Atlanta Falcons

Seahawks get important win over Falcons

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Seahawks got a crucial victory against the Falcons on Sunday, winning 26-24, and are now 4-1 on the season.

The Seahawks started off fast, scoring 17 points in the first half, but the Falcons came roaring back with 21 unanswered points. The defense held their ground in the fourth quarter and shut down Matt Ryan. The offense also came up clutch and made some crucial plays to help the team get a victory.

It was a big game for the Seahawks, and this type of a win will give them momentum going forward. Last year, the Seahawks would have lost a game like this early on in the season, but this year is clearly different.

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The Seahawks are closing out games and showing the mental toughness that it takes to finish strong. It would have been easy for them to lose focus when things weren’t going their way in the third quarter, but instead they rose to the occasion.

Russell Wilson worked his magic and drove down the offense 70 yards for a touchdown with 4:43 left in the game. The extra point was blocked, though, and the defense had to step up and stop the Falcons, with the team down 1 point.

The defense did just that, forcing a huge turnover with Sherman tipping a pass and Thomas picking it off. This led to the game-winning 44-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka. Both the offense and defense made the big plays when it mattered most.

The Seahawks’ offense was inconsistent for much of the day, but made enough plays to get the win. The offense finished with 333 yards and scored 3 touchdowns.

Russell Wilson finished the game with 270 yards and made the important plays in the fourth quarter. He clearly isn’t 100 percent yet, and is still limited when running the ball, but that didn’t stop him from being a major factor.

The Seahawks’ running backs all played a significant part in this game. Christine Michael continues to have an impact, running for 64 yards and 2 touchdowns. CJ Spiller had 3 receptions for 38 yards, one of those being an impressive 24-yard catch. Alex Collins scored the first touchdown of his career and had a huge 9-yard catch for a first down.

The offensive line also seemed to have their best game of the season. They did a great job of protecting Wilson and not getting pushed back at the line of scrimmage. Germain Ifedi continues to be an exciting player, who will just keep better each week.

The Seahawks’ defense played 3 really good quarters and made the stops when they were needed at the end of the game. They had 4 sacks on the day and forced 2 significant turnovers.

Earl Thomas had a phenomenal game. He was all over the place, making tackles and also getting an interception in the fourth quarter. He is the calm, but also intense leader of the defense, and keeps them running at full speed.

Cliff Avril was on fire to start the game, making his presence known with his speed on the edge. He had two sacks on the day, one of those being a forced fumble. He made life difficult for the Falcons’ offensive line, and his pass rush set the tone for the game.

Bobby Wagner also had a great game, finishing the day with 14 total tackles. He did a nice job on blitzes, using his speed into forcing Matt Ryan to make a quick decision. Wagner has been having a fantastic season, and we should expect that to continue.

A lot of players had big games and contributed in helping the team get a win against a very good Falcons team. It was a complete group effort. The Seahawks were able to overcome a rough third quarter by finishing the game with a spectacular fourth quarter.

Next Sunday, the Seahawks play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Night Football. This will be a great matchup between two division rivals, and the anticipation is already killing me. Look for the Seahawks to continue their momentum and earn a tough win. Beating the Cardinals will really put the Seahawks in a great position going forward.

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