Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks: Seattle Grades, Notes and Quotes

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes, and the team's battered backfield used a run-by-committee approach to grind out a 30-13 win against the visiting Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Seattle clinched its fourth straight playoff berth with the victory.

The Seahawks rebounded from a slow start for the second straight week. Quarterback Johnny Manziel marched the Browns offense 80 yards in 15 plays on the game's opening possession, capping the drive with a seven-yard touchdown throw to tight end Gary Barnidge. 

The touchdown drive was indicative of a Seahawks secondary missing safety Kam Chancellor, who missed the game with a pelvis injury.

But Seattle answered with a scoring drive of its own, with wide receiver Doug Baldwin catching a three-yard touchdown pass late in the first quarter. Baldwin finished the game with four catches for 45 yards and two scores, tying a franchise record with 13 receiving touchdowns on the season. 

Wilson and Co. would go on to post a 20-10 halftime lead with the help of a Seahawks defense that tightened up after allowing the first Cleveland scoring drive. The Browns would only go on to score one more field goal the entire game.

Cleveland's offense could never find balance against the Seahawks. After a breakout performance last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Browns running back Isaiah Crowell managed just 23 yards on nine carries.

Manziel faced a ferocious Seahawks pass rush that racked up three sacks and forced the young quarterback out of the pocket on numerous occasions—if not for Manziel's scrambling ability, Seattle would have added significantly to the day's sack total.

Johnny Football finished the game with 161 passing yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception in the fourth quarter. Seahawks defensive back Marcus Burley made a nice read to come off of his initial coverage and pick off the pass. 

The Seahawks posted 423 total yards of offense and converted on 75 percent of their third downs. That ability to move the chains helped advance this game at a rapid pace, as Seattle possessed the ball for nearly 35 minutes. 

Seattle has posted at least 30 points in its last four games, winning all of them. Wilson has also thrown at least three touchdowns and no interceptions in five straight games, making him the first quarterback in NFL history to do so.

The Seahawks continued cruising toward the postseason by convincingly beating the Browns despite a patchwork group of running backs. Christine Michael led the team with 84 rush yards, and Seattle rushed for 182 yards in total.

For the third straight week, the Seahawks earned a definitive team win. Seattle is on an encouraging roll as the playoffs quickly approach, and it owns a 9-5 overall record.   

Seahawks Report Card

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press/Associated Press

Tyler Lockett (left) and Doug Baldwin

Quarterback: A

Wilson continues to improve on his pocket passing, throwing lasers into tight windows and threading the needle like never before. He also put up nearly 50 yards rushing against the Browns. 

Wilson's play is currently carrying the Seahawks offense, and it has been for the last month or so. If it weren't for Cam Newton's role in the Carolina Panthers' currently undefeated season, Wilson might be a top candidate for league MVP.

Running Back: B+

The running trio of Michael, Bryce Brown and Derrick Coleman produced solid results on Sunday. It's an encouraging sign from a group that was surrounded with question marks entering the game after Thomas Rawls' season ended a week ago. 

Veteran Fred Jackson even added two receptions for 17 yards.

The only thing keeping this group from receiving an A mark? No touchdowns from Seahawks running backs against the Browns. To their defense on that point, Seattle backs didn't really need to score for the team to win the game. 

Expect Michael to continue taking the bulk of Seattle carries after running hard in an 84-yard performance. His familiarity with the Seahawks offense visibly separated him from the rest of his position group on Sunday.

Wide Receiver: A-

Baldwin and rookie Tyler Lockett caught all of Wilson's touchdowns, but neither reached 60 receiving yards.

Jermaine Kearse picked up the tab in the yardage department, leading the team in receptions and yards (seven for 110). 

Lockett showed aggressive catching skills on his 27-yard touchdown catch.

Seattle's passing game lacked much of the vertical explosion we've seen in recent weeks, but it was plenty effective nonetheless thanks to this position group. The Seahawks threw a lot of short, underneath passes with much success.

Tight End: B

Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet combined for 22 yards receiving on three catches. This position group's presence has disappeared in the passing game, but Seattle's tight ends are key to the team's rushing success.

The Seahawks tight ends remained silent against the Browns, but that isn't necessarily bad.

Offensive Line: A-

Cleveland collected two total sacks on Wilson, and it would've had more if not for Wilson's signature escape artistry. Still, though, Wilson had adequate time to throw three touchdown passes. 

The Seahawks' 182 rushing yards (137 of which were from running backs) is also a testament to the O-line. Seattle is finding success on the ground, no matter who is carrying the football. This group has turned into one of the team's most consistent. 

Notably, offensive tackle Russell Okung suffered a calf injury and left the game in the third quarter.

Defensive Line: A

Michael Bennett and Brandon Mebane both sacked Manziel, and the Seahawks held Cleveland to 94 total rushing yards. Bennett also forced a fumble, but Seattle didn't recover it.

The defensive line continues to terrorize opposing backfields, and there's no sign of the group slowing down.

Linebacker: B+

Bobby Wagner forced a fumble that Cleveland managed to recover. Seattle's linebackers have been tremendous against the run in the team's late-season resurgence. 

The only knock on this group from Sunday's game? Browns running backs converted multiple third downs on short passes that Seahawks linebackers left uncovered.

Defensive Back: A

This group did well against the Browns, especially with Chancellor inactive and cornerback DeShawn Shead leaving the game in the first quarter with a nagging ankle sprain.

There were certainly holes in the Seahawks secondary, especially in the middle of the field, but the group didn't allow any touchdowns or excessively long passes. This group is bending but not breaking, which is important.

Seattle's secondary responded well to sustaining key injuries, and it gets an A for that.

Special Teams: A

Kicker Steven Hauschka converted all of his extra-point attempts and nailed two field goals. Seattle's special teams essentially played mistake-free.

Coaching: A

After allowing an 80-yard Browns touchdown drive to open the game, Seattle's defense tightened up to stifle Cleveland for the rest of the game. Give head coach Pete Carroll and his staff due credit for that. 

Also, the fact that Seattle beat the Browns the way it was supposed to is a testament to the coaching staff. The Seahawks don't play down to opponents, and you can thank Carroll for that. 

Doug Baldwin Makes History, Russell Okung Exits with Injury

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Baldwin joined the only other receiver in Seahawks history who has ever caught 13 touchdown passes in a single season—Daryl Turner last did it in 1985.

It's quite an accomplishment, especially considering 10 of Baldwin's 13 touchdown catches have come in the last four weeks. Baldwin's streak of two or more touchdowns in four consecutive games puts him in some elite company, according to this tweet from NFC Football Communications Director Randall Liu. 

Baldwin credits much of his game to Seahawks great Steve Largent.

"His knowledge of the game and the nuances that he can teach me and the subtleties that he's taught me about the game has been vital to my improvement and my development as a player," Baldwin said in a Seahawks.com piece. "I'm anxious to share this moment with him." 

Baldwin's historic season, and his budding chemistry with Wilson, is a key factor in the Seahawks offense's recent dominance.

On a more somber note, Okung left the game in the third quarter with a calf strain. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reported Coach Carroll and the team "don't know much about it yet." 

Alvin Bailey replaced Okung, and the Seahawks still moved the ball just fine late against the Browns. 

It would be wise not to rush the return of the team's starting left tackle. Solid protection of Wilson will allow his historic passing streak to continue into the postseason, and Okung is a key piece to that happening.

Richard Sherman: 'Our Goals Are Much Loftier Than (Playoffs)'

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

The Seahawks clinched their fifth playoff berth in six seasons under Coach Carroll on Sunday. He and his players are undoubtedly glad to be headed back to the postseason tournament.

"It's nice to make the playoffs," cornerback Richard Sherman told Seahawks.com. "But our goals are much loftier than that."

Sherman, after making back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, is clearly itching to get back to the big game for the third time in as many years. And, with the NFC playoff picture becoming clearer, there's legitimate reason to believe that the Seahawks could get there. 

Seattle has already beaten the Minnesota Vikings and could certainly beat the winner of the NFC East. Remember that the Seahawks will also have already played the three remaining NFC playoff teams—the Panthers, Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. 

Don't underestimate that fact, especially with the way Seattle has looked in the past month. Studying losing tape could be just what this team needs to exact revenge on an opponent it's already lost to. 

Regardless, Coach Carroll is ecstatic about the way his team is rounding out the season. 

"It's marvelous to be finishing like this again," Carroll told the team's official website. "I can't tell you anything that I like more."

The finish has to be especially satisfying after a 2-4 start to the season; a start that Lockett said helped the team find itself.

"We learned that there was beauty in the struggle," Lockett said after the game, according to Seahawks digital media reporter John Boyle. "We found ourselves, we found our identity."

And that identity is one the rest of the league should take notice of, because, for the fourth straight season, that identity represents a playoff-bound team with championship aspirations.

Ethan Bailey is a Seattle Seahawks game-day correspondent for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ebai_today for Seahawks coverage and musings about the NFL.