MINNEAPOLIS — Pete Carroll called it magic, Russell Wilson’s teammates called it typical, and what the Vikings called it couldn’t be printed in a family publication.
However you want to describe Wilson’s 35-yard completion off a bad-snap scramble Sunday afternoon, this much seems certain — the Seahawks wouldn’t be headed to the NFC divisional playoffs without it.
Sure, Blair Walsh’s shocking miss of a 27-yard field-goal try with 26 seconds left sealed Seattle’s 10-9 comeback victory over the Vikings at frigid TCF Bank Stadium.
But it was the implausible play by Wilson almost a full quarter before Walsh’s miss that suddenly turned the momentum in the Seahawks’ favor and started them on their path to a rematch with the Panthers next Sunday.
“We’ve seen so often just the magic that comes out of him sometimes,” Carroll, the Seattle coach, said of his quarterback. “That was one play we capitalized on.”
Not only did the Seahawks capitalize on it, but that play also started the process of saving their season.
Seattle was trailing 9-0 with 13:02 left and going nowhere on offense in the arctic temperatures when center Patrick Lewis sent a first-down snap from the Minnesota 39 sailing over Wilson’s head toward midfield.
Wilson retreated to pick up the ball at his own 45, then deftly moved to his right to avoid an oncoming Captain Munnerlyn and floated a pass to a wide-open Tyler Lockett at the Minnesota 28.
Lockett then sprinted all the way to the 4 to set up a Wilson touchdown pass two plays later to Doug Baldwin, and the Seahawks were instantly back in business.
“As soon as I got the ball, I kind of looked back and said, ‘Uh, oh.’ It seemed like a whole bunch of bears chasing you, and you just try to get away,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s final line — he finished 13-of-26 for 142 yards with one TD pass and an interception — barely qualified as pedestrian, but the scramble play rendered his overall struggles a mere footnote.
The play was even more impressive because many less-mobile quarterbacks would have just fallen on the ball to limit the damage with so many defenders bearing down.
But Wilson not only was able pick the ball up, he was able to regain his balance quickly and somehow avoid the rush. The play was originally a run call, which allowed the Seahawks to avoid a linemen-downfield penalty, and Lockett’s quick thinking to find an open area in the middle of the field provided the bookend to a play that will go down in franchise lore.
The Seahawks, of course, are accustomed to that from Wilson, especially in the playoffs after last year’s miracle comeback against the Packers in the NFC title game.
This was just the latest chapter.
“Unbelievable,” Baldwin said. “That’s the epitome of Russell Wilson. When something bad looks like it’s about to happen, he works his magic.”
