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Alvin Kamara caught 10 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown and Brian Johnson‘s 33-yard field goal with 1:53 left to play to give the New Orleans Saints a 13-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night.
Kamara carved up the Seahawks defense in the first half as practically the only offensive threat the Saints could muster against Seattle. In addition to his 128 receiving yards, Kamara added 51 yards rushing on the night as well.
In rainy and windy conditions in Seattle, offense was rather tough to come by for most of the night.
The Seahawks quickly jumped out to a 7-0 lead as Geno Smith connected with DK Metcalf for an 84-yard touchdown. Marshon Lattimore fell down when he clicked feet with Metcalf and Marcus Williams was unable to make a play on Metcalf as he sprinted for the touchdown. The only passes longer in team history are Seneca Wallace to Koren Robinson for a 90-yard touchdown in 2008 and Matt Hasselbeck to Ben Obomanu for an 87-yard score in 2010.
Kamara then began his assault on the Seahawks defense. He had eight catches for 109 yards in the first half alone, including a 13-yard touchdown from Jameis Winston inside the final minute of the half that gave the Saints a 10-7 lead at the break.
Winston completed 19 of 35 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown for New Orleans.
Saints tight end Adam Trautman had the football knocked out of his grasp by cornerback Ugo Amadi with 1:45 left in the third quarter and Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks picked up the loose ball to give Seattle possession at the Saints’ 28-yard line.
Despite an abysmal offensive series from Seattle that saw them unable to move the ball a yard, Jason Myers smashed home a 50-yard field goal try with 14 seconds left in the quarter to make it a 10-10 game headed to the fourth quarter.
Myers had missed a tying attempt earlier in the quarter as a 44-yard attempt tailed wide right. He also missed a 53-yard attempt to take the lead with 6:49 left to play.
On the next Saints drive, the Seahawks appeared to force a punt as Marquise Blair and Bobby Wagner combined to sack Winston with six minutes remaining. However, Blair was called for a personal foul for hitting Winston helmet-to-helmet. On third-and-10 for the Saints, Kamara sprung free to move New Orleans into field goal.
Seattle finally got the stop they needed on third down only to jump offsides on the ensuing field goal try to give the Saints another free first down with 3:08 remaining. Rasheem Green and Carlos Dunlap split a sack of Winston to finally force another field goal try at the two-minute warning.
Johnson’s kick gave the Saints the 13-10 lead.
Smith and the Seahawks had one last chance to drive for a tying or go-ahead score. Instead, they went backward. Smith was sacked by Malcolm Jenkins and Damario Davis on consecutive plays and a fourth-and-28 throw for Metcalf was nearly picked off by Davis. The incompletion was still enough for the Saints to get the victory.
For Smith and the Seahawks, it’s the third straight game they have had the ball in the closing minutes with a chance to win a game and come up short with Russell Wilson sidelined. Seattle mustered just 219 yards of total offense with 84 coming on the early touchdown to Metcalf. Smith completed 12 of 22 passes for 167 yards and a touchdown.
