What a wild and wonderful game.
What happened: The Seahawks beat the Texans 41-38 in one of the most entertaining games of the season.
How it happened: It was a tight game, and it was fun as hell from start to finish. The fourth quarter was particularly thrilling. The Texans managed to score on the Seahawks defense not once, but twice, with Watson touchdowns to Lamar Miller and DeAndre Hopkins.
Houston had a 38-34 lead, but the Seahawks were driving. Seattle was on the Texans’ 20-yard line, and Russell Wilson threw an interception to Houston’s Marcus Williams. But the Texans couldn’t do anything with their next possession. Seattle got the ball back, and Wilson got the Seahawks in the end zone to take a 41-38 lead. The Texans had just 21 seconds to work with. Richard Sherman picked off Deshaun Watson to seal the win for Seattle.
Who stood out: Will Fuller. The Watson to Fuller connection has been exceptional this season, and Sunday was no different. Fuller had five catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns.
The Texans offense was a tough test for the Seahawks defense. Seattle hadn’t allowed a touchdown in the fourth quarter all season, but that changed on Sunday.
Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman baited Deshaun Watson into three picks, but Watson was otherwise phenomenal. He finished with 402 yards, four touchdowns, and the three picks. Watson has more than held his own against the likes of Tom Brady and Wilson, but the Texans have lost both of those games.
The Seahawks defense is a force to be reckoned with. Five sacks and three picks were key to Seattle’s win.
Anything else? Most Texans players protested during the national anthem. It came as a response to Texans owner Bob McNair, who made controversial comments about player protests on Friday.
The Seahawks challenged a third down Russell Wilson pass that was ruled incomplete because they wanted it to be a fumble instead. It was recovered by Luke Willson and gave the Seahawks a first down.