Russell Wilson directed five scoring drives in the first half — four touchdowns and a 59-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka — as the Seahawks overwhelmed the Chicago Bears Friday night 34-6 in front of another sellout throng at CenturyLink Field. Coming off a 41-14 victory over San Diego last week, Seattle rolled to a 31-0 halftime lead and improved to 2-1 in the preseason with the Raiders in Oakland due up next week.
Wilson completed 15 of 20 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 23 yards and another score. He finished with a 140.0 passer rating in slightly more than two quarters. Wilson ran seven yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and tossed TDs of 12 and 7 yards to Jermaine Kearse and Christine Michael, respectively, in the second.
In Wilson’s last 10 preseason possessions (dating to last week), the Seahawks have scored seven touchdowns and kicked three field goals.
“We just always want to keep executing,” said Wilson. “Right now, we are clicking. It’s all about how we practice and how we prepare. It’s really hard to play defense against us because we can do so many different things.”
Getting his first action of the preseason, Marshawn Lynch played only one series — Seattle’s first — and carried three times for 16 yards. His seven-yard TD run, culminating a 61-yard drive, opened the scoring for Seattle, setting off an avalanche of points.
Percy Harvin’s 46-yard kickoff return to open the game, followed by Wilson completions of 17 yards to Kearse and 25 yards to Harvin, set up Lynch’s touchdown. Wilson completions of 17 yards to Doug Baldwin, 16 to Kearse and 18 to Kearse greased an 89-yard drive that ended in Wilson’s seven-yard TD run.
Wilson’s 12-yard TD pass to Kearse at the 7:10 mark of the second quarter made it 21-0 and Michael ran seven yards for another score at 1:55 as Seattle increased its lead to 28-0. Earl Thomas got Seattle’s fourth drive in gear with a 59-yard punt return.
The Bears had two apparent TDs called back late in the first half, one due to a replay review, the other because of a dubious offensive pass interference call. Rattled, Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler pitched an interception to Jeremy Lane, whose 43-yard interception return set up Hauschka’s 59-yard field goal for a 31-0 halftime lead.
The Seahawks also received a 38-yard field goal from Hauschka at the 2:32 mark of the third quarter.
Chicago finally got on the board with 5:56 left when Robbie Gould kicked a 30-yard field goal. The Bears added a second Gould field goal from 38 yards with 2:25 to play.
Michael carried eight times for 28 yards to lead the Seahawks in rushing. Robert Turbin added 26. Kearse caught four passes for 63 yards while Harvin caught three for 61 yards.
Notes
The Seahawks must cut their roster to 75 players by Tuesday and to 53 by Aug. 30 . . . The Seahawks close out their preseason schedule when they take on the Raiders in Oakland. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Seahawks begin defense of their Super Bowl title Thursday, Sept. 4 against the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field.
