Even when there were just six seconds left, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson was sure that he was going to lead this team to victory over Atlanta on Sunday in the NFL playoffs at the Georgia Dome.
He had every reason to be confident.
Wilson, a rookie making his second start in the playoffs, had rallied his team from a 20-point deficit to take a 28-27 lead on the previous drive, seemingly wrapping up a trip to the NFC Championship game against San Francisco.
But Matt Ryan trumped him with a game-winning drive that gave the Falcons a 30-28 lead and left Wilson without enough time to engineer Seattle’s second comeback in as many games.
“I knew that we were going to score,” Wilson said. “Obviously it didn’t work out.”
Wilson gave the Falcons fits most of the game, completing 24 of his 36 passes for 385 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also led his team in rushing with 60 yards on seven carries and another touchdown. It's something he's done all season after being drafted in the third round out of Wisconsin, which preceded a stellar career at N.C. State.
On the drive that put the Seahawks ahead, the Falcons appeared to have Wilson sacked on 3rd-and-5 at the 27-yard line. But as he did all day, Wilson bought time by scrambling, rolling left and floating a pass to running back Marshawn Lynch, who was uncovered. Lynch ran down to the 3-yard line to set up first and goal with 34 seconds left. After a penalty, Lynch scored on the next play.
“He’s a problem,” Falcons safety William Moore said. “He’s got the ‘It’ factor. He’s going to be one of the best in the game. It’s hard to game plan around him. The dude can beat you in the air, on his feet. One of the best things he can do is extend plays.”
It’s Wilson’s mind, not his arm or legs, which impressed his teammates most. Wilson’s teammates said even when the team fell behind so quickly he remained calm, just like he’s done all season. The Seahawks trailed Washington by 14 last week, only for Wilson to rally them to a 24-14 win. Wilson said he told his teammates on Sunday to focus on execution and that eventually they would have a chance to win.
“He’s just the same guy all the time and always seems to make huge plays in the clutch,” said tight end Zach Miller, Wilson’s favorite target with eight receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown. “He’s so level-headed and poised. In huge situations, he’s scrambling, finding guys coming out of the backfield. I think you saw how many plays he made in the third and fourth quarter to bring us back into it.”
The Seahawks made a game of it, and quieted the Dome, early in the fourth quarter when Wilson scored from a 1-yard out to cut the Falcons' lead to 27-14 with 13:01 left. Wilson rolled left on the play, waiting for someone to come open, before he saw that he had no defender in front of him and proceeded to jog into the end zone.
After the loss, Wilson said he felt extremely disappointed as he walked off the field. By the time he got to the tunnel that leads to the locker rooms, that feeling had turned to confidence.
"We had high, high hopes for the rest of the season," he said. " ... I'm excited for this opportunity next year. We have a great football team."
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