<
        >

          Touchdown passes aplenty for Seahawks' Russell Wilson vs. Patriots

          • Brady Henderson, ESPNSep 20, 2020, 11:09 PM ET
            Close
              Brady Henderson is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Henderson covers the Seattle Seahawks. He joined ESPN in 2017 covering the team for Seattle Sports 710-AM. You can follow him via Twitter @BradyHenderson.

          SEATTLE -- DK Metcalf scored a game-changing touchdown in the Seattle Seahawks' season opener last week, when he blew by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Isaiah Oliver on a fourth-and-3 play.

          The victim on Metcalf's second touchdown of the season Sunday was the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

          The Seahawks' second-year wide receiver showed that he has strength to go with his blazing speed when he fought through contact from Gilmore to haul in an over-the-shoulder throw from quarterback Russell Wilson, leading to a 54-yard touchdown. It was Wilson's second passing touchdown of the game.

          The play tied the Seahawks-Patriots matchup at 14 midway through the second quarter. According to ESPN Stats & Information, that was the first touchdown Gilmore has allowed as the nearest defender in coverage since 2018. Last season, Gilmore had a league-high 96 targets without allowing a TD.

          Gilmore has been shadowing Metcalf for much of the game's first half.

          Midway through the third quarter, Wilson threw a beauty of a pass, a 38-yard touchdown to wide receiver David Moore. The Seahawks moved ahead of the Patriots 21-17 with seven minutes left in the third quarter.

          According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Wilson's 38-yard TD pass had a completion probability of 6.3% -- the lowest on a completed pass this season and the third lowest since the metric started being tracked in 2017.

          Wilson threw his fourth touchdown of the game, a 21-yard strike to Freddie Swain, with two minutes left in the third quarter.

          With less than five minutes to go, Wilson tossed his fifth touchdown pass of the night, an 18-yard throw to Chris Carson. Wilson's five passing touchdowns are tied for the most in a game against a Bill Belichick-coached team. Drew Brees also threw five in 2009.

          The touchdown put the Seahawks up 35-23.