Sunday Rewind: Revisiting Seahawks Week 3 Defeat Against Saints
After fending off a pair of fourth-quarter comeback attempts through the first two weeks of the regular season, Seattle traveled home to face off against New Orleans and was hoping to extend its winning streak to three consecutive games.
Sadly, the poor weather conditions weren’t the only obstacle dragging the Seahawks through the mud during this contest, as they surrendered four turnovers and were forced to punt the football four different times as well. Even without Drew Brees under center, those miscues proved enough for the Saints to leave with a huge road win.
Let’s look back upon some of the critical moments that ultimately led to the Seahawks’ 33-27 defeat against the Saints during their third game of the 2019 campaign.
1. Following a 53-yard punt, Seattle allowed an early touchdown from New Orleans’ special teams unit.
Looking to strike first, the Seahawks were provided possession of the ball to open this Week 3 matchup, but an illegal block infraction from tight end Will Dissly pushed his team back 10 yards and stalled their drive before it even began. After gaining just five yards over the next three plays along with being charged a false start penalty on fourth down, Seattle was forced to punt at its own 15-yard line.
Catching the ball at midfield, receiver Deonte Harris was able to make several Seahawks’ tacklers miss while on his way to the end zone, returning the punt 53 yards and providing the Saints with a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. Unfortunately, this sloppy punt coverage by Seattle was only the first of many big mistakes in the first two quarters of play.
After regaining possession following the Saints’ touchdown, the Seahawks started their second drive of the game at their own 25-yard line. Just six plays later, quarterback Russell Wilson came up four yards short of the first down marker, forcing his team to punt for the second time in just over six minutes.
2. Tied at 7-7, Chris Carson’s fumble allows New Orleans to regain the lead in the second quarter.
Following receiver Tyler Lockett’s eight-yard touchdown reception, Seattle’s defense was able to keep New Orleans off the scoreboard through the first half of the second quarter, limiting them to just a pair of punts. With that said, a costly mistake by the Seahawks’ lead running back allowed the Saints to score their second touchdown of the game moments later.
Despite exploding down the right sideline for a 23-yard rush, cornerback Eli Apple was able to punch the ball out of running back Chris Carson’s grasp, leading to a fumble at Seattle’s 33-yard line. Making matters worse for the third-year ball carrier, this turnover was his third consecutive game with a fumble to open the season.
With the ball on the ground, strong safety Vonn Bell recovered the fumble and returned it 33 yards downfield for the score. While kicker Will Lutz missed to the left during his point-after attempt, the Saints still held a 13-7 lead halfway through the second quarter.
3. Attempting to gain one yard on fourth down, Seattle failed to convert and recorded its second turnover of the game.
Trailing 13-7 with just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, the Seahawks were hoping they could put their struggles behind them and take a one-point lead by scoring their second touchdown of the contest. Starting at their own 32-yard line, Wilson was forced to bail his offense out multiple times during this drive, including his 18-yard rush on third down.
Leading Seattle to New Orleans’ 41-yard line, Wilson and his offense faced a critical fourth down conversion as the clock approached the two-minute mark in the second quarter. Needing to gain just one yard, Carson was stopped two yards short of the yard marker, providing the Saints with a prime scoring opportunity before halftime.
After reaching Seattle’s 29-yard line on just six plays, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater connected for a short pass behind the scrimmage line with running back Alvin Kamara. With multiple blockers in front, the three-time Pro Bowler was able to break several arms tackles and scored from 29 yards out, extending the Saints lead to 20-7.
4. Trailing by two touchdowns, the Seahawks failed to convert on a critical fourth down in the fourth quarter.
With Seattle down 27-14 early in the fourth quarter, they still had plenty of time to mount a comeback, especially with Wilson under center. After forcing a 54-yard punt from the Saints, the Seahawks started their next drive at their own 19-yard line and gained just nine yards on three plays.
Facing a fourth down at their own 28-yard line, Seattle needed to gain one yard to move the sticks forward. Attempting to keep their comeback hopes alive, Wilson targeted receiver Malik Turner on a deep passing play but couldn’t complete the pass after the ball was thrown far beyond the 6-foot-2 receiver's reach.
Following Seattle’s fourth turnover of the game, New Orleans’ offense needed just eight plays to find the end zone once again. Putting an end to the Seahawks’ comeback attempt, Kamara scooted in from a yard out for six points, pushing their lead to 33-14.
While the Seahawks refused to accept defeat with time still on the clock and scored a pair of touchdowns late in the fourth quarter, the deficit was too steep to climb out of, leading to their first loss of the 2019 campaign.
