SEATTLE - The Seahawks didn’t need long to seize control Sunday. One busted punt return opened the door, and Seattle slammed it shut with a first-half surge that carried it to a 30-23 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The key swing came after Seattle had already dug itself into a small hole. The Seahawks opened the game down 3-0, then an offensive holding penalty on the first play of their next drive helped stall the possession and force a three-and-out.
But Michael Dickson’s punt changed everything when Chargers return man Derius Davis couldn’t handle it. Connor O’Toole jumped on the muff at the Chargers’ 23-yard line, handing Seattle a short field and a quick chance to flip the game.
It took one play. Sam Darnold hit Emanuel Wilson on a screen pass, and Wilson turned it into a 23-yard touchdown for a 7-3 lead at the 10:03 mark of the first quarter. It was the first touchdown by a Seahawks running back this season.
From there, Seattle kept rolling. Rashid Shaheed broke loose for a 28-yard rushing touchdown, and Wilson added another score from 8 yards out as the Seahawks built a 20-6 lead by halftime.
The defense did plenty of damage, too. Los Angeles managed only 92 yards in the first half, and 26 of those came on a Justin Herbert scramble late in the half. The Chargers were just 1 of 7 on third down, with Herbert’s scramble serving as their only conversion.
Seattle also forced three turnovers before the break. Drake Thomas picked off Herbert on the game’s first play from scrimmage, the muffed punt gave the Seahawks the short field for Wilson’s first touchdown, and Ernest Jones IV intercepted Herbert in the closing minutes of the half to set up Wilson’s second rushing score.
The Seahawks kept the pressure on after halftime. Tory Horton caught a 6-yard touchdown from Darnold to make it 27-6 early in the third quarter, and Jason Myers added a 35-yard field goal late in the period to stretch the margin to 30-13.
The Chargers finally made things uncomfortable late. Omarion Hampton scored on a 2-yard run with 7:48 left to cut it to 30-20, then Los Angeles added a field goal with 2:14 remaining to get within a touchdown. The Chargers got one more possession with 1:49 left, but Uchenna Nwosu blew it up with a sack and forced a fumble, and Derick Hall recovered with less than a minute to go to seal it.
Seattle still had to survive a messy afternoon. The Seahawks were flagged for a franchise-record 150 penalty yards on 14 penalties, but the early turnovers and special-teams break gave them enough cushion to improve to 3-1.
In Other News...
Seahawks May Have Avoided A Huge Leonard Williams Problem
Leonard Williams left Seattles game against the Chargers in the second half with a lower-body ankle injury and never made it back on the field, which immediately raised the kind of concern the Seahawks would rather avoid this time of year. The veteran defensive lineman has been a key part of Mike Macdonalds defense this season, so even a brief absence would have carried some weight for a unit that leans on his presence up front.
Macdonalds early read offered at least some relief, saying the injury does not appear serious, but the next few days will still matter. Williams availability for the Seahawks upcoming matchup with the 49ers will hinge on how he looks in practice, and until those reports come in, Seattle is left trying to gauge whether it dodged a major problem or just bought itself a short wait. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Are 3-1 But This Win Exposed A Costly Problem
The Seahawks got the kind of messy AFC-to-NFC crossover game that tends to reveal as much as it rewards, with turnovers and flags shaping the afternoon almost as much as the play calling. Drake Thomas picked off Justin Herbert on the Chargers first snap, setting an early tone at Lumen Field, while Seattle answered with a 28-yard touchdown run by Shaheed and a defense that kept poking at a Chargers offense trying to settle in.
But the more the game wore on, the more the penalties became impossible to ignore for a 3-1 team trying to look like a true contender. Seattle and Los Angeles both had drives slowed or stalled by flags, and the Seahawks own mistakes left them having to fight for every clean sequence. For a team with a winning record, the concern is less about the flash plays than whether that sloppiness is becoming part of the identity. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Loss Exposed A Problem Fans Wont Want To Ignore
Seattles 30-23 win over the Chargers came with plenty to like, from Emanuel Wilsons impact as a runner and receiver to Jones all-around effort on defense. The Seahawks got the kind of complementary performance that can carry a team through a tight game, with the offense finding answers and the defense producing takeaways and pressure at key moments.
But the victory also came with a concern the Seahawks cant just brush aside. Leonard Williams left early with an injury and is set to undergo further evaluation, a reminder that even a good Sunday can carry a cost if one of the defensive fronts most important players is sidelined for any length of time. [Read more 🡒]