It was Steven Hauschka’s 40-yard field in the fourth quarter that provided the winning margin in the Seahawks’ 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans in their preseason opener at CenturyLink Field on Saturday night. But so much more went into the effort.
Matt Flynn got the start, and the free-agent acquisition completed 11 of 13 passes – with one of the incompletions a drop – in staking the Seahawks to a 10-3 halftime lead. Russell Wilson took over in the second half, and the rookie QB slapping an exclamation point on the evening by scoring on a 32-yard run with less than two minutes remaining.
Wilson was 12 of 16 for 124 yards during his second-half stint, and also led the team with 59 rushes on three carries. He hooked up with veteran receiver Braylon Edwards on 39-yard TD in the third quarter that pushed the Seahawks’ lead to 17-3. But the Titans’ Darius Reynaud scored on 21-yard run and an 85-yard punt return in a three-minute span to tie the score.
Not surprisingly, it was the defense that got the Seahawks rolling. Pro Bowl cornerback Brandon Browner intercepted a Matt Hasselbeck pass that was tipped by Pro Bowl free safety Earl Thomas on the first play of the game and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
The defense also contributed an interception by cornerback Richard Sherman, a forced fumble/fumble recovery by linebacker Heath Farwell and several impressive plays by rookie defensive lineman Gregg Scruggs in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks continue their preseason next Saturday night when they play the Broncos in Denver. They won’t play at CenturyLink again until the Aug. 28 preseason finale against the Oakland Raiders.
