Oct 5, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks strong safety Kam Chancellor (31) forces a fumble by Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) during the fourth quarter at CenturyLink Field. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
SEATTLE — Strong safety Kam Chancellor punched the ball out as Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson approached the end zone in the final minutes, preserving the Seattle Seahawks’ 13-10 victory on Monday night at CenturyLink Field.
Trailing by three points with 6:23 remaining, the Lions drove from their own 9-yard line to the Seattle 11. On third-and-1, quarterback Matthew Stafford hit Johnson with a short pass on the right side. Just as Johnson was reaching for the goal line, Chancellor knocked the ball away from the receiver and through the end zone, resulting in a touchback.
The Seahawks’ defense held the Lions’ offense to 256 yards and three points but didn’t force a turnover until Chancellor’s game-saving play. Seattle (2-2) managed 345 total yards.
Detroit’s defense forced two fumbles, had four sacks and scored on a 27-yard fumble return by defensive tackle Caraun Reid.
Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson completed 20 of 26 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown. He added 40 yards on the ground, but he fumbled twice.
Stafford finished 24-for-35 for 203 yards.
The Lions (0-4) got their lone offensive score on a 41-yard field goal by kicker Matt Prater in the second quarter. It was the only offensive drive that resulted in points against the Seahawks’ defense in the past two games. In that span, 17 of 19 drives by Seattle’s opponents ended in punts.
Early in the second quarter, Wilson sparked the Seahawks’ offense with a scramble to avoid a sack on third-and-12, running from pressure and throwing a 34-yard completion to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. On the next play, Wilson hit wide receiver Doug Baldwin over the middle for a 24-yard touchdown to get the Seahawks on the scoreboard.
The score, which capped a six-play, 67-yard drive, was the first offensive touchdown in the first half by Seattle this season.
Prater’s second-quarter field goal ended a streak of 13 consecutive drives against the Seahawks’ defense that ended in punts, going back to Seattle’s game last week against the Chicago Bears.
Seattle countered with a 51-yard field goal by kicker Steven Hauschka with one minute remaining in the second quarter to take a 10-3 lead into halftime.
NOTES: Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch, who injured a hamstring last week against Chicago, was inactive Monday. It was the first time Lynch was ruled inactive for a game since he came to Seattle in 2010. He was shown on the television broadcast watching the game from a suite. … Detroit RB Joique Bell (ankle) and TE Brandon Pettigrew (hamstring) were ruled out prior to the game. Rookie Ameer Abdullah replaced Bell in the starting lineup. … Lions G Larry Warford missed the game because of an ankle injury. Starting LG Marry Ramirez moved to the right side to replace Warford, and rookie Laken Tomlinson started at left guard. … Seattle CB Marcus Burley (thumb) and Detroit TE Eric Ebron (knee) were injured in the game.
