SEATTLE — For the first time this season at home, the final seconds were relatively calm for the Seattle Seahawks. No stress. No anxiety. Just a few kneel downs.
Russell Wilson, DK Metcalf and Bobby Wagner did enough earlier for the Seahawks to finally avoid a crazy finish at CenturyLink Field.
Wilson threw four more touchdown passes, two to Metcalf, and the Seahawks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a resounding 37-27 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
Wilson and Metcalf tormented San Francisco and its banged up secondary as the top-scoring offence in the league continued to pile up points. The Seahawks (6-1) have scored at least 30 points in six of seven games.
And for the first time this season at home, the outcome was decided long before the final moments. Seattle opened the year with three home wins over New England, Dallas and Minnesota all of which decided in the final moments.
Thumping their division rivals must have felt downright relaxing, even with the Seahawks having five starters inactive for the game.
“I think it says a tremendous amount that it didn’t matter who was playing,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll. “The guys just stepped up and did their job and busted your tails to get it done.”
Wilson hit Metcalf on a pair of first-half touchdown passes, but it was a 2 1/2-minute sequence midway through the third quarter when Seattle blew the game open.
Wilson found rookie DeeJay Dallas on a 2-yard TD pass after San Francisco went three-and-out to open the second half for a 20-7 lead. Dante Pettis fumbled the ensuing kickoff on a big hit from Cody Barton. Six plays later, Wilson evaded pressure in the pocket and zipped a 6-yard TD pas to David Moore for a 27-7 lead.
Seattle added one more score on a 1-yard TD run by Dallas with 3:33 left after the 49ers pulled within 10.
Wilson finished 27 of 37 for 261 yards and has 26 TD passes on the season, one behind Tom Brady for the most in the first seven games of a season.
Metcalf had another career day in his breakout second season. Metcalf had 102 yards receiving in the first half and finished with a career-high 12 catches and 161 yards receiving.
“I don’t think there is anybody better in terms of what he can do and how he’s done it,” Wilson said. “And he’s only in his second year.”
The momentum from two straight wins for San Francisco (4-4) evaporated in a hurry as more injuries continued to pile. Jimmy Garoppolo was just 11 of 16 for 84 yards and an ugly interception in the first quarter. Garoppolo went to the locker room early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury and was replaced by Nick Mullens.
Running back Tevin Coleman returned for the first time since early in the season, only to leave at halftime with a knee injury. George Kittle made a terrific 25-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, but limped to the locker room with a foot injury.
“It still hurts each time,” 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk said. “Even though it seems to happen over and over again, guys dropping every game, it still hurts every time.”
Mullens led San Francisco on three TD drives in the fourth quarter. He capped the second with a 16-yard TD pass to Ross Dwelley with 4:16 left, but the 2-point conversion failed after replay ruled Jerick McKinnon was touched down short of the goal line.
Mullens was 18 of 25 for 238 yards and two touchdowns. Seattle’s league-worst defence had shut down the 49ers for three quarters before giving up 20 fourth-quarter points.
“I was frustrated with the whole offence, starting with myself. This wasn’t a very good day for us,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
DEFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
Seattle sacked Garoppolo three times — two by Wagner — a week after failing to record a QB hit on Arizona’s Kyler Murray. The Seahawks held San Francisco to 116 total yards in first half and just 1-yard of offence in the third quarter.
Wagner finished with 11 tackles, three tackles for loss and four QB hits.
“I just felt like we need to stop talking and just do the work and let our play show,” Wagner said.
DK’S DAY
Metcalf’s big day took off when he added another clip to his highlight reel catching a short pass and racing 46 yards for a TD on the final play of the first quarter. On Metcalf’s second TD, Moseley was flagged for interference but couldn’t keep Metcalf’s size and strength from still making the catch.
Metcalf’s previous career highs came in last year’s playoff win over Philadelphia when he had seven catches for 160 yards.
INJURIES
The Seahawks played without five starters and one key backup. Chris Carson, Carlos Hyde, Jamal Adams, Benson Mayowa, Ugo Amadi and Mike Iuptai were all inactive due to injuries.
San Francisco played without starters Deebo Samuel, Jeff Wilson Jr., Kwon Alexander and safety Jaquiski Tartt.
UP NEXT
49ers: have a quick turnaround and will host Green Bay on Thursday night.
Seahawks: travel to Buffalo and a showdown with the Bills next Sunday.
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TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
