SEATTLE -- On the night before the Seattle Seahawks' playoff game against the Detroit Lions, wide receiver Doug Baldwin sent a long text message to Steve Smith.
"I wanted everything to die down after his retirement," Baldwin said. "We had a good conversation."
Smith is who Baldwin has always wanted to be. Smith is the reason he wears No. 89. And Smith's inspiration helped inspire Baldwin to an 11-catch, 104-yard performance during the Seahawks' 26-6 win.
"Steve Smith is just a cerebral person," Baldwin said. "I've taken so much from the film that I've watched of him, but just talking to him. One of the things that he's always told me is just appreciate it. You can't take it for granted. And so every time I'm out there, I think about when I was playing in little league sports, when I was playing little league football and how much I loved it and just enjoyed it as a kid. And I don't want to take it for granted.
"Sometimes it can get hard and you struggle throughout the course of the season, have ups and downs, but you've got to be thankful that you're out there. So that was one of the things that he's always preaching to me is just be thankful for the moment that you have."
With 4:18 left in the fourth quarter, Russell Wilson threw behind Baldwin near the right sideline. Baldwin tried to corral the ball and gain control as he went to the ground, but the officials ruled it incomplete.
Baldwin urged Pete Carroll to challenge the ruling, and he did. Replays showed that Baldwin somehow maintained control and pinned the ball behind him with one hand.
"He makes the tough catches," cornerback Richard Sherman said. "He even catches with his butt sometimes."
Earlier in the game, Baldwin had a 42-yard reception. And late, he had a 13-yard touchdown.
On the score, Baldwin and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse found themselves near each other in the end zone. Baldwin reached up and snagged Wilson's pass for the touchdown, even though it was meant for his teammate.
"That ball was supposed to go to Jermaine," Baldwin said. "I feel terrible about it."
Observers thought Baldwin was joking. He wasn't. He was visibly distraught as he elaborated.
"We work really, really hard," Baldwin said. "Every opportunity and every target is few and far between. I wasn't where I was supposed to be. Fortunately enough, it worked out for us in terms of us scoring a touchdown. But I took a touchdown away from my brother, and I feel terrible about it."
Baldwin caught 94 balls (tying a franchise record) for 1,128 yards during the regular season. On Saturday, he caught 11 of 12 targets.
He signed a contract extension in the offseason, came back and had a career year.
Next week against the Atlanta Falcons, the Seahawks probably will need to be even sharper offensively to pull off the upset. Chances are that will mean another heavy dose of Baldwin. And he'll once again try to draw inspiration from Smith.
"When he came into the league, I just loved the way that he played the game with that passion and fire," Baldwin said. "You can say whatever you want about the guy, but he was a competitor. He fought for every inch on that football field. And I wanted to be like that so I tried to emulate everything my body can possibly emulate. And like I said, that's why I wear number 89 on my back."