Emanuel Wilson scored two touchdowns and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks held off a late rally to defeat the visiting Los Angeles Chargers 30-23 Sunday afternoon.
Wilson rushed 21 times for a game-high 81 yards and a touchdown and made three receptions for 39 yards and another score for the Seahawks (3-1), who held a 27-6 lead early in the third quarter.
Sam Darnold was 13 of 22 passing for 168 yards and two scores for Seattle and Jaxon Smith-Njigba had five catches for 76 yards.
Justin Herbert completed 19 of 31 for 189 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for the Chargers (0-4), who committed four turnovers.
The teams combined for 30 penalties, the most in an NFL game this season. The Chargers were flagged 16 times for 130 yards and the Seahawks 14 for 150.
The Chargers’ Omarion Hampton scored on a 2-yard run with 7:48 remaining — a drive extended by a pair of roughing-the-passer penalties — to make it 30-20.
Cameron Dicker added his third field goal, a 36-yarder with 2:14 left, to get the Chargers within a touchdown.
L.A. got the ball back following a punt at its own 11-yard line with 1:42 left and no timeouts. Herbert was sacked on first-and-10 from his own 29 by Uchenna Nwosu, who forced a fumble that Derick Hall recovered to clinch the victory.
The Seahawks built a 20-6 lead at the intermission while limiting Herbert to a career-low 36 passing yards in the first half.
The game started with interceptions on the first two plays from scrimmage, first by Herbert and then by Darnold.
The Chargers opened the scoring on a 40-yard field goal by Dicker.
The Seahawks were held to a three-and-out, but the Chargers’ Derius Davis muffed the ensuing punt to give Seattle the ball at L.A.’s 23-yard line. Darnold threw a screen pass on the next snap to Wilson, who rambled down the right sideline for a touchdown.
The Seahawks extended their lead midway through the second quarter when wide receiver Rashid Shaheed lined up in the backfield, took a pitch to the left and scored on a 28-yard run.
Wilson then scored on an 8-yard run, capping a two-play, 20-yard drive after Herbert’s second interception of the half.
Dicker kicked a 39-yarder on the final play of the half to pull the Chargers within 20-6.
The Seahawks scored on their opening possession of the second half, with Darnold hitting Tory Horton on a 6-yard slant.
The Chargers finally found the end zone on a 9-yard pass from Herbert to running back Kimani Vidal with 4:53 to go in the third.
The Seahawks answered with Jason Myers’ 35-yard field goal to take a 30-13 lead into the fourth quarter.
