SEATTLE — Marshawn Lynch caught the pass and was a few yards short of a critical Seattle first down late in Sunday’s game against the Ravens. The only guys standing between Lynch and the line were Ray Lewis and Jarret Johnson.
He left Lewis and Johnson grasping at air and all but sealed the Seahawks’ surprising victory.
Lynch finished with 109 yards rushing and Seattle’s lone touchdown, Steven Hauschka matched a franchise record with five field goals, and the Seahawks forced three turnovers in a 22-17 win.
For the second time this season, Baltimore fell flat after a big win over archrival Pittsburgh. After routing the Steelers in Week 1, the Ravens were whipped in Tennessee. Last week, Baltimore pulled out a win at Pittsburgh in the waning seconds. Then this flop in the Pacific Northwest.
“[Lynch] made like he was out there in the backyard playing against some of his cousins or something,” Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. “He made a great move.”
Seattle added yet another flop to the Ravens’ resume that already included slip-ups earlier this season at Tennessee and at Jacksonville, all three losses coming after important wins.
And Seattle gave coach Pete Carroll a perfect final drive to use in his teaching.
“Coaches love nothing more than to get that situation in the fourth quarter and run the clock out,” Carroll said. “And think about who you did it against. That’s really cool that happens.”
Seattle’s lead had been trimmed to 22-17 after Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco hit Ed Dickson on an 11-yard TD on his 52nd pass attempt. The Seahawks took over at their 20 with 5:52 left and immediately picked up two penalties to back them up to the 10, creating a first-and-20 situation that in the past would lead to a short series and a punt.
Not this time. They worked to a manageable third-and-5, and Jackson connected with Golden Tate for 24 yards. A minute later, they faced the same down and distance from the Baltimore 46. Jackson threw short for Lynch, who slipped ahead for 8 yards and another clock-churning first down.
“I’ve said it before: The man walks aggressively. Everything about him is moving forward aggressively and trying to gain yards. You’ve got to love that,” Seattle fullback Michael Robinson said.
Lynch added four runs that ensured all Jackson had to do was take a knee twice inside the Baltimore 20 to close out the victory. For a drive that produced no points and started with a pair of penalties, it couldn’t be more valuable for the young Seahawks.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a four-minute drill quite like this before,” Seattle center Max Unger said. “I couldn’t tell you a time that we had that much time left on the clock with the lead and ran the ball out like that.”
Hauschka kicked field goals of 22, 38, 39, 35 and 30 yards. Jackson was 17 of 27 for 217 yards and Lynch had another five receptions and 58 yards receiving as Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak. The Seahawks also picked up their second victory over a division leader this season after beating the New York Giants in early October.
Lynch became the first Seattle running back to have consecutive 100-yard rushing games since Julius Jones early in the 2008 season, following up on his 135 yards rushing last week against Dallas. Lynch carried a career-best 32 times, and most of those equaled short gains, but the types of yards Seattle needed against Baltimore’s defense.
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