SEATTLE — With nothing tangible left to play for, Russell Wilson said this week what Seahawks could still get out of this season is at least one more chance to celebrate.
What they got Sunday was about a three-hour chance to celebrate, scoring early and often in routing downtrodden Detroit 51-29.
Seattle took a 38-7 lead 48 seconds into the second half and held off a Lions team that took advantage of a pretty banged-up Seahawks defense to score 22 in the second half.
It was the most points Seattle scored since a 58-0 win over Arizona on Dec. 9, 2012, and the first time the Seahawks scored 50 or more since a 50-17 win over Buffalo in Toronto the following week, Dec. 16, 2012.
And it could have been more as the game ended with Seattle kneeling it down at the Detroit 1-yard line.
Seattle was led by the four TD passes of Russell Wilson on a day that began with an ESPN.com report that further speculated he could be playing his final game in Seattle as a Seahawk.
Three went to DK Metcalf for what was a career high for a single game for the third-year receiver and gave him a career-high 12 for the season.
It was the 17th time in his career he has thrown four or more touchdown passes in a game, tying Dan Marino and Peyton Manning for most games with at least four TDs in the first 10 years of his career.
That was augmented by a career game from Rashaad Penny. Penny topped his career high in the first half alone with 144 and finished with 170.
Wilson’s four TDs were his most since throwing four on opening day against the Colts, and for at least one afternoon quieted talk of whether he still has it.
Maybe the half-glove he wore on his right/throwing hand made the difference.
But as he’d said this week he’d do, Wilson seemed solely focused on the present Sunday, completing 20 of 29 attempts for 236 yards. He also gained 2 yards on a quarterback sneak to convert a fourth down in what his best all-around performance since his injury.
Sadly for the Seahawks, another key figure who could also have been playing his last game with the team in Seattle — linebacker Bobby Wagner — left with a knee injury suffered on Detroit’s first offensive play of the game and did not return.
Wagner momentarily seemed to indicate he was OK, putting on his helmet and trying to re-enter the game after being examined on the sideline. But by rule, Wagner had to sit out a play, and after he did, he was eventually taken to the locker room and did not return.
The game was played in front of about a 70% full Lumen Field on a cold, rainy day.
And for about five minutes it was worth wondering if the Seahawks were among those who hadn’t shown up.
The Seahawks went three-and-out on their first possession. Then they let Detroit backup QB Tim Boyle complete passes of 12 and 15 yards to help move the Lions to the Seattle 30.
But on a third-and-2 run, Cody Barton and Jordyn Brooks teamed to stop Jamaal Williams for one yard.
Detroit coach Dan Campbell, who had already gone for it 36 times this year, went for it on fourth down and Al Woods and Darrell Taylor stopped Williams for no gain.
And thus did the game turn.
The Seahawks used a 20-yard run by Penny to get to the Detroit 23, and then a play later Penny ran it in from 15 yards out to make it 7-0, and open the floodgates.
Penny runs of 13 and 23 on Seattle’s next possession set up a 51-yard field goal by Jason Myers that made it 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
After a Detroit three-and-out, Wilson hit a wide-open Freddie Swain for 58 yards and Penny then scored again, this time from 6 yards out to make it 17-0.
In the only blip of the first half, a 47-yard kickoff return helped set up Detroit for a 26-yard TD run by Amon-Ra St. Brown.
But Seattle responded with a 69-yard drive capped by a 13-yard TD from Wilson to DK Metcalf on a third-and-8 play on which the Lions brought an all-out blitz to make it 24-7.
After another three-and-out by the Lions the Seahawks then drove 90 yards in 11 plays — the key of which was a 37-yard run by Penny — capped by a 1-yard TD from Wilson to Tyler Lockett on a play in which Wilson simply flipped the ball to Lockett as he ran in front of him at the snap.
That made it 31-7 at halftime.
D.J. Reed then tipped a Boyle pass to himself for an interception on the first play of the second half, leading to another quick Seattle score — a 13-yard pass from Wilson to Metcalf — to make it 38-7 with 14:12 to play in the third quarter.
Then things got a little messy.
The Lions drove 73 yards for a touchdown, then got an onside kick and drove 56 for another to make it 38-22 with 4:50 left in the third quarter.
But just when you wondered if maybe the Seahawks could really blow a 31-point lead, Wilson led a 75-yard drive. His 17-yard run moved it to the 1, where Wilson then hit Metcalf for another score.
After another Detroit TD, Myers added two more field goals as the Seahawks at least left their fans with one last fun memory of a disappointing season.
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