Seahawks hang on to beat Cowboys after yet another frantic finish

Another 5 TD passes for Wilson

SEATTLE — Another five Russell Wilson touchdown passes? Check.

Another last-second defensive stand in the north end zone? Check.

One of the strangest games in recent Seahawks history ultimately ended in now-familiar fashion, with Seattle holding on to a 38-31 win over Dallas at CenturyLink Field.

This one, though, ended with the relatively comfortable total of six seconds remaining instead of the final play as a Ryan Neal interception in the end zone finally put it away for the Seahawks.

The win came in the same game Seattle suffered injuries to star safety Jamal Adams (groin), running back Chris Carson (leg), starting guard Damien Lewis (ankle) and linebacker Jordyn Brooks (knee).

Those injuries and a defense that continues to give up yards in record numbers will be the cause for some alarm.

But Wilson and the offense responding again when needed at least allowed Seattle to feel good about this one.

After Seattle blew a 30-15 lead, Wilson calmly led the Seahawks to the winning score and tied a career high and team record in touchdown passes in a game with five.

The key play came when Wilson hit veteran tight end Greg Olsen for an 11-yard gain to pick up a fourth-and-3 that snapped at the Dallas 47 with 2:37 remaining.

Wilson then hit DK Metcalf on a 29-yard scoring pass with 1:47 left —a second straight week he tied his career high and a team record with five touchdown passes to conclude a 75-yard drive.

It also was Wilson’s 14th TD pass in three games to start the season, setting a new NFL record and giving Metcalf redemption after he fumbled away a touchdown in the first quarter.

Seattle’s initial attempt at going for two was no good, but the Seahawks got another shot when Trysten Hill hit Wilson late.

Wilson then completed a pass to Jacob Hollister for the two-point conversion and a 38-31 Seattle lead with 1:47 remaining.

The Cowboys hunt-and-pecked their way to a first down at the Seattle 39 with 43 seconds remaining.

Another completion took it to the 22 with 25 seconds left, Seattle for the second straight week left precariously defending the north end zone once again.

But finally, Seattle got the stop and again with some unlikely players chipping in. A sack by rookie Alton Robinson moved Dallas back to its 26, and Dak Prescott’s desperate heave into the end zone was then picked by Neal, who had replaced the injured Adams.

Prescott threw for 472 yards but also had two interceptions and a lost fumble that ultimately made the difference.

Down 30-15 in the third quarter thanks in part to his two turnovers, Prescott then turned basically unmissable with his throws, leading drives of 94, 89 and 70 yards to give Dallas a 31-30 lead with 3:59 left.

Prescott threw touchdowns at the end of the first two drives. But Dallas failed on a two-pointer early in the fourth quarter to leave Seattle ahead 30-28, trying to make up for having missed on two extra points earlier in the game, one of which was blocked.

That meant Greg Zuerlein’s 42-yard field goal could only put Dallas ahead 31-30.

Needing one drive to win the game, the Seahawks and Wilson got it done.

Wilson tied Patrick Mahomes’ two-year-old record for most touchdown passes in the first three games of the season —13 —with less than a minute gone in the second half.

But the offense then turned stagnant, with the Seahawks punting on three straight drives, leaving the door open for the comeback.

Seattle is now 3-0 for just the seventh time in franchise history and second under Pete Carroll —the other in 2013.

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The Seahawks scored two touchdowns in the span of 53 seconds of game time in the end of the second quarter and beginning of the third —each time getting the ball on defensive turnovers —to take control for good.

A Shaquill Griffin interception at the end of the second quarter led to a 1-yard Wilson scoring pass to Lockett with seven seconds left in the second quarter.

Then, on Dallas’ first play of the second half, Jarran Reed forced a Prescott fumble caught in the air by Benson Mayowa to give Seattle the ball at the Dallas 5.

Wilson then threw his fourth TD pass of the game two plays later, this one to Hollister, to make it 30-15 with 14:14 to go in the third quarter.

The Seahawks led 23-15 at the end of a first half that featured 469 combined yards and an assortment of bizarreness that included one fumble for a touchback, one safety and two missed extra points.

Wilson threw three touchdowns in the first half —all to Lockett —in throwing for 198 yards overall.

Wilson would have had a fourth if not for Metcalf’s inexcusable fumble through the end zone in the first quarter.

Seattle seemed in danger of going into the half trailing when Dallas got the ball back at its own 20 with 1:03 left and the Cowboys intent on trying to score.

But Shaquill Griffin picked off a Dak Prescott pass —his first interception in his last 292 attempts dating back to last Thanksgiving —giving Seattle the ball at the Dallas 34.

Seattle needed just five plays to get the score on the second of Wilson’s 1-yard scoring passes to Lockett.

An especially eventful first quarter which featured a touchback, a safety, a missed PAT and ended with the strange score of 9-9.

Seattle appeared to have the lead in hand when Metcalf hauled in a deep pass from Wilson.

But Metcalf slowed down as he approached the end zone, and Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs knocked it out of his hands at the 1-yard line and through the end zone, resulting in a touchback and Dallas’ ball.

Earlier in the quarter, Wilson threw his 10th touchdown pass of the season when Lockett broke wide open behind the Dallas secondary to reel in a 43-yard scoring pass.

Seattle then got a safety after Dallas’ Tony Pollard was tackled at the 1-yard line after fumbling the kickoff. The safety came on the next play via a tackle by Bryan Mone.

But Dallas, which drove for a field goal on its first drive, responded with a quick TD drive to tie the game at 9.

Seattle regained the lead midway through the second quarter on an 11-play, 71-yard drive keyed by three penalties against Dallas’ secondary worth 27 yards.

The last of the three, on Olsen in the end zone, put the ball at the 1 and two plays later Wilson hit Lockett for the score to make it 16-9 with 6:53 left in the half.

Seahawks hang on to beat Cowboys after yet another frantic finish