SEATTLE – Of course, this one came down to the final seconds.
How could it not be when Russell Wilson returns to Lumen Field? How could the reunion of the Super Bowl champion quarterback and the only franchise he’s known for a decade not end in a spectacular way?
How could that not be the case for Pete Carroll and the fearsome Seattle crowd who, in 157 starts and 10 seasons, watched Wilson conjure up much of his late-game magic and were faced with a defensive standoff for the first time?
Certainly, when Wilson converted the Broncos on third down and drove to midfield to lead by one point late in the fourth quarter, many had to believe he was walking in the building with a writer other than sideline or jersey color or loyalty. A storybook ending, this one is more of a villain than a hero.
Rather twisted.
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In Denver’s head coaching debut, Nathaniel Hackett opted to send Brandon McManus out for a 64-yard field goal with 20 seconds left on fourth-and-5 instead of giving Wilson and the offense a chance to switch and line up. McManus’ job is simple.
McManus told his staff before the game that the field would extend to the 46-yard line on the left hash. Denver got right on the spot, but the edge of the veteran kicker’s range was close enough that Hackett decided it was the Broncos’ best chance at a point.
“We were right on the line, but he had a lot of distance,” Hackett said. “Brandon gave him his best shot. That’s a long field goal to kick. I think he’s fully capable of that, but obviously I wish we were closer. It put us in that weird position because we were in field goal range, but we were on that fourth down.
There is no gray area for a rookie head coach at that position. It’s part of the offense or the field goal.
“Fourth and six, for me at that point, we were moving it a little bit. We didn’t move in big chunks. I think we gave up a sack right before that,” Hackett said, even though the negative play on the drive was a 4-yard loss when it ended in the flat. “I wanted to make sure we took chances when we had them (on points) and had confidence in (McManus).”
McManus had a career-high 61 yards and went 1-of-4 for 60-plus yards on Monday. Longest field goal made at Lumen Field: 56 yards.
“I knew there was a good chance to hit,” McManus said. I have to make them. I told them I could make the shot.”
Wilson, who earlier this month signed a five-year, $245 million extension with the Broncos through 2028, supported the head coach’s decision.
“When you’re looking for a way to try to make a play on fourth-and-5, that’s great, but I don’t think it’s the wrong decision,” Wilson said.
Seattle head coach Carroll Wilson, 70, thought he had the ball in his hands.
“I’m surprised they finally got Russ out there,” he said. “We weren’t thinking of a field goal there. We were thinking it was fourth down and they were still going.”
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Hackett’s assertion that Denver only moved the ball well and quickly during the final drive shows the kind of explosion in the middle of the field that an offensive-minded head coach can easily attribute to the offense. A field for game decisions.
Denver took that lead and Wilson went 29-of-42 for 340 and a touchdown at a 6.8-per-game clip for 433 yards.
“Ultimately: turnovers, penalties, red zone. Bad deal,” Hackett said.
The final drive — 10 plodding for 32 yards over 3:47 — was just the last of several opportunities Denver squandered as one of the postseason’s clinching victories in the AFC West. Instead, a team that focused heavily on two-minute and red-zone situations in training camp and didn’t do any direct scrimmages and didn’t play many of its starters in the preseason struggled almost universally in those departments.
Two two-minute drives resulted in a field goal and the offense saw it use the entire clock but find questionable production and efficiency before and after halftime. Running backs Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon produced three field goals and a goal-line contest in five impressive drives into the red zone.
“We have to get better in the red zone and that starts with me,” Hackett said. “That starts with me. I’ve got to make sure we have a better plan and I’ve got to be out there physically and make sure we get touchdowns instead of field goals or whatever.
Denver’s defense missed tackles and capitalized on the penalty kill early in the second half. Still, a dozen penalties for 106 total yards kept Seattle’s drives alive and stalled Denver’s momentum. Denver’s defense committed seven fouls and a fourth-quarter false start by Courtland Sutton took a go-ahead touchdown off the board and the Broncos had to settle for a field goal to pull within 17-16.
Wilson was flagged twice on Denver’s opening drive of the third quarter. That long drive ended when Melvin Gordon stepped into the goal line on fourth-and-goal. On several other occasions, the game clock was down to zero or very close as the Seattle crowd roared and made life difficult for the Broncos offense.
“Crowd noise definitely played a factor,” said center Lloyd Cushenberry. “We have to get out of the loop quickly. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but we’ll fix it next week when we get back to the office.
Emotional return
All of those mistakes — and the Seahawks’ opportunistic streak — conspired to be more than enough to keep Wilson coming back here in the mood.
“They may encourage you, they may complain about you, they may love you one day and hate you the next,” Wilson said. “This is sport. At the end of the day, I will continue to compete, I will continue to fight. “
Two and a half hours before the start of the game, he appeared from the southeast tunnel in heat, walking up and down the field, flipping the ball in his hands, cameras surrounding him and recording his every move. He had a brief chat with former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch and current quarterback Geno Smith.
Wilson heads to midfield and makes a slow circle over the Seattle logo, arms outstretched, looking up and taking in the empty stadium from under a giant headset.
Signs ring around the stadium detailing Wilson’s offseason trade prospects to Denver. One read a review of “Let’s Cook Yourself” to “Russ Cook,” a favorite of his in this city. Also, “Seahawks fans still love Russ,” “Russ can finally cook, let’s get on board” and “Dude turned diva, Hollywood gone on us.” A strong contingent of Denver fans made their way to Lumen Field, but that didn’t stop it from raining down on Wilson later in the evening.
“It didn’t bother me. This is a hostile environment. It always was,” Wilson said. “I didn’t expect them to applaud.”
Geno cooks
On the other side, quarterback Geno Smith, a Seattle veteran, torched Denver in the first half.
He completed 17-of-18 for 164 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 38-yarder to tight end Will Disley On a layup and a 25-yarder to tight end Colby Parkinson – helping the Seahawks build a 17-13 lead.
The Seahawks’ production slowed in the second half — Denver shut out and Seattle managed just 47 yards and five first downs — but the Lumen Field crowd chanted “GE-NO, GE-NO” after the quarterback’s positive play. And the Seahawks were playing mostly from the front.
Smith started his 35th career game at the start of his ninth professional season last season when Wilson was sidelined for Seattle with a finger injury.
He came through with a win over his former teammate on Monday night.
“They wrote me.” He told ESPN’s Lisa Salters. After bleeding three knees in the final seconds of the hour. “But I won’t write back.”
