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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
SEATTLE (AP) -- Ricky Watters taught his young counterpart a
thing or two about running, winning and consistency.
|  | | Seattle's Ricky Watters (left) carried 22 times for 105 yards and a touchdown Sunday as the Seahawks slipped past New Orleans. |
Watters had the 31st 100-yard rushing game of his career to lead
the Seattle Seahawks over Ricky Williams and the New Orleans
Saints, 20-10.
The 31-year-old Watters ran 22 times for 105 yards and a
touchdown in his 100th consecutive start. The only back in NFL
history with more consecutive starts was Walter Payton, with 170.
"Ricky has been unbelievable," Seahawks quarterback Jon Kitna
said. "People say that he's lost a step, but I haven't seen it."
Watters, who hasn't missed a start since Christmas 1993 when he
was with the San Francisco 49ers, is supposed to be in the twilight
of his career in Seattle, which made running back Shaun Alexander
of Alabama its top draft choice this year.
Alexander had five carries for 19 yards and was in the same
backfield with Watters a couple of times.
"It's pretty effective having those two guys in the
backfield," fullback Mack Strong said. "Either one of them can come up with the big plays and that gives us an advantage."
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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The Saints were ahead at halftime but struggled offensively after the half. The Seahawks weren't much better, but made the plays they had to for the win.
Seahawks QB Jon Kitna completed 75 percent of his passes, but the game featured lots of defense and lots of pressure on the quarterbacks without enough significant offense from either team.
For the Saints defensively, Joe Johnson (two sacks) was impressive and rookie DE Darren Howard is looking good (one sack this week, three on the season).
For the Seahawks, the outstanding defensive performers were LB Anthony Simmons (12 tackles) and CB Shawn Springs (three pass deflections). Springs did not play at all in the preseason but is starting to assert himself in the secondary for Seattle.
This was a game that Seattle had to win. It was another good road effort by the Saints, but they couldn't generate enough offense in the second half -- particularly in the fourth quarter when the Seahawks scored 10 points and the Saints scored none.
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With the score tied at 10, Kitna hit tight end Itula Mili with a
1-yard touchdown pass with about nine minutes left in the game.
Kris Heppner added his second field goal of the day, a 45-yarder,
about five minutes later for the final margin.
Williams, the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner from Texas who came to
the Saints at the heavy price of eight draft choices, had 107 yards
on 23 carries despite playing with a broken bone in his left foot
that he sustained in the opener. It was his third career 100-yard
rushing game.
"What I want to do is win games," said the 23-year-old
Williams, who missed four games with injuries last year. "The
number of yards I get is not that important. It was frustrating
just watching the second half because we didn't get on the field
much."
The Seahawks (1-2) took about seven minutes off the clock in the
12-play, 87-yard drive that ended with Kitna's short pass to Mili,
who was all alone in the end zone.
Seattle held the Saints (1-2) to three-and-out on the next
series and then controlled the ball for another 4½ minutes to set
up Heppner's field goal.
At that point, the Seahawks controlled the ball 20:35 to New
Orleans' 5:38 in the second half.
"I'm disappointed in our defense," Saints coach Jim Haslett
said. "We just couldn't get the offense back on the field."
New Orleans linebacker Keith Mitchell credited coach Mike
Holmgren's game plan for Seattle's victory.
"Holmgren attacked us at the weakness of the defense and he did
it at the right time," Mitchell said.
Kitna was 22-for-29 for 193 yards, one touchdown and one
interception. New Orleans quarterback Jeff Blake, who took a back
seat to Williams, was 14-for-24 for 159 yards, with one TD and no
interceptions.
Heppner tied the score at 10 in the third quarter with a
31-yarder after a drive that ate up 15 plays and 6:59.
The Seahawks trailed 10-7 at halftime after Heppner hit the
right upright on a 37-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter
and Doug Brien made a 26-yard field goal for New Orleans.
In the first quarter, the Seahawks took advantage of a 28-yard
punt by Toby Gowin. Taking over at the Saints 47, Seattle didn't
have far to go before Watters' 7-yard TD run made it 7-0.
Saints wideout Keith Poole beat cornerback Chris Canty badly and
scored on a 49-yard pass from Blake to tie the score at 7 in the
opening quarter.
Game notes
Randy Mueller, the Saints' general manager, and Mickey
Loomis, director of football administration in New Orleans, watched
the game from the Husky Stadium press box. They used to help run
the Seahawks franchise when Ken Behring owned the team. Billionaire
Paul Allen bought the Seahawks from Behring and brought in Holmgren
as his coach and general manager. ... Seahawks punt and kickoff
returner Charlie Rogers, who led the NFL with a 14.5-yard punt
return average last season, did not play. Holmgren said he was held
out of the game because he violated a team rule, but would not
elaborate. ... Joe Horn of the Saints had seven catches for 68
yards. In three games, he's made 24 receptions for 242 yards.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
New Orleans Clubhouse
Seattle Clubhouse
Week 3 wrap-ups
Week 3 infirmary report
TJ's Take on Week 3
Week 3 stats leaders
Prime Time Players
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