Russell just being Russell for Seahawks
That ain’t the way Pete Carroll drew it up.
I promise you.
The Seahawks boss will need some Maalox and maybe a few cold towels to watch the tape.
It was a helluva stressful way for a guy to celebrate his 68th birthday, but Pete at least can enjoy two gifts when he finally cuts a cake and blows out those candles.
First, the scoreboard won’t change — and it claims that Seattle defeated the Steelers 28-26 after a very crazy Sunday on the banks of those three rivers.
Second, Pete can drop to his knees in thanks that the Seahawks brass agreed to give quarterback Russell Wilson the richest contract in NFL history.
Wilson wasn’t entirely alone in sewing up this overly dramatic win, but it often seemed like he was running the gauntlet by himself.
Despite being sacked four times and taking a hellacious beating, Russell managed to throw for 300 yards (29 of 35) and three TDs, scramble for 15 yards on perhaps the game’s most critical play — oh, and block TWO defenders out in space to spring Rashaad Penny for a 37-yard touchdown run.
IT WAS a virtuoso performance from a guy who sometimes just wills the Seahawks to victory.
And this time, they needed every one of Wilson’s heroics.
Start with this: Pittsburgh led 10-7 at the half despite being outgained 202 yards to 103.
The Steelers did little but cash in on the first of Chris Carson’s two fumbles and hammer Wilson at will.
The Seattle offensive line had a miserable day overall, despite occasionally springing Penny and Carson for decent yardage.
But the heat on Wilson and those five holding penalties…
At times it looked like Carroll would be enduring a birthday in his late 90s before this sloppy game concluded.
Even on the very last drive, as Seattle desperately tried to run out the clock with that shaky two-point lead, backup guard Ethan Pocic got flagged for, yes, holding.
Wilson merely shook it off and ran for 15 yards on a third-and-16 from the Pittsburgh 48 just before the two-minute warning.
Deciding against a 50-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-1, Carroll let Carson partially redeem himself by smashing over the left side for two yards and the first down that finally killed the game.
The Seahawks’ survival somewhat cancelled out a terrific storyline on the other side, as totally untested backup Mason Rudolph relieved Ben Roethlisberger (elbow strain) for the entire second half.
If Rudolph had the jitters, they sure didn’t show.
The second-year kid from Oklahoma State was outstanding, and threw a pair of touchdown passes to tight end Vance McDonald.
The only shot Rudolph really missed was on the possible two-point conversion that could have tied the game at 21-all.
He had ages to throw, and finally fired his best fastball — straight to Seahawks safety Leno Hill in the back of the end zone.
YOU CAN argue whether or not Seattle deserved that let-off after a litany of errors that normally don’t define a Pete Carroll team.
To be fair, though, Wilson and Co. did manage some nifty work in between mistakes.
Tight end Will Dissly caught a pair of touchdown passes, and DK Metcalf bagged his first pro TD on a fantastic play that saw Wilson drop a sumptuous fly ball into the back left corner of the end zone.
Metcalf walled off defender Terrell Edmunds with that 6-4, 228-pound frame, made the grab and tip-toed just inside the chalk to score.
That touchdown made it 28-19 with less than six minutes to play, and wrapped up a drive during which Carroll made his first successful pass interference challenge.
Actually, it was a no-call on a throw intended for Tyler Lockett that got Pete to toss his red flag, and the subsequent reversal (against the luckless Edmunds) was good for 38 yards.
The 28-yard rainbow to Metcalf seemed to conclude matters, but Seahawks had one more horror to haul from their bag of mistakes.
Carson failed to take a handoff cleanly deep in Seahawks territory, never secured the ball, and it wound up with the Steelers suddenly in possession at the 3-yard line.
Who knows what could have happened if Rudolph had completed that two-point conversion throw on the previous TD?
No question that Carroll doesn’t want to know, thanks very much, and probably couldn’t wait to board the flight home.
Happy birthday, Pete.
Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns for The Press appear on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Steve also contributes the “Zags Tracker” package on Gonzaga basketball once monthly during the offseason.
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