Watch out NFL, the Seattle Seahawks are back in the playoffs!



SEATTLE – Just imagine how many touchdowns Russell Wilson is going to throw in the playoffs.

Wilson and Doug Baldwin’s remarkable run entered historic territory Sunday as the Seahawks beat the Browns, 30-13, to clinch a playoff berth and send fans home from CenturyLink Field with one heckuva Christmas present.

It’s been an incredible stretch of football for the Seahawks, who have won five games in a row and seven of their last eight behind the historically spectacular play of Wilson and Baldiwn.

"It’s marvelous to be finishing like this again," coach Pete Carroll said after the game. "I can’t tell you anything I like more."

Wilson has thrown for 19 touchdowns in his past five games, with no interceptions during that stretch. He’s the first quarterback in NFL history to both throw at least three touchdowns and have no interceptions in five straight games. On Sunday, he completed 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns - two to Baldwin, and one to rookie Tyler Lockett.

He also ran the ball five times for 46 yards.

What Baldwin’s done is no less impressive. He had four catches for 45 yards and those two touchdowns on Sunday, giving him 10 touchdowns in  his past four games. He’s the only player not named Jerry Rice to catch 10 or more TD passes in four games, and he joined Chris Carter and Calvin Johnson as the only players in the Super Bowl era with multiple touchdown catches in four straight games.

He appears on pace to become the first Seahawks receiver since Brian Blades to play in the Pro Bowl.

Of course, all of that work was in service of the larger goal the Seahawks achieved on Sunday: A playoff berth.

A team whose postseason future looked all but shot after a 39-32 loss at home to Arizona on Nov. 15 now has a wild-card berth cinched with two games left to play. If the season were to end today, Seattle would have the top wild-card spot and be the No. 5 seed.

Seattle scored 171 points during this phenomenal five-game stretch, the first time in the Pete Carroll era it's scored at least 30 points in five consecutive games.

The Seahawks might have found their stop-gap solution at running back while they await Marshawn Lynch's return. Christine Michael enjoyed a solid return to the team that cut him, carrying the ball 16 times for 84 yards. Bryce Brown also had nine carries for 43 yards as Seattle racked up more than 100 yards of rushing for the 25th game in a row.

Somewhat lost in the hubbub surrounding Baldwin is the emergence of Lockett - the rookie of the year candidate caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown, his fifth TD in five games.

Jermaine Kearse was the team's leading receiver with seven catches for 110 yards.

Seattle did it without safety Kam Chancellor, who was missed the game after suffering a tailbone injury last week against Baltimore. After the game, Carroll said he didn't know if Chancellor would be back next week.

Seattle has two games left in the regular season; it plays host to the St. Louis Rams next Sunday, then travels to play the Arizona Cardinals in the finale.