Starting for the third consecutive week in place of an injured Marshawn Lynch, running back Thomas Rawls took a second half handoff from quarterback Russell Wilson 69 yards to paydirt, extending Seattle's lead to 17-7 in the third quarter.
Rawls, who signed in Seattle as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Central Michigan, outran three Bengals defenders up the left sideline and escaped one tackle before breaking free for the end zone for the Seahawks' first rushing touchdown of the year. The 69-yard carry was the seventh-longest in team history and the longest since Lynch ran for a 79-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals last season. The play gave Rawls 135 yards on 13 touches on the day, good for a 10.4-yard average.
