After replay review overturned what was initially ruled a touchdown catch by tight end Logan Thomas, Wilson led the Seahawks 96 yards on 10 plays, capping the drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Swain with 15 seconds remaining. Wilson looked Swain’s way again in the back of the end zone on the ensuing two-point conversion attempt, but cornerback Kendall Fuller was there and came down with the interception to secure Washington’s third straight win.
Washington is in playoff position: Heading into the bye week, Washington had lost four consecutive games to fall to 2-6, and it seemed as if the second half of the season would be nothing more than a formality. With its win Monday night, Washington assumed control of the NFC’s third wild-card spot.
Things broke right around the league for Rivera’s squad before Monday’s game, including the Cowboys’ loss to the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day. With five games remaining against division foes, including two showdowns with Dallas, Washington suddenly has a path to a second consecutive NFC East title. The Saints’ loss to the Bills on Thanksgiving helped Washington’s wild-card hopes, as did losses by the Eagles, Panthers and Vikings on Sunday. FiveThirtyEight’s prediction model gives Washington a roughly 45 percent chance to make the postseason. That would have been laughable three weeks ago.
Washington controls the clock: One constant during Washington’s turnaround has been winning the possession battle, and that trend continued against the Seahawks. Washington’s second drive of the game resulted only in a field goal, but the 15-play march took more than nine minutes off the clock. Washington ran 24 more plays and possessed the ball for 13 minutes more than the Seahawks in the first half.
The disparity paid off against a tired Seattle defense on Washington’s first drive of the second half, when Taylor Heinicke led an 11-play, 73-yard touchdown march that J.D. McKissic capped off with his second touchdown of the game. While Washington went three-and-out on its next three possessions, the offense mounted a 16-play drive that lasted more than eight minutes and would have iced the game if Rivera had a kicker at his disposal in the final minutes. Antonio Gibson finished with a career-high 29 carries for 111 yards, and Washington finished with a 23-minute advantage in time of possession.
Landon Collins makes a momentum-changing play: In the first half of the season, Washington’s defense often struggled to overcome mistakes by an already-limited offense. On Monday, the defense got the ball right back after a turnover. With Washington trailing 7-3, Heinicke tried to fit a throw into a tight window to Thomas, which resulted in an interception by safety Jamal Adams.
After Wilson connected with wide receiver Tyler Lockett for a 39-yard gain, he found running back Alex Collins in the flat. Collins got to the sideline and turned up field, but Washington’s Landon Collins chased him down and punched the ball out of his grasp. Cole Holcomb recovered at the Washington 27, after which Heinicke led a nine-play touchdown drive. Save for Seattle’s final possession and a blown coverage in the first quarter that led to the Seahawks’ first touchdown, Washington’s defense was dominant.
Washington hangs on for a 17-15 win
Return to menuWashington caught a break on the ensuing onside kick attempt, which Seahawks cornerback Gavin Heslop recovered, when Seattle was penalized for illegal formation. The Seahawks had to kick it again and this time, Washington wide receiver Adam Humphries recovered. Taylor Heinicke then took a knee to seal Washington’s third straight win.
Washington maintains 17-15 lead after two-point conversion fails
Return to menuRussell Wilson capped a 10-play, 96-yard drive with a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Freddie Swain with 15 seconds remaining, but Kendall Fuller intercepted the ensuing two-point conversion attempt on a pass intended for Swain in the back of the end zone. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, :15 left in the fourth quarter)
Trailing 17-9, Seattle takes over on downs late in the fourth quarter
Return to menuAfter going three-and-out on three consecutive possessions, Washington put together a clock-killing drive, but the march ended with no points. The Seahawks, who are out of timeouts, take over on downs at their own 3-yard line after replay overturned what was initially ruled a touchdown catch by tight end Logan Thomas on fourth-and-goal.
Earlier in the drive, on third-and-12 from the Seattle 30-yard line, Taylor Heinicke completed a an eight-yard pass over the middle to running back J.D. McKissic, who took a hit to the head from safety Quandre Diggs. McKissic remained down for several minutes before sitting up and being carted off the field. With kicker Joey Slye out with a hamstring injury, Ron Rivera kept his offense on the field on fourth down, and Heinicke converted with a completion to DeAndre Carter. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, 2:19 left in the fourth quarter)
Washington’s drive stalls after a holding penalty on fourth down
Return to menuAfter Ron Rivera kept his offense on the field on fourth-and-one from the Seattle 47-yard line, a holding penalty on Brandon Scherff negated a 37-yard run by Antonio Gibson. That brought on Tress Way for another punt.
Outside of Washington’s 11-play touchdown drive, the teams have combined for seven three-and-outs in the second half. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, 12:40 left in the fourth quarter)
Washington’s defense is dominating
Return to menuKam Curl atoned for his dropped interception on Seattle’s previous drive by coming on a blitz and sacking Russell Wilson on the final play of the third quarter. Washington’s first sack of the game brings up fourth-and-long. That’s five consecutive three-and-outs by the Seahawks’ offense. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, end of the third quarter)
Washington and Seattle trade punts
Return to menuSeattle’s fourth consecutive three-and-out should’ve resulted in an interception in its own territory, but Kam Curl had an errant throw by Russell Wilson slip through his hands. Washington will begin its next drive from its 27-yard line. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, 4:10 left in the third quarter)
Seahawks go three-and-out again
Return to menuSeattle went three-and-out for a third straight possession, including its first two drives of the second half. Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf, who is second on the team with 46 catches for 637 yards, has yet to be targeted tonight. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, 6:54 left in the third quarter)
J.D. McKissic’s TD run, two-point conversion gives Washington a 17-9 lead
Return to menuJ.D. McKissic capped Washington’s first drive of the third quarter with his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard burst up the middle to finish off an impressive 11-play, 73-yard drive. Seattle’s defense looked like a unit that was on the field for more than 21 minutes in the first half during the march.
With kicker Joey Slye injured, Washington went for two and converted on a run by Antonio Gibson. That snapped a streak of 12 straight failed two-point conversions by Washington, the longest drought in NFL history. (Washington 17, Seattle 9, 8:30 left in the third quarter)
Washington kicker Joey Slye is dealing with a hamstring injury
Return to menuWashington kicker Joey Slye suffered a hamstring injury on the blocked extra point attempt late in the second quarter, so punter Tress Way handled kickoff duties to start the second half.
Slye is officially questionable to return, but ESPN’s Lisa Salters reported that he will be limited to extra point attempts for the remainder of the game. While Way can handle kickoffs, he doesn’t have experience kicking field goals, so Washington Coach Ron Rivera told Salters that Washington may be forced to go for it on fourth downs in field goal territory.
Seattle went three-and-out on its first drive of the second half. (Washington 9, Seattle 9, 13:26 left in the third quarter)
Halftime: Washington 9, Seattle 9
Return to menuAfter a first half that featured one turnover by each team and a blocked extra point returned for a two-point conversion, Washington and Seattle head to the locker room tied at 9.
Taylor Heinicke is 16 for 21 for 120 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Russell Wilson is 8 for 11, 145 yards and one touchdown. Washington has dominated the time of possession by more than 13 minutes and has 16 first downs to the Seahawks’ 4.
Washington and Seahawks are tied, 9-9, after wild sequence
Return to menuWashington capitalized on Seattle’s first turnover, with running back J.D. McKissic finding the end zone on a screen pass from Taylor Heinicke to cap a nine-play, 73-yard touchdown drive. Seahawks defensive end Rasheem Green blocked the ensuing extra point, scooped up the loose ball and rumbled nearly 80 yards the other way for a two-point conversion that tied the game.
The home team benefited from a defensive holding penalty on third down and a subsequent penalty for roughing the passer on the scoring drive. (Washington 9, Seattle 9, :52 left in the second quarter)
Washington gets the ball back after Landon Collins forces a fumble
Return to menuWashington got the ball back two plays later, when Landon Collins punched the ball out of running back Alex Collins’s grasp and Cole Holcomb recovered at the Washington 27-yard line. (Seattle 7, Washington 3, 3:52 left in the second quarter)
Washington’s drive ends in a Taylor Heinicke interception
Return to menuAfter Cole Holcomb and William Jackson III combined to bring down running back DeeJay Dallas behind the line of scrimmage on third-and-short and force a Seattle punt, Washington began its next drive from its own 9-yard line.
On the ensuing march, wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who has been sidelined with a groin injury, picked up a first down with his first catch since Week 4. Five plays later, Heinicke threaded the needle on a deep ball over the middle for Logan Thomas, but the tight end took a big hit from safety Quandre Diggs and couldn’t come down with the ball, which popped into the air and floated into the hands of Jamal Adams at the Seattle 11 for an interception.
Wes Schweitzer, who was starting at center due to injuries to Chase Roullier and Tyler Larsen, limped to the sideline during the drive and was replaced by Keith Ismael. (Seattle 7, Washington 3, 4:40 left in the second quarter)
Leading 7-3, Seahawks get the ball back early in the second quarter
Return to menuA pass interference penalty on Sidney Jones extended Washington’s third drive, but the march stalled near midfield. On third-and-nine, Taylor Heinicke went after Jones again, but this time he managed to break up a deep throw down the right sideline intended for Terry McLaurin. (Seattle 7, Washington 3, 13:22 left in the second quarter)