Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks: 2021 Week 17 Recap

Game story

In Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season on 2022-01-02, the Seattle Seahawks took care of business against the Detroit Lions, pulling away with a 51–29 final that controlled the game from start to finish.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 28 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

T. Boyle (Detroit Lions) paced the passing game, with +10.55 total EPA, and -5.5% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, R. Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +16.90 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (-8.8% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Detroit Lions changed the game: (9:44) (Shotgun) 67-M.Nelson reported in as eligible. 30-J.Williams up the middle to SEA 29 for no gain (52-D.Taylor, 90-B.Mone). Detroit challenged the short of the line to gain ruling, and the play

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 R. Wilson · Seattle Seahawks · Passing · +16.90 total EPA · 33 snaps · +0.51 EPA/play
2. 2 A.St. Brown · Detroit Lions · Receiving · +11.53 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.96 EPA/play
3. 3 T. Boyle · Detroit Lions · Passing · +10.55 total EPA · 41 snaps · +0.26 EPA/play
4. 4 D. Metcalf · Seattle Seahawks · Receiving · +6.54 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.73 EPA/play
5. 5 R. Penny · Seattle Seahawks · Rushing · +4.68 total EPA · 25 snaps · +0.19 EPA/play
6. 6 D. Eskridge · Seattle Seahawks · Rushing · +4.48 total EPA · 1 snaps · +4.48 EPA/play
7. 7 F. Swain · Seattle Seahawks · Receiving · +3.61 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.80 EPA/play
8. 8 St. Brown · Detroit Lions · Rushing · +3.00 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.50 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• Seattle Seahawks — R. Penny (Q1 50:51)
• Seattle Seahawks — R. Penny (Q2 44:11)
• Detroit Lions — A. St (Q2 41:16)
• Seattle Seahawks — D. Metcalf (R. Wilson pass) (Q2 36:03)
• Seattle Seahawks — T. Lockett (R. Wilson pass) (Q2 30:25)
• Seattle Seahawks — D. Metcalf (R. Wilson pass) (Q3 29:18)
• Detroit Lions — A. St (T. Boyle pass) (Q3 25:18)
• Detroit Lions — T. Decker (T. Boyle pass) (Q3 19:55)
• Seattle Seahawks — D. Metcalf (R. Wilson pass) (Q4 12:42)
• Detroit Lions — J. Williams (Q4 7:08)

Field goals

• Seattle Seahawks — J. Myers (Q1 46:05)
• Seattle Seahawks — J. Myers (Q4 5:33)
• Seattle Seahawks — J. Myers (Q4 4:38)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: Seattle Seahawks won the period 10–0. Seattle Seahawks found the end zone from the DET 15 (Q1 50:51) — (5:51) 20-R.Penny up the middle for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Seattle Seahawks added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q1 50:46) — 5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.; Seattle Seahawks connected on a field goal from the DET 33 (Q1 46:05) — (1:05) 5-J.Myers 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson..

The second quarter: Seattle Seahawks won the period 21–7. Seattle Seahawks found the end zone from the DET 6 (Q2 44:11) — (14:11) 20-R.Penny up the middle for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Seattle Seahawks added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q2 44:07) — 5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the SEA 26 (Q2 41:16) — (11:16) (Shotgun) 14-A.St. Brown up the middle for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the SEA 15 (Q2 41:08) — 6-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.; Seattle Seahawks found the end zone from the DET 13 (Q2 36:03) — (6:03) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 14-D.Metcalf for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN [31-D.Marlowe].; Seattle Seahawks added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q2 35:59) — 5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.; Seattle Seahawks found the end zone from the DET 1 (Q2 30:25) — (:25) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 16-T.Lockett for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Seattle Seahawks added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q2 30:21) — 5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson..

The third quarter: Detroit Lions won the period 15–7. Seattle Seahawks found the end zone from the DET 13 (Q3 29:18) — (14:18) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short left to 14-D.Metcalf for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Seattle Seahawks added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q3 29:12) — 5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the SEA 7 (Q3 25:18) — (10:18) (Shotgun) 12-T.Boyle pass short left to 14-A.St. Brown for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions registered a safety from the SEA 2 (Q3 25:14) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 12-T.Boyle pass to 14-A.St. Brown is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the SEA 6 (Q3 19:55) — (4:55) 65-P.Ehinger and 68-T.Decker reported in as eligible. 12-T.Boyle pass short left to 68-T.Decker for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the SEA 15 (Q3 19:50) — 6-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox..

The fourth quarter: Seattle Seahawks won the period 13–7. Seattle Seahawks found the end zone from the DET 1 (Q4 12:42) — (12:42) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 14-D.Metcalf for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Seattle Seahawks added 1 points from the DET 15 (Q4 12:36) — 5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.; Detroit Lions found the end zone from the SEA 1 (Q4 7:08) — (7:08) 65-P.Ehinger and 67-M.Nelson reported in as eligible. 30-J.Williams right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Detroit Lions added 1 points from the SEA 15 (Q4 7:04) — 6-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.; Seattle Seahawks connected on a field goal from the DET 18 (Q4 5:33) — (5:33) 5-J.Myers 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.; Seattle Seahawks connected on a field goal from the DET 24 (Q4 4:38) — (4:38) 5-J.Myers 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Detroit Lions (Q1 54:44) — (9:44) (Shotgun) 67-M.Nelson reported in as eligible. 30-J.Williams up the middle to SEA 29 for no gain (52-D.Taylor, 90-B.Mone). Detroit challenged the short of the line to gain ruling, and the play [WPA -8.8% · EPA -4.11]
• Seattle Seahawks (Q1 52:02) — (7:02) (Shotgun) 20-R.Penny up the middle to DET 23 for 20 yards (31-D.Marlowe). [WPA +7.8% · EPA +1.25]
• Detroit Lions (Q2 41:16) — (11:16) (Shotgun) 14-A.St. Brown up the middle for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +7.4% · EPA +4.05]
• Seattle Seahawks (Q1 53:35) — (8:35) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 81-G.Everett to SEA 41 for 12 yards (21-T.Walker, 38-C.Moore). [WPA +6.7% · EPA +1.95]
• Detroit Lions (Q1 57:11) — (12:11) 12-T.Boyle pass short left to 14-A.St. Brown pushed ob at SEA 38 for 15 yards (6-Q.Diggs). [WPA +6.7% · EPA +0.96]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Detroit Lions (Q3 30:00) — (15:00) (Shotgun) 12-T.Boyle to DET 20 for -5 yards. FUMBLES, and recovers at DET 19. 12-T.Boyle pass intended for 18-K.Hodge INTERCEPTED by 2-D.Reed at DET 28. 2-D.Reed pushed ob at DET 21 for 7 yard [WPA -2.7% · EPA -5.68]
• Seattle Seahawks (Q4 0:27) — (:27) 3-R.Wilson kneels to DET 2 for -1 yards. [EPA -5.18]
• Detroit Lions (Q3 21:48) — (6:48) (Shotgun) 12-T.Boyle pass short middle to 14-A.St. Brown to SEA 8 for 31 yards (2-D.Reed). [WPA +0.6% · EPA +5.02]
• Detroit Lions (Q4 5:08) — (5:08) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 12-T.Boyle pass short right intended for 85-T.Kennedy INTERCEPTED by 28-U.Amadi at DET 34. 28-U.Amadi to DET 22 for 12 yards. FUMBLES, ball out of bounds at DET 2. [WPA -0.1% · EPA -4.97]

Quarterback report card

T.Boyle led all passers in efficiency for Detroit Lions, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• T.Boyle (Detroit Lions) · 41 dropbacks · 53.7% completion · -5.5% CPOE · +0.26 EPA/play · +10.55 total EPA
• R.Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) · 33 dropbacks · 60.6% completion · +5.4% CPOE · +0.51 EPA/play · +16.90 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Seattle Seahawks held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.27 vs +0.03), even if the scoreboard told a different story.

• Detroit Lions: 12 drives, +2.39 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
• Seattle Seahawks: 12 drives, +24.32 total EPA, 10 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• Seattle Seahawks leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• R. Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• T. Boyle (DET) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
• R. Wilson (SEA) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. Seattle Seahawks TD (+6) — Q1 50:51 · DET 15 · Score 0-6
   (5:51) 20-R.Penny up the middle for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
2. Seattle Seahawks XP (+1) — Q1 50:46 · DET 15 · Score 0-7
   5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
3. Seattle Seahawks FG (+3) — Q1 46:05 · DET 33 · Score 0-10
   (1:05) 5-J.Myers 51 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
4. Seattle Seahawks TD (+6) — Q2 44:11 · DET 6 · Score 0-16
   (14:11) 20-R.Penny up the middle for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
5. Seattle Seahawks XP (+1) — Q2 44:07 · DET 15 · Score 0-17
   5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
6. Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q2 41:16 · SEA 26 · Score 6-17
   (11:16) (Shotgun) 14-A.St. Brown up the middle for 26 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
7. Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q2 41:08 · SEA 15 · Score 7-17
   6-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
8. Seattle Seahawks TD (+6) — Q2 36:03 · DET 13 · Score 7-23
   (6:03) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 14-D.Metcalf for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN [31-D.Marlowe].
9. Seattle Seahawks XP (+1) — Q2 35:59 · DET 15 · Score 7-24
   5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
10. Seattle Seahawks TD (+6) — Q2 30:25 · DET 1 · Score 7-30
    (:25) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 16-T.Lockett for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
11. Seattle Seahawks XP (+1) — Q2 30:21 · DET 15 · Score 7-31
    5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
12. Seattle Seahawks TD (+6) — Q3 29:18 · DET 13 · Score 7-37
    (14:18) (Shotgun) 3-R.Wilson pass short left to 14-D.Metcalf for 13 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
13. Seattle Seahawks XP (+1) — Q3 29:12 · DET 15 · Score 7-38
    5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
14. Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q3 25:18 · SEA 7 · Score 13-38
    (10:18) (Shotgun) 12-T.Boyle pass short left to 14-A.St. Brown for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
15. Detroit Lions Safety (+2) — Q3 25:14 · SEA 2 · Score 15-38
    TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 12-T.Boyle pass to 14-A.St. Brown is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.
16. Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q3 19:55 · SEA 6 · Score 21-38
    (4:55) 65-P.Ehinger and 68-T.Decker reported in as eligible. 12-T.Boyle pass short left to 68-T.Decker for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
17. Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q3 19:50 · SEA 15 · Score 22-38
    6-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
18. Seattle Seahawks TD (+6) — Q4 12:42 · DET 1 · Score 22-44
    (12:42) 3-R.Wilson pass short middle to 14-D.Metcalf for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
19. Seattle Seahawks XP (+1) — Q4 12:36 · DET 15 · Score 22-45
    5-J.Myers extra point is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
20. Detroit Lions TD (+6) — Q4 7:08 · SEA 1 · Score 28-45
    (7:08) 65-P.Ehinger and 67-M.Nelson reported in as eligible. 30-J.Williams right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
21. Detroit Lions XP (+1) — Q4 7:04 · SEA 15 · Score 29-45
    6-R.Patterson extra point is GOOD, Center-47-S.Daly, Holder-3-J.Fox.
22. Seattle Seahawks FG (+3) — Q4 5:33 · DET 18 · Score 29-48
    (5:33) 5-J.Myers 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.
23. Seattle Seahawks FG (+3) — Q4 4:38 · DET 24 · Score 29-51
    (4:38) 5-J.Myers 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-69-T.Ott, Holder-4-M.Dickson.