Russell Wilson stars but Seahawks get what they deserve in 33-27 loss to Brees-less Saints

Chris Carson stood on the sideline, blue paint on his jersey, benched after yet another penalty.

K.J. Wright stomped off the field next to a trainer following the Saints’ last touchdown, as angry as he as hurt.

Pete Carroll stood nearby, a look of bewilderment on his face. It had a bloody, messy cut across the bridge of the nose.

The Seahawks’ day was just as ugly.

Russell Wilson had 32 completions in 50 throws for 406 yards, the most pass attempts and the second-highest yardage total of his career. He had two passing touchdowns, including to Will Dissly on the final play. He had another 43 yards with two rushing scores, another 100-plus passer rating.

Yet Wilson’s brilliance could not mask fumbles, turnovers, more penalties, special-teams breakdowns and all-around poor play by the Seahawks.

It was so bad, so given-away, New Orleans, finalist in the NFC last season, didn’t need injured Drew Brees to beat Seattle 33-27 at booing CenturyLink Field on this rainy Sunday.

It wasn’t nearly as close as that score suggests. Seattle scored two touchdowns in what was beyond garbage time, after the Saints led 33-14.

Really, the Seahawks got what they deserved while being denied their first 3-0 start to a season since 2013—their Super Bowl-championship season.

They now head to Arizona (0-2-1) for their first NFC West game of the season searching for how they blew their chance at the Saints without Brees. Days after the 12-time Pro Bowl passer and future Hall of Famer had thumb surgery, Teddy Bridgewater (19 for 28, 177 yards, one touchdown) beat Seattle instead.

Seattle’s gift-giving began four plays into the game. That’s when the Saints (2-1) led, without its Brees-less offense touching the ball.

The Seahawks’ offense began the game by netting minus-10 yards and two penalties—tight end Dissly for an illegal block on the very first play put Seattle in first and 20 yet again this early season. All-Pro Michael Dickson then kicked a not-All-Pro-like 38-yard punt. Saints rookie Deonte Harris took the short punt and zig-zagged through Seattle’s punt-coverage team and past rookie Ben Burr-Kirven for a 53-yard touchdown.

It was the first punt return for a touchdown against Seattle in four years, since Tavon Austin for it for the Rams in 2015.

Two improvisational adjustments by Tyler Lockett after Wilson held onto the ball got the Seahawks even late in the opening quarter.

Lockett drifted and kept drifting deep and into the middle of the field during Wilson’s scramble on a third and 5. Wilson’s eventualy throw found him for a 32-yard gain. Then, after a 16-yard run by Chris Carson running over Saints like Marshawn Lynch once did, Lockett ran an initial hook route to the goal line. Wilson waited, and Lockett took off behind New Orleans’ coverage to the back right of the end zone. Wilson’s flick of a pass found Lockett there for the tying touchdown.

But the Seahawks’ mistakes were just beginning.

Twice they wasted time outs for having 12 men on the field after huddling, once on defense and the other on offense against their own goal line. The Saints were leading 20-7 in the third quarter when they missed a 53-yard field goal. But Seahawks defensive tackle Al Woods was penalized for lining up with his left shoulder partially over New Orleans long snapper Zach Wood. The NFL years ago made it illegal for the defense to align any player over any part of the snapper on field-goal attempts. That foul gave the Saints a gift first down.

Bobby Wagner made consecutive stops on the 1-yard line on second and third downs. But on fourth and goal, Bridgewater flipped a quick toss out to Michael Thomas for a touchdown. Seattle trailed 27-7.

The Seahawks got the benefit of a Saints giveaway on a third-down incomplete pass on the ensuing drive, a defensive-holding foul 15 yards away from the play. But on third and 6 from the Saints 14 the Seahawks ran Carson for 1 yard. On fourth down, no one blocked a free blitzing Saints linebacker. That resulted in Wilson rushing a throw wide left and incomplete of the open Lockett on the left side of the end zone.

Instead of 27-14, the Saints took possession still up by 20 late in the third quarter.

The game was a desperate scramble for Wilson for the final quarter. His 1-yard run got Seattle within 27-14. But after a Seahawks’ defensive stand, the Seahawks had a third and 2 at their own 27 with 10 minutes left. C.J. Prosise ran for only 1 yard.

On fourth and 1, Wilson saw the Saints in “zero” coverage, with no safeties in the middle of the field. He appeared to change the play at the line, and sent Malik Turner and Lockett on deep pass routes. Lockett was getting contacted down the field. Wilson threw to Turner outside right, well beyond him incomplete. That was essentially Seattle’s last chance to get back in the game.

Coach Pete Carroll challenged the play for pass interference. But the contact worth reviewing was on Lockett, 20 yards away from the play. And the new NFL reviewing rules are for pass interference on intended receiver, not illegal contract on others. So Carroll lost that challenge.

The Saints took over at the Seahawks 26 and scored a touchdown, Alvin Kamara on a 1-yard run with 4:19 left.

And the Seahawks got what they truly earned Sunday.

CARSON'S TROUBLES
Carson lost his third fumble in 3 1/2 games. It was his fourth of the season already, counting the handoff he and Wilson botched while a blitzing Steelers cornerback hit him late in last week's win at Pittsburgh.

Carson was finishing a 23-yard run with two arms over the ball in the second quarter. Yet Saints cornerback Eli Apple still was able to punch the ball out of Carson’s right arm just before his knee hit the turf on a tackle to end the run. Safety Vonn Bell recovered and ran 33 yards for a touchdown to put New Orleans ahead 13-7.

Rashaad Penny would have replaced the fumble-prone Carson at that point. But the 2018 first-round draft choice who scored on an exquisite, 37-yard, cut-back run at Pittburgh was inactive because of a hamstring injury he oddly got in Friday’s light practice. So Prosise replaced Carson for the start of Seattle’s next drive.

Prosise touched the ball in consecutive games for the first time since weeks two and three of the 2017 season, two full years ago.

Carson had one yard on his first five carries. The Saints did what the Bengals and Steelers did in the previous games: Stacked the line of scrimmage early in the game, knowing Seattle would seek to establish the running game that led the NFL in 2018.

Carson re-entered for Prosise on fourth and 1 at the Saints 42-yard line late in the second quarter. The Seahawks sent rarely used fullback Nick Bellore in, put him on a wing left and sent him in motion short route, behind right tackle Germain Ifedi. Carson ran up the middle instead of behind Bellore, and was dropped for a 1-yard loss by New Orleans’ Demario Davis.

The Saints took the ensuing possession to the end zone. Bridgewater completed his first target of the game to star receiver Michael Thomas to convert a third down. Then his screen pass to running back Alvin Kamara went 29 yards for a touchdown. Kamara ran past flailing Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin then bounced off safety Bradley McDougald’s shoulder tap on his way to the end zone.

Seattle was down 20-7.

Carson finished the half with 48 yards on 12 carries—and that costly, latest fumble.

CLOWNEY, ANASH TANDEM QUIET
Top offseason acquistion Ziggy Ansah was active for the first time for the Seahawks, coming back from shoulder surgery last year then a groin injury in August. That meant the first time the pass rush used Ansah and recently added Jadeveon Clowney as opposite edge rushers.

They were on the field together for 15 of the Saints’ 50 offensive plays, and only four times in the second half. They had no sacks and no hits on Bridgewater.

Seattle’s only hits on Bridgewater through three quarters came from Quinton Jefferson. The usual defensive end was playing as a hybrid tackle inside Clowney or Ansah for much of the game.

TIME (MIS)MANAGEMENT
The Seahawks blew a chance to cut into the Saints' two-score lead at the end of the first half.

With two time outs and 29 seconds left, Seattle came out throwing. Wilson completed a pass over the middle to tight end Nick Vannett for 9 yards. A choice such as that demands using a time out there. But the Seahawks did not. The linemen were late getting to the next line of scrimmage after Vannett’s catch.

Nineteen seconds elapsed between the first play of the drive and the second.

By the time Wilson chucked a deep jump ball down the left sideline that DK Metcalf caught on the rookie’s first target of the game for 54 yards to the Saints 16, time in the half expired before the Seahawks called time out.

The Seahawks left the field with two, unused time outs, a 13-point deficit, and a home stadium full of booing.

PENNY INACTIVE WITH ODD INJURY
Penny's rare Friday injury cost him a game.

The Seahawks made their second-year running back inactive for Sunday’s home game against the New Orleans Saints because of a new hamstring injury. That made Prosise the second runner behind Carson.

The team added Penny to its injury report later Friday as questionable. He injured his hamstring during a light, no-pads, no-helmet practice Friday.

Prosise was ready—meaning, healthy—to replace Penny. He’s had 10 injuries in 3 1/2 years with Seattle, but entered Sunday healthy.

Tre Flowers was active after turning his ankle in practice Thursday. The starting cornerback had been questionable to play. Veteran Jamar Taylor, who played nickel defensive back inside last weekend at Pittsburgh, seemed likely to be at right cornerback against the Saints if Flowers wasn't.

TOP ROOKIE PICK IN STREET CLOTHES
L.J. Collier was inactive, seemingly a healthy scratch.

The rookie first-round draft choice returned last week for limited duty at defensive end at Pittsburgh after he missed more than a month with a sprained foot. He admitted he was rusty. Collier was not on the team’s injury report for the game.

With Ansah active and making his Seahawks debut against New Orleans and Jefferson and Branden Jackson having strong early seasons, the coaches decided to leave Collier out of Sunday’s game.

Tedric Thompson was inactive. The starting free safety in week one missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury. Seattle’s starting pairing in the back of the defense was set to be Lano Hill at strong safety and Bradley McDougald at free safety for the second consecutive game.

McDougald had an ankle injury but returned to the game in the second half.

The Seahawks’ other inactive players on Sunday: rookie wide receivers and draft choices Gary Jennings and, John Ursua, backup guard Ethan Pocic (neck injury) and special-teams captain Neiko Thorpe (hamstring).

The News Tribune