Seattle Seahawks vs New Orleans Saints Box Score on Oct 30, 2016

The Sports Xchange
Oct 30, 2016

NEW ORLEANS -- Drew Brees completed 27 of 35 passes for 265 yards, including a go-ahead 2-yard slant to Brandin Cooks in the fourth quarter, to lift the New Orleans Saints to a 25-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Brees also leaped and stretched the ball over the goal line in the first half for a 1-yard rushing score. Wil Lutz kicked field goals of 22, 53, 21 and 41 yards, the last with 1:57 left to give the Saints a 25-20 lead and force the Seahawks to score a touchdown to win.

Seattle had one final chance, taking over with 1:50 left at their 32-yard line with no timeouts. Russell Wilson drove the Seahawks to the Saints 10, but on the final play of the game, his pass in the back of the end zone for Jermaine Kearse was incomplete as the clock expired.

Trailing 17-16, the Saints (3-4) took the lead with a 71-yard drive highlighted by Tim Hightower's 28-yard toss sweep of left end to the Seattle 10. Brees solved the Seahawks' red-zone dominance by hitting Cooks on a 2-yard slant for the go-ahead score, making it 22-17 with 12:24 left.

The Saints' try for a two-point conversion failed when tight end Coby Fleener was stopped short on a shovel pass by Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril.

Steven Hauschka drew Seattle (4-2-1) within 22-20 with a 21-yard field with 6:38 left after the Seahawks wasted a chance for a go-ahead touchdown after having first-and-goal at the New Orleans 5.

The Saints dominated statistically in the first half, but the Seahawks led 14-13. New Orleans had huge advantages in plays (43-19), time of possession (21:22 to 8:37) and first downs (16-6), but the Seattle defense scored on a strip fumble of Mark Ingram in the first quarter that was forced by Avril and returned 34 yards for a touchdown by safety Earl Thomas.

After Ingram's fumble, his second in consecutive games, Saints coach Sean Payton kept Ingram on the bench.

The Saints cut the deficit to 7-3 on Lutz's 22-yard field goal, but the Seahawks used a trick play to set up their next touchdown.

Wide receiver Tanner McElvoy took a lateral pass behind the line of scrimmage from Wilson and then threw across the field to running back C.J. Prosise. The 43-yard pass set up the Seahawks at the Saints' 1, where Christine Michael scored on the next play to put Seattle up 14-3.

Lutz's 53-yard field goal -- his third plus-50-yard field goal of the season -- moved the Saints within 14-6.

Saints linebacker Nate Stupar's diving interception against Wilson set up New Orleans at the Seattle 37. On third-and-goal from the Seattle 1, Brees got the touchdown by leaping over center and extending the ball across the goal, making it 14-13.

The teams exchanged third-quarter field goals ­– 44 yards by Hauschka and 21 yards by Lutz -- to enter the fourth with Seattle leading 17-16.

NOTES: The Saints announced they will play in London next season against the Miami Dolphins. They will be considered the "road" team. ... Seattle WR Tanner McElroy, who completed a 43-yard, across-the-field pass to RB Christine Michael to set up Seattle's first offensive touchdown, played QB at Wisconsin. It was Seattle's second longest pass play of the season. ... Saints QB Drew Brees' leap over center for a 1-yard touchdown was the 15th rushing score of his career. ... Seattle QB Russell Wilson's interception in the second quarter, picked off by New Orleans LB Nate Stupar, was only Wilson's second of the season.