Paul Richardson opened the scoring with a spectacular one-handed catch, and Thomas Rawls led a resurgent Seattle running game, helping the Seahawks top the Detroit Lions 26–6 on Saturday night in the NFC playoffs.Seattle advances to play at Atlanta next Saturday.Rawls rushed for 161 yards and a touchdown, but the game was scoreless until Richardson reached around a Detroit defender with his left arm to make a terrific catch in the end zone in the second quarter. He added another one-handed catch late in the game, and teammate Doug Baldwin had 11 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown.Detroit finishes the season on a sour note. The Lions dropped their final three games of the regular season, squandering a chance to win the NFC North. The trip to Seattle didn’t end any better.Matt Prater has given the Detroit Lions a lift with his leg.Prater has accounted for all of Detroit’s scoring so far Saturday night, making field goals of 51 and 53 yards. The Lions trail Seattle 10–6.Prater’s second field goal capped a 10-play, 61-yard drive in the third quarter after the Lions were pinned deep in their own territory.

Detroit made the playoffs thanks to several close victories, and Prater has been crucial. He made all seven of his attempts from at least 50 yards during the regular season.

A trio of fourth-down plays helped Seattle take a 10–3 lead into halftime against Detroit.

The Lions had fourth-and-1 at the Seattle 38 to start the second quarter, and Detroit got a bit tricky. Matthew Stafford rolled out to the right, then dumped the ball off to tight end Matthew Mulligan, who was hit behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 2.

The Seahawks took over and soon faced fourth-and-1 at the Detroit 39. They kept it simple, with Thomas Rawls running up the middle for the first down.

Seattle then went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2 and took a 7–0 lead on Paul Richardson’s sensational catch in the end zone.

Golden Tate missed an early chance to make an impact in his return to Seattle.

The Detroit receiver dropped a third-down pass over the middle, and the Lions and Seahawks traded three-and-outs to start Saturday night’s playoff game.

Tate played for Seattle from 2010–13 before joining the Lions. Detroit could use a big game from its receivers to help quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has been dealing with a finger injury on his throwing hand.

Meanwhile, for the first time since he hurt his left knee in Week 3, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson doesn’t appear to be wearing a brace on it. Read More…