RENTON -- Paul Richardson feels the Seahawks are within reach of finding the offensive success they've been lacking through the first three weeks of the NFL season.
After scoring just 21 points in the team's first two games against Green Bay and San Francisco, the Seahawks had gone six straight drives without points against the Tennessee Titans last Sunday. Five of those six possessions were three-and-outs.
But the Seahawks would score a touchdown before the half, add another on the first drive of the second half and finish with 20 second-half points. Russell Wilson finished the game with a career-high 373 passing yards with four touchdowns in the 33-27 loss to the Titans.
Can the Seahawks seize upon that second half success and build upon that for the future?
"(We're) very close," Richardson said. "Watch the second half. You don't even got to know football to see that. We close. We there, but we got to get tired of being close and we got to start making it happen. And it's on us, it's in our control and we can do that."
Wilson hit a pair of deep passes to Doug Baldwin and C.J. Prosise to move into Tennessee territory on the final possession of the second quarter. A 4-yard touchdown pass to Baldwin gave Seattle a brief lead before a Titans field goal gave Tennessee the advantage at halftime.
A nine-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half that culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chris Carson. The drive was mixed with 21 yards rushing and 54 yards passing as Seattle executed its most efficient scoring drive of the season.
"That's the best drive this year," offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "That was Seahawk ball. That's what we would like it to look like. That's how we want to play ball, there was nice run/pass mix. Obviously, we were able to get in the end zone. That's what we feel like our offense should look like."
Wilson was markedly better in the second half as well. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns after the intermission.
Wilson had misfired on a few throws in the first half and turned down some opportunities to open receivers at times as well.
"He locked in like we have seen him do so many times before," head coach Pete Carroll said of Wilson's second half showing. "And early on, it just wasn't happening. He wasn't as sharp as we hoped, as he had hoped also. But once he got going, he was just focused so well and was communicating the best and communicating non-verbally with the routes and the throws he was making."
"We got a lot of encouragement from it because of how successful we were," wide receiver Paul Richardson said. "We've just got to get the ball rolling sooner, if anything. We just proving what we already know, that we're capable of doing it. We've just got to turn on that switch sooner, start putting points up sooner because it will make everyone's jobs easier."
Seattle ultimately gained 306 of its 433 yards in the final two quarters of the game. If Seattle could have done that in the first half, it may have forced Tennessee to get away from their run-first attack. In doing so, it could have given the defense a better chance to putting pressure on Marcus Mariota as a passer.
Instead, the inability to get their offense working in the early stages forced them into a situation where they had to play from behind late when the defense faltered. But being so successful in the latter stages of the game gives the team confidence they can recapture that output moving forward.
"We got a lot of encouragement from it because of how successful we were," Richardson said. "We've just got to get the ball rolling sooner, if anything. We just proving what we already know, that we're capable of doing it. We've just got to turn on that switch sooner, start putting points up sooner because it will make everyone's jobs easier."
News & Notes
-- An ankle injury to running back C.J. Prosise could keep him out of this week's game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Prosise injured his right ankle late in the third quarter of last week's game when tackled by Titans linebacker Avery Williamson. He remained in the game for one more play before heading to the sidelines.
"He’s got an ankle that we are concerned about," Carroll said. "We will see how it goes. Give him a couple days before we have to declare what is going on with him, but he has a significant ankle."
As a rookie last season, Prosise appeared in just six games due to multiple injuries. He had a hip flexor issue in OTAs, a hamstring strain in the preseason, a broken wrist bone in Week 1 and fractured his scapula in Week 11, ending his season.
Prosise also missed time this preseason before returning in time for the start of the regular season.
"Well I was excited that he made it three (weeks)," said offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. "That was probably the most that we've had him.
"He's such a special talent and he does a lot of great things for us so it's definitely a blow to you when you lose a guy like that but obviously somebody that maybe you can't count on all the time and we haven't been able to have that."
If Prosise can't play Sunday, J.D. McKissic will likely take his role in the game. McKissic played running back and wide receiver in the preseason for Seattle and gives the team an option in the same mold to turn to.
"He has a real wide breadth of ability and he has looked really good when we have used him, so if C.J. isn't able to go, we will see more of him," Carroll said.
-- Wide receiver Doug Baldwin is dealing with a groin injury that forced him to miss most of the fourth quarter of last week's game against the Titans.
Baldwin doesn't consider the injury to be all that significant.
“I’m doing well. I’m feeling well,” Baldwin said in an interview with Ian Furness on 950 KJR on Tuesday. “Had a long session of treatment this morning and I’m getting right so I’m on my way.
“I don’t think it’s that serious. I think that we definitely took the right steps. It had the potential to be serious and we all felt like it was important that I make sure that I’m good for the long-term and not just the short-term.”
Baldwin did not practice on Wednesday.
-- The Seahawks claimed linebacker Justin March-Lillard off waivers from the Miami Dolphins on Wednesday.
March-Lillard takes the place on Dewey McDonald on Seattle's active roster. McDonald was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday after sustaining a torn ACL on the opening kickoff of Sunday's game in Tennessee.
March-Lillard started five games with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, recording 22 tackles and two passes defended. He played in two games this year with the Dolphins before being waived on Tuesday.
March-Lillard was not yet with the team for practice on Wednesday.
Injury Report:
Photo Credit: NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 24: Tight End Luke Willson #82 of the Seattle Seahawks makes a catch for a touchdown against Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on September 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)