Life without Earl Thomas may be quite a learning experience for the Seattle Seahawks.
It has not been a terrible first half for Seattle, as they trail the Green Bay Packers 14-3 early in the second quarter, but on the third play of the team’s first game without Thomas since 2009, the absence of the All-Pro safety who broke his leg last week could not have been more pronounced. Aaron Rodgers rolled slightly to his right before seeing Davante Adams in single-coverage against Jeremy Lane. Rodgers, relying on Adams’ ability to outrun the cornerback, launched the ball nearly 30 yards in the air with Adams catching it in stride as Lane hit the turf before striding into the end zone for a 66-yard touchdown.
Perhaps more important than Lane’s failure in coverage was Steven Terrell, the safety charged with filling in for Thomas, not being able to provide any help on the play, trailing hopelessly behind as Adams crossed the goal line.
Green Bay’s second scoring drive was less showy but just as effective. They started from their own 26-yard line thanks to an interception by Morgan Burnett, and needed just four plays to score, with Ty Montgomery finishing it off with a 1-yard touchdown run.The Washington Redskins had blown a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter and the Philadelphia Eagles, playing at home, seemed to have momentum on their side. But Washington kept pushing and Chris Thompson broke free for a go-ahead 25-yard touchdown run in what proved to be a 27-22 Redskins victory. The Redskins, having regained the team’s lost lead, held strong against Carson Wentz on Philadelphia’s final drive, forcing a fumble that secured the team’s seventh win of the season.
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It was a wild second half, made even wilder as the Eagles resorted to sideline tryouts for a new longsnapper after a series of injuries. Brent Celek, a tight end, was sent out for one attempt but his snap was fumbled by Donnie Jones resulting in a turnover on downs that Washington converted into a touchdown. Trey Burton, also a tight end, then got a shot and found more success, with his snap being handled cleanly by Jones, who got it down for a 41-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis.
It was not one of Kirk Cousins’ prettier games. The Washington quarterback completed 14 of 21 passes for 234 yards and 2 touchdowns, and his pick-six early in the fourth quarter initially appeared to be disastrous. But thanks to rushing touchdowns by Robert Kelly and Thompson, the game did not require Cousins to carry the entire offense.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, continued a season-long theme of looking great at times but ultimately falling short as Wentz continues to try to adjust to life in the N.F.L.
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