After his kicker blow a chance to win the game in regulation, quarterback Russell Wilson threw his fifth touchdown of the game to help lead the Seattle Seahakws (7-2) to their 40-34 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The loss for the Buccaneers (2-6) was their fourth straight, fifth in their last six games overall.
Tampa Bay received the ball first. And on their opening drive, they used a combination of their running & passing game to go 75 yards on seven plays. Four of those plays were rushes by running back Ronald Jones II, who gained 28 yards on the drive. The second year player got his first career NFL start in place of Peyton Barber & on the final play of the drive took the ball into the endzone from the eight yard line for his third rushing touchdown of the season.
After allowing a touchdown on the opening drive, Seattle used one less play tie the game at seven. Quarterback Russell Wilson threw for 73 yards on a six play 75 yard drive in a little more than three minutes. The drive ended with Wilson finding wide receiver Tyler Lockett deep in the right of the endzone for a 19 yard touchdown play.
The teams exchanged three & outs. But after a solid punt return by T.J. Logan for 19 yards, the Buccaneers scored their second touchdown of the game. The touchdown was not one that the coaching staff drew up. After moving his team into the redzone, Winston, on a third & 11 play, scrambled right & threw a pass that was tipped. But instead of the ball being intercepted, the ball landed right into the hands of wide receiver Breshad Perriman, who snatched the ball out of the air for his first touchdown as a Buccaneer.
The Seahawks had a chance to cut the deficit to four points but after moving the ball into Buccaneers territory, kicker Jason Myers missed a 47 yard field goal. And after the missed kicked, the Buccaneers made the lead 14 by going 63 yards on 12 plays. The big plays on the touchdown drive included two third down conversions from Winston, one to Godwin & another to Evans. And the quarterback ended the drive by hitting Evans in the endzone for a five yard touchdown pass.
Trailing by 14 the Seahawks were unable to moved the ball on the next drive. But after forcing another three & out, the Seahawks moved the ball 60 yards on four plays with 38 of the yards coming on a pass interference call against rookie linebacker Devin White. The rookie was called for the penalty while trying to defend tight end Jacob Hollister, who ran a seam route into the end zone. Hollister was unable to complete that catch but two plays later Wilson found the tight end for a one yard touchdown pass. Myers did missed the extra point, making the score 21-13.
The Buccaneers got the ball back with less than 30 seconds left on the half & moved the ball into Seahawks territory. But kicker Matt Gay missed a 50 yard field goal, wide left ending the half with the score 21-13
In the first 30 minutes of the game, Tampa Bay owned every offensive category including converting five of their seven third down attempts & outgaining Seattle 211-145. But after failing to score on their initial possession of the half, Seattle went 55 yards on five plays, with the big play coming from running back Chris Carson, who ran for 59 yards on the first play of the drive. Carson was stripped at the end of the play by White but the ball bounced out of bounds. And two plays after Carson's run, Wilson found Lockett for the wide receiver's second touchdown, this one from two yards away. Seahawks decided to go for two & were able to convert when Wilson hit wide receiver D.K. Metcalf, tying the score at 21.
Once they got the ball back, the Buccaneers went 52 yards but were unable to get into the redzone & settled for a 41 yard field goal from Gay to take a three point lead. Before making the score 24-21, it appeared the Buccaneers were going to take a touchdown lead, but on back to back plays they had touchdowns nullified by penalties. And that three point Buccaneers lead lasted all of one possession because after a 30 yard catch by Lockett on a a second & 22, the Seahawks moved the ball into the redzone again. But like the Buccaneers drive, the Seahawks drive stalled insde the redzone, resulting in a 37 yard field goal by Myers, tying the score again, this time at 24.
Each team committed a turnover near the beginning of the fourth quarter, first with Carson being stripped again by White & recovered by safety Jordan Whitehead. Carson was initially ruled down but Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians challenged the play & his challenge was upheld, giving his team the football. But following their defense creating the game's first takeaway, the Buccaneers had the ball just three plays because on a third & five play Winston's elbow was hit by left tackle Dononvan Smith, while Smith was attempting to pass protect. The ball went up in the air & eventually scooped up near midfield by defensive end Rasheem Green. Green took off down the right sidelines but was caught from behind by Evans at the Buccaneers 15 yard line.. who not only made that touchdown saving tackle but also had 12 catches for 180 yards.
Seattle was able to get the ball inside the five yard line but their takeaway only brought them a 22 yd field goal by Myers.
Trailing for the first time in the game, Winston, who finished the game with 335 yards & two touchdowns, started the next drive with a 25 yard completion to Evans. Then back to back runs by Jones totaling 19 yards moved the Buccaneers just outside the redzone. But on a third down attempt, Winston pass to Evans fell incomplete, forcing the Buccaneers to send out Gay who hit from 45 yards away, tying the game again.
With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Wilson led his team into the endzone on three plays, the last one a 53 yard crossing pattern route by Metcalf, who beat rookie cornerback Jamel Dean. Dean was in the game because of a first half injury to starting cornerback Carlton Davis III. But Dean was unable to tackle Metcalf after the rookie wide receiver made the catch & ran up the right sideline.
Now facing their biggest deficit of the game, the Buccaneers took 10 plays to tie the game up & did so on a one yard touchdown run by running back Dare Ogunbowale.
With less than a minute to get into field goal range, Wilson.who threw for five touchdowns for the third time in his career, used both his arms & legs including a 21 yard scramble to get his kicker a chance win the game. But Myers missed a 40 yard field goal wide right as time expired with the scored tied at 34, causing the teams to go to overtime to get a winner.
Seattle won the extra period coin toss. And that possession turned into the deciding points of the game when Wilson, after needing just one third down conversion to get into the redzone, got his fifth touchdown of the game, this time again finding Hollister for a 10 yard touchdown play.
After not playing at home since week three, Tampa Bay is at home next Sunday when they host Arizona at 1PM.