In the closing minutes of a blowout win over the Jaguars on Sunday, Seahawks running back Travis Homer did something only nine players before him have done in the last 27 years. Instead of falling on a relatively meaningless onside kick attempt to effectively end the game, Homer scooped up the ball, split two defenders and raced down the sideline for one of the rarest touchdowns in NFL history.
It was a cathartic way for Seattle to snap a three-game losing streak. The game had already been decided at that point, but ending one of the worst skids in the Pete Carroll era with a proverbial release of frustration was certainly satisfying. And Carroll, who has seen such a play in person before, had an inkling this opportunity could come a day before kickoff.
"Well, you know, it popped up on our Saturday walkthrough," Carroll told reporters after the game. "See, [former USC linebacker] Brian Cushing scored against the Rainbows in Hawaii a few years back in our SC days. And in practice yesterday, we kicked one, Homer picked it up, and I was telling some guys, 'This happened before. Brian Cushing did this years ago.' Just having fun with it. Sure enough, there it goes. Bang. So you never know."
Contrary to Carroll's reflection, Cushing's 42-yard return came against Notre Dame rather than Hawaii. It capped off a 44-24 win for Carroll's USC program, which went on to defeat Michigan in the Rose Bowl two games later.
Homer's return out-gained Cushing's by two yards, coming in as the shortest kickoff return for a touchdown in Seahawks history. It was just the 10th time since 1994 that a player has taken an onside kick the distance, though such an occurrence has become more common as of late. Titans receiver A.J. Brown did it in a 45-26 win over the Colts in 2020, and the Dolphins surrendered one to Bills safety Micah Hyde in 2019 (fun coincidence: both the Dolphins and Bills, as well as the Titans and Colts, played each other on the day of Homer's return).
Of the seven other onside kicks returned for touchdowns in that time, the Jaguars have given up two of them. In all, they've accounted for 30 percent of such plays. The 49ers are the only other team to allow multiple onside kicks for touchdowns, including the first one ever recorded in a December 1994 game against the Cowboys. Interestingly, Dallas did it to San Francisco again in 2020, making Homer's return the fourth of its kind in just two-and-a-half seasons.
Despite seeing limited action on the offensive side of the ball, Homer has had a strong year as a special teamer. He racked up a pair of tackles on Jacksonville kickoff returns, including a vicious hit on Jamal Agnew in the second quarter. Plays like that are almost immediately forgotten by the average fan, but they can extend players' careers for years to come, and Homer has certainly carved out a role for himself with his special teams ability. Of course, the third-year player made a splash that left a lasting impression on his teammates, coaches and fans alike as well.
"I was shocked," receiver Tyler Lockett said of the play. "I was shocked. I just knew they were going to kick it to me after we called the time out, so I was ready. Then all of a sudden they kicked it to him again, and instead of him deciding to go down, he was like, 'You know, I'm going to go ahead and score and head into the bye week.' That was a dope play. That was a dope play. I think the last time I've seen somebody do that was A.J. Brown maybe last year or the year before. But, hey, the fact that you're able to focus on catching it, then making a person miss while they have nobody in front of them to block, got to give him the credit."
For a team that has mightily struggled to finish games in 2021, the Seahawks hope Homer's play is indicative of what's to come in the second half of the season. Thus far, they've lacked the killer instinct to step on an opponent's throat and impose their will.
Now, with star quarterback Russell Wilson possibly waiting on the other side of their bye week, it's time for them to follow Homer's lead and slam their foot on the gas pedal all the way to the finish line.
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