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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson ran for a Monday Night Football quarterback record of 122 yards and threw for 201 more in a 27-17 win over the Washington Redskins on Oct. 6. He accounted for three touchdowns in all.
Russell Wilson carried his Seattle Seahawks to victory on Monday Night Football on Oct. 6.
Wilson ran for an MNF-quarterback record 122 yards and threw for 201 more in the 27-17 win over the Washington Redskins, per The Seattle Times’ Jerry Brewer:
“Russell Wilson is so nonchalant about the gift.
“His mobility redefines what a quarterback can do, especially with his keen sense of how to use it. But, meh, he’d rather not dwell on the subject.
“It’s a premeditated indifference because Wilson wants you to respect his arm, his brain and his intangibles, too. It’s also a genuine indifference because he lives by his own lofty, Wilsonian standard.
“‘I don’t think running for me is ever part of the game plan, really,’ Wilson said. ‘It just kind of happens.’
“It just kind of happened in record-setting fashion Monday night. It just kind of happened that Wilson rushed for 122 yards, the most ever by a QB on ‘Monday Night Football.’ And it just kind of happened that, in a sloppy performance burdened by penalties and uncharacteristic Seahawks mistakes, Wilson used his wizardry and agility to ensure his team wouldn’t lose a bizarre game.
“In a 27-17 victory over Washington before 79,522 at FedEx Field, the out-of-sorts Seahawks needed all of Wilson’s playmaking genius to overcome an opponent much mightier than the one they were facing — themselves. Throughout the game, the Seahawks made up for Washington’s ineffectiveness by commiting 13 penalties and making the classic mistakes of a team coming off a bye.
“They were rusty. They made the game far more difficult than it should have been. It should have been an easy victory over an inferior team. It should have been another one of those primetime Seattle games that television executives hate: nothing more than an infomercial about the Seahawks’ greatness.
“Instead, the Seahawks struggled with their sloppiness the entire night, shook their heads at some questionable officiating and watched a 17-0 lead shrink and transform into fourth-quarter tension.
“In the NFL, you don’t take road victories for granted, but it was hard not to grimace at this one. Over the course of coach Pete Carroll’s five years in Seattle, the Seahawks have become a more disciplined team. They’re aggressive, which dictates they’ll always be among the league’s most penalized teams. They like playing with that kind of edge. But Monday was a throwback to the frustrating past, with penalties killing drives and hindering an offense that Washington couldn’t stop.
“Percy Harvin had three touchdowns negated by penalty. And though the Seahawks defense had a good night, the Legion of Boom, their acclaimed secondary, gave up two uncharacteristic big plays to speedy Washington wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
“Jackson had 157 yards on five receptions, including a 60-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter and a 57-yarder in the third that set up a field goal. He accounted for more than half of Washington’s 307 total yards.
“But beyond all the penalties and the frustration, this game was ultimately decided by the stunning difference in two rushing attacks. The Seahawks ran for 225 yards, with Marshawn Lynch (72 yards) complementing Wilson, who did everything from keeping the football on read-zone plays to darting past the defense on cleverly designed runs to scrambling as a last resort.
“Meanwhile, Washington managed just 32 yards and 1.9 yards per carry. Running back Alfred Morris, who has averaged 87.4 yards per game in his two-plus NFL seasons, had 29 yards on 13 carries.”
This team is DangeRuss. #SEAvsWAS pic.twitter.com/uDJbTCKWkN— NFL (@nfl) October 7, 2014
ESPN Seattle Seahawks reporter Terry Bount weighed in on Wilson’s phenomenal MNF performance against the Redskins:
“Good things happen when Wilson has the ball. He also passed for 201 yards, completing 18 of 24 throws for a 127.3 passer rating to become the first man to pass for over 200 yards and rush for over 100 yards in a Monday night game.
“He threw for two TDs and ran for another, and he did it on a night when the rest of the offense seemed to be in a trance most of the game. Wilson had Washington defenders all around him on almost every snap, yet he performed a wizardry that you had to see to believe. ‘
“‘That’s what I love about him,’ Harvin said. ‘No matter what the situation is or how bad things get, he has this cool demeanor. He’s a dual threat, and he adds a dimension to this team.’
“Yes, a fifth dimension, and I’m not talking about the 1970s R&B group. Wilson does things that seem to be otherwordly at times.
“…Wilson made a lot of smart plays when the men around him were making a lot of dumb ones. The Seahawks had 13 penalties for 90 yards. The offensive line had three false starts, three holding calls and one personal foul. And Wilson was sacked three times, a number that could have been doubled if not for his elusiveness.
“The Seattle defense played well, shutting down the Washington running game and holding Alfred Morris to 29 yards on 13 carries. And punter Jon Ryan had another exceptional game, including a first-down run as the holder on a fake field goal.
“But none of that would have mattered without Wilson finding (ways) to make positive plays out of negative situations.
“The Seahawks should have won this game by 30 points. Instead, Wilson was the reason why they won it all.”
Seattle upped its record to 3-1 (.750) while Washington fell to 1-4 (.200) entering Week 6 of the 2014 NFL regular season.
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