The Saints quickly fell behind after a disastrous first half, trailing 38-6 at halftime. Seattle’s rookie Tory Horton electrified the crowd with a 95-yard punt return touchdown, the longest in Seahawks franchise history. Horton also caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Darnold, who finished 14-of-18 for 218 yards and two touchdowns, posting a QB rating of 154.2—second highest in team history.
Special teams errors plagued the Saints. In addition to the punt return, New Orleans allowed a blocked punt that set up another Seahawks touchdown and gave up a 60-yard kickoff return. The Saints were penalized 11 times for 77 yards, continuing a season-long discipline issue. Defensive end Cameron Jordan played his 229th career game, surpassing Drew Brees for the most in Saints history.
Seattle’s offense was balanced, with running back Kenneth Walker III scoring two short rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba—questionable pregame due to illness—registered five catches for 96 yards and a score, drawing praise from head coach Mike Macdonald who compared the performance to Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game.”
The Saints finally found the end zone early in the fourth quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Spencer Rattler to tight end Jack Stoll. Rattler completed 28 of 39 passes for 218 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Top receiver Chris Olave caught 10 passes for 57 yards, while running back Alvin Kamara managed 42 yards on 18 carries.
Historically, the 38 points allowed in the first half marked the most surrendered by the Saints in a half since 1973. The team has now lost seven consecutive games dating back to last season, and Rattler remains winless as a starter (0-9).
Next up, the Saints travel to face the unbeaten Buffalo Bills on September 28, while the Seahawks visit the Arizona Cardinals.
For detailed play-by-play and stats, see the Seahawks 44-13 Saints Game Recap and the CBS Sports Recap: New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks.