13 lead entering the fourth quarter.
You’re OK, DK
Wilson’s final touchdown throw was a 28-yard pass to rookie sensation DK Metcalf on the left side of the end zone midway through the fourth quarter. That gave the Seahawks a 28-19 lead.
It might have been Wilson’s best throw of the day — hitting the 6-foot-4 Metcalf in stride along the left sideline, the ball falling just over the outstretched right hand of Pittsburgh’s Terrell Edmunds.
Metcalf was targeted seven times, finishing with three catches for 61 yards.
That touchdown was set up by a controversial pass-interference penalty on the Steelers — on a Wilson incomplete pass downfield for Tyler Lockett. Pete Carroll challenged the no-call … and won the challenge, which gave the Seahawks a first down at the Pittsburgh 35-yard line (instead of a third-and-20 deep in Seahawks territory).
Lockett, by the way, had a career-high 10 catches for 79 yards (on 12 targets), and tight end Will Dissly had two touchdown receptions.
Fourth-quarter finish
It wasn’t a pretty game for the Seahawks’ offensive line — or for running back Chris Carson.
Carson lost two fumbles that turned into 10 points for the Steelers, the most costly of which came in the fourth quarter and gave the Steelers possession at the Seattle 3.
Backup QB Mason Rudolph, playing in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger, threw a 3-yard TD to tight end Vance McDonald — their second TD connection of the game — to cut the Seahawks’ lead to 28-26.
Starting from their own 25, the Seahawks then drove to the Steelers’ 31-yard line to ice the clock — getting a huge 2-yard run from Carson on fourth-and-1.
After that, Wilson was able to kneel three times to close it out, giving Pete Carroll his 100th NFL victory on his 68th birthday.
The Seahawks are 2-0 for the first time since 2013.
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