Matt Hasselbeck passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch scampered 67 yards for a touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks upset defending Super Bowl champs New Orleans 41-36.
New York Jets Shonn Green runs between Indianapolis Colts Pat Angerer (left) and teammate Tony Richardson (right) in the third quarter during their AFC Wild Card NFL playoff football game in Indianapolis, on Saturday. (Reuters
The Seahawks rallied from an early deficit to score 17 consecutive points in the first half of Saturday’s NFC wild card playoff game at Qwest Field.
“We felt something special all week and today was a heck of a start for us,” Hasselbeck said.
The opening round playoff win comes one week after Seattle became the National Football League’s first division winner with a losing record. The Seahawks won the NFC West this season with just seven wins and nine regular season losses.
“I feel pretty calm right now,” said Seattle coach Pete Carroll. “We expected to win and in fact it happened. I know it sounds crazy.”
In the late game, LaDainian Tomlinson scored two touchdowns and Nick Folk kicked the game-winning field goal with seconds remaining as the New York Jets edged Indianapolis 17-16 to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Seahawks held a 34-20 lead early in the final quarter before Saints quarterback Drew Brees looked ready to lead the Saints in a comeback.
But Lynch helped dash their hopes by breaking a half dozen tackles on a long run before scoring a touchdown with 3:22 left.
“I assume people are going to say it was more about what the Saints didn’t do and not what we did, or that the Saints lost the game, not us winning it,” Seattle wide receiver Mike Williams said.
“Whatever is said it doesn’t matter. What matters is the direction our team is in and the focus the guys have in the locker room.”
Late in the game, Brees led the Saints on a 70-yard drive, throwing a six-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson. But the Saints failed to score on the two-point attempt and then bungled an attempted onside kick.
