Defense, Thomas Rawls Guide Seahawks Past Lions In 26-6 Win

In a game that was close until the middle of the fourth quarter, the Seattle Seahawks picked up a 26-6 win over the Detroit Lions Saturday night in a NFC Wild Card game. The Seahawks leaned heavily on Thomas Rawls and their ground game, while their defense did a great job of shutting down Matt Stafford and the Lions' offense. It was a closer game than the score indicates, as it was 10-6 in the fourth quarter. 

Rawls, not Russell Wilson, was the star of the Seahawks' offense. He carried the ball 27 times for 161 yards and a TD, while the Seahawks as a team had 179 yards on 39 carries.

Wilson did pick up his game in the fourth quarter after a slow start, finishing 23 of 30 for 224 yards and two score. He was sacked three times. His favorite target was Doug Baldwin, who caught 11 passes for 104 yards and a score, doing the bulk of his work in the fourth quarter. 

Paul Richardson had a fantastic catch for the only TD of the game, although it probably shouldn't have counted. Richardson should have been flagged for offensive pass interference. A video of the play is embedded below. 

That Paul Richardson TD catch though #WeAre12 #Seahawks #SEAvsDET pic.twitter.com/rpcMbEOvi8

— Chat Sports (@ChatSports) January 8, 2017

The Lions had very little going on offense. The ground game picked up just 49 yards on 15 carries, as that area continued to be a weakness. Stafford wasn't enough this time, as he completed 18 of 31 passes for 205 yards. 

The Seahawks' win means they'll go on the road to face the Atlanta Falcons next Saturday.