SEATTLE — Jokes, lightweights, laughingstocks.
Not these Seattle Seahawks. They just sent the defending Super Bowl champions packing.
Matt Hasselbeck threw four touchdown passes and Marshawn Lynch scored on an electrifying 67-yard run with 3:22 left as the Seahawks pulled one of the biggest upsets in NFL playoff history with a 41-36 win over the New Orleans Saints.
The Seahawks (8-9) had a 34-20 lead early in the fourth quarter before Drew Brees looked ready to lead the Saints (11-6) on one of their patented comebacks. But Lynch broke about a half-dozen tackles for his TD and a few anxious minutes later, the party was on at the NFL’s loudest stadium.
Seattle, the first division champion with a losing record, will play next weekend at the NFC’s top-seeded Atlanta or at No. 2 seed Chicago.
“We kind of expected to win,” first-year Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “I know that sounds crazy, but we did expect to win.”
Hasselbeck, cleared to play just two days ago because of a hip injury, threw for 272 yards and his four touchdown passes set a playoff career high.
The veteran quarterback threw two touchdown passes to tight end John Carlson in the first half and started the second half with a 38-yard strike to Mike Williams to give Seattle a 31-20 lead.
“Through all the tough stuff we had to go through, the opportunity was still there for us to host a home playoff game against a really good team and I think we were all excited about it,” Hasselbeck said. “It was fun.”
New Orleans 10 10 0 16 — 36
Seattle 7 17 10 7 — 41
First quarter
NO — FG Hartley 26, 11:43. NO — H. Evans 1 pass from Brees (Hartley kick), 6:21.
Sea — Carlson 11 pass from Hasselbeck (Mare kick), 3:38.
Second quarter
NO — Jones 5 run (Hartley kick), 13:38. Sea — Carlson 7 pass from Hasselbeck (Mare kick), 11:00. Sea — FG Mare 29, 7:03. Sea — Stokley 45 pass from Hasselbeck (Mare kick), 1:15. NO — FG Hartley 22, 0:00.
Third quarter
Sea — Williams 38 pass from Hasselbeck (Mare kick), 11:48. Sea — FG Mare 39, 5:27.
Fourth quarter
NO — Jones 4 run (Hartley kick), 13:11. NO — FG Hartley 21, 9:13. Sea — Lynch 67 run (Mare kick), 3:22. NO — Henderson 6 pass from Brees (run failed), 1:30. A — 66,336.
NO Sea
First downs 32 19
Total yards 474 415
Rushes-yards 22-77 25-149
Passing 397 266
Punt returns 2-11 1-12
Kickoff returns 7-130 5-97
Interceptions ret. 1-10 0-0
Comp.-att.-int. 39-60-0 22-35-1
Sacked-yards lost 1-7 1-6
Punts 4-47.8 4-38.8
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties-yards 7-39 6-39
Time of possession 32:01 27:59
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — New Orleans, Jones 15-59, Bush 5-12, Brees 2-6. Seattle, Lynch 19-131, Forsett 4-20, Hasselbeck 1-(minus 1), Washington 1-(minus 1).
PASSING — New Orleans, Brees 39-60-0-404. Seattle, Hasselbeck 22-35-1-272.
RECEIVING — New Orleans, Henderson 7-77, Jones 6-61, Bush 5-37, Colston 4-66, Moore 4-49, D. Thomas 4-38, H. Evans 4-23, Meachem 3-29, Shockey 2-24. Seattle, Williams 5-68, Obomanu 5-43, Stokley 4-73, Carlson 3-17, Forsett 2-12, Morrah 1-39, Martin 1-15, Tate 1-5.
MISSED FIELD GOALS — None.
