Thomas Rawls rumbles over a clawless Lions defense in the Seahawks’ 26-6 win

The Seattle Seahawks literally ran all over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night at CenturyLink Field in a 26-6 win in the Wild Card Round. They did it with their offense, specifically by going back to a time-tested approach centered on the running game. It worked. Between Thomas Rawls’ legs and a little help from the refs, the Seahawks had more than enough going for them to roll over the Lions and advance to the Divisional Round.

Rawls ran all over this Lions defense. He broke tackles, churned his legs to pick up tough yards, and outran defenders. And the much-maligned Seattle offensive line did a great job of opening up holes for him.

Rawls finished the first half with 107 yards on 15 carries. He picked up right where he left off in the second half. His 32-yard run late in the third quarter led to a Steven Hauschka 27-yard field goal to increase Seattle’s lead to 13-6.

Rawls wasn’t afraid to take on multiple defenders to gain yards. His huge performance is one of the biggest reasons why Seattle walked away with a victory. He finished the game with 161 rushing yards, an astounding 6 yards per carry, and a touchdown.

That also happened to be a franchise record, no small accomplishment for a team that had Marshawn Lynch at the center of its offense for so many years. Rawls didn’t realize he’d set a record until after the game when sideline reporter Michele Tafoya told him on live TV:

No brace, no problem

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been sporting a knee brace since he sprained his MCL in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers. Tonight, he decided to ditch the brace.

During his weekly press conference on Wednesday, the veteran quarterback said, “My leg is good.”

I think it’s just more a safety thing. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad or necessarily have-to (to wear a brace) or anything like that.”

Wilson moved around well in this matchup. He used his mobility to keep plays alive, and Detroit struggled to stop him.

In the second quarter, Wilson engineered a 14-play, 60-yard drive and capped it off with a 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Paul Richardson. Seattle decided to go for it on fourth down, and Wilson lobbed the ball to Richardson in the back of the end zone.

The young receiver corralled a one-handed catch with Lions safety Tavon Wilson draped all over him. Seattle took a 7-0 lead.

In the fourth quarter, the veteran quarterback hooked up with receiver Doug Baldwin for a 42-yard gain, which led to a 4-yard touchdown by Rawls.

Wilson followed that up with a 13-yard touchdown throw to Baldwin to put the game out of reach at 26-6. He finished 23-for-30 and threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns.

Stafford’s average game

A lot of people did not believe Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford would have success against this Seahawks defense in Seattle. He made some difficult throws and kept drives alive by using his legs.

However, he could not lead his team to the end zone, and the Lions had to settle for two field goals by kicker Matt Prater. Detroit’s offensive line did a solid job of keeping Seattle from getting a lot of pressure on Stafford.

The veteran signal caller played mistake-free football, but he couldn’t make enough plays with his arm to lead Detroit to victory. He finished with 205 passing yards.

1957-now

The Lions haven’t won a road playoff game since 1957. Dwight Eisenhower was in the Oval Office, and sacks weren’t even a statistic. The Lions had a chance to change that Saturday, but the offense couldn’t score points. And the defense couldn’t stop the run.

Some would blame this loss on Stafford, but his receivers and tight ends couldn’t hold on to passes. For now, though, this drought will live on. For Detroit’s sake, let’s hope it doesn’t last until 2057.

The officials missed two huge calls

Even though Richardson made a huge catch for a touchdown in the second quarter, he grabbed Wilson’s facemask, but the officials didn’t see it. Instead, Wilson, not Richardson, was called for pass interference.

If you did not see it, look at this:

Also, early in the fourth quarter, Stafford threw a deep pass near the sideline to receiver T.J. Jones, and the ball went over his head. While Jones ran his route, Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead grabbed him, but the officials said the pass was not catchable. So they didn’t call pass interference on Shead.

Indeed, the officials missed some calls in this game.

What’s next for both teams

Seattle will travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons in the Divisional Round next Saturday. If the Seahawks want to walk away with a victory, Rawls must continue to run well.

Detroit will begin its offseason, but this was still a great season for this team. At least head coach Jim Caldwell will stay with the franchise.