It just continues: Wilson, Baldwin, Seahawks blast Ravens, 35-6

They came next door to baseball’s Camden Yards, down the street from a marker commemorating a mammoth home run Ken Griffey Jr. hit here 21 years ago that Dave Niehaus called for the Mariners. They were Seahawks-version reminders of what Seattle’s late, great baseball voice once famously proclaimed.

“It just continues! My, oh my!”

Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin. Touchdown. Three more times.

Wilson threw five TD passes to tie his career high from three weeks ago. He has 16 touchdowns with zero interceptions the last four games. Three of his scoring throws on Sunday went to wide-open Baldwin, giving the wide receiver eight touchdown receptions in the past three games.

That was more than enough to overcome a season-ending ankle injury to running back Thomas Rawls and bury Baltimore and its third-string quarterback, Jimmy Clausen. Seattle rampaged to its fourth consecutive victory, 35-6 at M&T Bank Stadium on a Maryland day that was as unseasonably warm as the Seahawks are unbelievably hot.

Seattle has scored 141 points in its last four games. It’s out-scored its last two, steamrolled opponents by a combined 73-13.

“Seattle Seahawks, back to doing what they do,” All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman said after his interception of Clausen -- on which he got pulled down by his hair -- helped Seattle (8-5) hold its second consecutive foe without an offensive touchdown. “Let's call all those people who wrote us off -- and call for their jobs.”

Wilson could have had a Seahawks-record six TD passes if tight end Luke Willson hadn’t dropped the quarterback’s lofted throw in the end zone in the second quarter.

The Elias Sports Bureau says Wilson is the first player in NFL history to have four consecutive games with at least three touchdown passes, zero interceptions and a completion rate of at least 70 percent.

“It really is like watching Russell at practice,” All-Pro linebacker Bobby Wagner said, after he and end Michael Bennett combined on the game-turning defensive play late in the first half.

Yes, Wilson is playing games like there’s no defenders hitting him and nobody in pads.

Baldwin, whose career-high 11 touchdown catches this season equals that of his three previous seasons combined, remains wowed by his quarterback.

“It’s been amazing the past few games,” Baldwin said.

“He’s playing unbelievable right now. ... He’s doing it all. It’s Russ right now. He’s ballin’.”

Even the defense is wowed.

“Spectacular,” defensive end Michael Bennett said of Wilson.

So are the Seahawks. Once 0-2, 2-4 and 4-5, they won their fourth game in a row to take over the fifth seed in the NFC’s six-team playoff standing. Home games against Cleveland and St. Louis plus a finale at Arizona Jan. 3 remain.

“Remember the stories y’all were writing!” Bennett bellowed across the locker room as the media filed in. “Don’t write good stories now. You’ve got to write good stories now.”

Wilson is 89-for-118 passing (a completion rate of 75.4 percent) for 1,171 yards with those 16 TDs and no interceptions. That’s a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in that span, one of the best such stretches in NFL history.

And it’s happening with star tight end catcher Jimmy Graham plus top two running backs Marshawn Lynch – and now Rawls – out.

Wilson, aren’t you the least bit surprised?

“No, I’m not surprised,” the unflappable QB said. “On to the next game.”

Rawls had 47 yards on his first five carries, bulling through defenders as usual, before he his left ankle turned under a pile of Ravens at the end of a 3-yard loss at the Baltimore 8-yard line. He walked off slowly with a limp and was replaced by DuJuan Harris, who was on the practice squad until eight days earlier.

“I think the ligaments are really the problem,” Carroll said. “I don’t think he’s going to have to have an operation, from what I understand. Thomas has had a fantastic rookie season. Just exemplifies what we are all about: toughness, and hard-nosed and committed and grit and all that stuff. We love the guy, and we’re really going to miss him.”

The coach said the next move for the team will be to see how close Lynch is to returning from abdominal surgery Nov. 25.

“We have to see where he is. He has a chance to get back. It’s all about getting back in shape and getting right,” Carroll said. “I don’t know what that timetable is at this point; our trainers can’t tell yet...

“In the meantime, we’ll figure it out.”

Harris had 42 yards on 18 carries. He lost a fumble at the Ravens 5 in the second quarter when his grip on the ball loosened as he made a cut left in traffic at the line of scrimmage.

“I have to be better,” said a glum Harris, who played 15 regular-season games for Green Bay last year.

The Seahawks scuffled around and seemed stunned somewhat by the injury to Rawls and strong safety Kam Chancellor (bruised tailbone) after a zippy opening drive of 11 plays to a touchdown to begin the game. Dropped passes by Baldwin, Willson and running back Fred Jackson kept Wilson from having a perfect rating and three touchdowns in the first half.

Seattle led just 7-3 in the final minute of the first half when they got a gift from Baltimore running back Javoris “Buck” Allen. He fumbled at the Ravens 14 when Bennett punched out the ball during a running play and Wagner recovered.

Two plays later, Baldwin ran a sharp from inside out to the right sideline. Wilson threw a brilliant dart that hit Baldwin in stride for a 14-yard touchdown. That put Seattle up 14-3.

It was essentially over at that point.

Baltimore (4-9) was without out-for-the-year starting quarterback Joe Flacco and his backup, Matt Schaub. The Ravens were are also missing lead runner Justin Forsett, the former Seahawk. Seattle’s defensive front had ends Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril swarming again and held Baltimore to a season-low 28 yards on 14 carries. The last two games Seattle has allowed 59 total yards on 30 carries.

“We felt it we stopped the run game first, it would force them to throw,” Wagner said. “And we liked our chances with that.”

No wonder. Clausen is now 1-12 in his career as a journeyman and part-time starter. He became the sixth quarterback to start two games against the same opponent in an NFL season; he had filled in for injured Jay Cutler when Chicago lost 26-0 at Seattle on Sept. 27. After Baltimore punted the first two times it had the ball on Sunday, all 13 drives Clausen had lead in two games against the Seahawks this season had ended with punts.

Meanwhile, Wilson was exquisite – again – in that eventful and weird first half: 11 for 18 passing for 121 yards and touchdowns to Baldwin and rookie Tyler Lockett. His passer-rating in the first half was 118.1.

Lockett’s catch for an 8-yard score ended Seattle’s breezy, 80-yard drive to begin the game. The fifth touchdown catch of his standout rookie season -- to go with one kickoff return for a score a TD on a punt return -- came after Wilson had more than five seconds to look at four different receivers behind his improved offensive line. That line wasn’t giving him even half that time or near that pocket to throw in the first half of this season.

Right tackle Garry Gilliam, a college tight end at Penn State making his NFL debut at the position this season, stymied Baltimore’s elite pass rusher Elvis Dumervil. Gilliam repeatedly warded off the rushing outside linebacker with hand shivers then shuffled his feet quickly. That kept a sturdy edge to Wilson’s front side of that passing pocket.

“Tight and firm,” Gilliam said, repeating what the credo for pocket protection has been for the offensive line the last month.

Seattle allowed zero sacks on Sunday, and has given up just eight in its last six games. That’s after an NFL-high 31 sacks allowed in the first seven games, after which the Seahawks were 3-4.

That’s the underlying story to this Seahawks’ turnaround.

“What they are doing is unbelievable,” Wilson said of his linemen. “All the plays, all the throws, are all because of them.”

Baldwin had his first drop of the season, on an inside-then-out route like the one on which he scored his second-quarter touchdown. And Fred Jackson, the 34-year-old third-down back, allowed an accurate Wilson pass to go through his hands over the middle to end a 2-minute drill before halftime.

Without those three drops, including Willson’s in the end zone, Wilson’s passer rating in the half would have been a 158.3. That’s officially, statistically perfect.

Just like his -- and the Seahawks’ -- last four games.

This story was originally published December 13, 2015 at 6:55 PM with the headline "It just continues: Wilson, Baldwin, Seahawks blast Ravens, 35-6."