The Seattle Seahawks needed more than five minutes to score their first touchdown in their 24-19 victory over New Orleans Saints Sunday. The next two took a total of 38 seconds.
After an opening 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, Rick Mirer threw a deflected 56-yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway with 11 seconds left in the half and Lamar Smith ran 10 yards in the 4th quarter for the clinching Seattle score."We made some plays to win and that's what you want to do," said Seattle coach Dennis Erickson. "At the end of the half, we only had one play so we just let it fly."
On Seattle's first drive, running back Chris Warren rushed for 21 yards, including the two-yard touchdown, and caught 2-yard pass. Smith rushed for 18 yards and Mirer sneaked a two-yard first down on third-and-one.
The connection between Mirer and Galloway, the Seahawks' first-round draft choice, gave Seattle (2-1) a 17-13 lead at intermission.
"One play was all it took, but the your odds are against the guy making that good of a play on it," Mirer said. "Joey made a great catch and it probably was the difference right there."
The Saints made it 7-6 on Jim Everett's 11-yard touchdown pass to Irv Smith. Chip Lohmiller missed the point-after.
Tyrone Johnson fumbled a punt on the New Orleans 11 with 5 minutes and 45 seconds left in the game to set up Smith's touchdown.
Tom Hodson, who played the final 20 minutes for the Saints (0-3), hit Adam Henry for a 26 yard touchdown with 3:30 left to make it 24-19 Seahawks. Earlier, Hodson had fumbled at the Seattle 7-yard-line.
With Doug Nussmeier at quarterback, the Saints staged a 17-play drive that ate up over 10 minutes but produced no points after Lohmiller's field goal attempt - a 28-yarder - missed.
Lohmiller, the former Washington Redskin signed by the Saints late in training camp, missed an extra point wide right and a 50-yard field goal wide left and a 28-yard field goal wide left.
"I think I put myself under a lot of pressure kicking here for the first time," Lohmiller said. "I just have to do what I'm doing in practice in the game. I know I can do it, I just need to relax."
Cary Blanchard, who is battling Lohmiller for Morton Andersen's old job, was short on a 54-yard attempt.
Mirer completed 6 of 12 for 137 yards and a touchdown.
Saints starter Jim Everett played a quarter and a half, completing 9 of 17 for 88 yards and an 11-yard touchdown pass to Irv Smith. Derek Brown rushed for an 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter for the Saints.
Nussmeier completed 4 of 9 for 35 yards. He also carried 6 times for 48 yards.