The Seahawks acquired tight end Jimmy Graham in part to give quarterback Russell Wilson a big, reliable target near the end zone. And while Wilson and Graham connected on plenty of occasions against the Bears, a series of plays inside the Chicago five conjured memories of the failure to score a touchdown with the Super Bowl on the line.
With a first and goal from the Chicago three and a 3-0 lead late in the first half, the Seahawks opted for three throws, no runs. And the Seahawks didn’t gain a yard.
On first down, Wilson was rushed from behind and threw it away. On the second, he got single coverage against Graham but simply couldn’t put the ball in a spot where Graham could win the jump ball. On third down, Wilson misfired in an effort to connect with receiver Chris Matthews.
All three passes went to the left. That fateful throw against the Patriots went to the right.
While the Seahawks churned up 371 yards of total offense against the Bears, they seemed sluggish throughout much of the game, scoring only one offensive touchdown on 10 drives. Against the Rams, the Seahawks were inside the St. Louis 20 four times and scored only one touchdown. Against Chicago, they scored no touchdowns in two trips to the red zone.
At some point, they’ll need to find a way to turn more of those red zone trips into touchdowns or they’ll have a hard time forcing the road to Santa Clara through Seattle.