Seahawks dominate Saints 44–13 — Tory Horton’s 95-yd punt return, blocked punts, and 11 penalties bury New Orleans. Full recap, stats, injuries, how to watch & what’s next.

Quick snapshot — Saints vs Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks pulverized the New Orleans Saints 44–13 at Lumen Field in Week 3, a lopsided win built on special-teams fireworks (Tory Horton’s 95-yard punt-return TD and a blocked Saints punt), stout Seattle defense and an error-filled Saints performance that included 11 penalties and sluggish situational play.

Why Seahawks vs Saints mattered

This wasn’t just another NFC interconference game — it was an immediate statement for both clubs and a crucial early-season data point:

• For the Seahawks (2–1): The emphatic win showed Seattle’s offense and special teams can create explosive plays and that the defense is capable of controlling pace — an encouraging sign for coach Mike MacDonald’s unit after a narrow Week 1 loss to the 49ers and a bounce-back vs Pittsburgh. The variety of scoring — long returns, short-yard TDs and long field goals — showed balance. (Field Gulls)
• For the Saints (0–3): New Orleans’ loss amplified growing pains under new head coach Kellen Moore: miscues, poor special-teams execution, penalty morass (reported 11 flags) and a stagnant offense that couldn’t sustain drives. The Saints now face a brutal early stretch and a must-fix list before traveling to Buffalo in Week 4.

If you follow NFC seeding, special-teams impact, or the fate of new coaching regimes, this result is one to bookmark — Seattle’s dominant November-style performance came early, while New Orleans faces urgent course-correction.

Final score & headline stats (the essentials)

• Final: Seattle Seahawks 44, New Orleans Saints 13.
• Key Seahawks boxscore highlights: Sam Darnold — 14/18, 218 yards, 2 TDs; rookie Tory Horton — 95-yard punt-return TD (Seahawks’ longest ever) and a receiving TD; Kenneth Walker III — two rushing TDs; Jason Myers — three field goals.
• Key Saints notes: Spencer Rattler — 28/39, 218 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; Alvin Kamara — limited production (42 yards on 18 carries); Saints committed 11 penalties for 77 yards and surrendered both a 95-yard punt return and a blocked punt that led directly to Seattle points.

Those raw numbers capture the scoreboard, but the story underneath is built on special teams swings, penalties, and systemic inefficiency that New Orleans will need to fix fast.

How the game unfolded — play-by-play narrative

First quarter — avalanche off the opening exchanges

Seattle set the tone early. Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s red-zone TD gave the home team life, and then Tory Horton — a rookie with explosive speed — backpedaled a Saints punt from his own 5 and outran everyone for a 95-yard punt-return touchdown, the longest in Seahawks franchise history. The special-teams dagger combined with a quick Kenneth Walker III short TD to produce an astonishing 21–0 lead inside the first quarter. From that point the game tilted heavily toward Seattle and required New Orleans to play uphill for the rest of the afternoon.

Second quarter — Seattle pours it on; Saints flail

By halftime the scoreboard read 38–6. Seattle added a receiving TD for Tory Horton, another Kenneth Walker rushing TD, and a booming 56-yard Jason Myers field goal; the Saints managed just two field goals in the opening half and committed penalties that repeatedly stalled drives. A blocked Saints punt essentially gifted the Seahawks short field and a touchdown — special teams and discipline problems compounded into a rout before halftime.

Second half — Seahawks manage, Saints try to salvage pride

Seattle settled into conservative clock management in the second half while the backups rotated in as the margin proved impossible to overcome. New Orleans did get a Spencer Rattler TD pass to Jack Stoll late in the game, but it was too little too late; Seattle capped the scoring with Jason Myers field goals in the third and fourth quarters. The lopsided nature of the game allowed Seattle to protect players and prepare for next week’s divisional matchup.

Player spotlight — who made the difference

Tory Horton (Seahawks) — the rookie who exploded

Horton’s game was the kind coaches circle on film: a 95-yard punt return (franchise record) and a receiving touchdown made him the central highlight of the day. He created points out of nothing and shifted win probability massively with that single, electrifying play. Horton’s performance was a blueprint for how special-teams plays can change a season narrative overnight.

Sam Darnold & the Seattle offense — efficient and opportunistic

Darnold’s line (14/18 for 218 yards and 2 TDs) doesn’t scream “comeback,” but it shows surgical efficiency: fewer mistakes, timely deep completions and consistency. Jaxon Smith-Njigba contributed a red-zone TD while Kenneth Walker III’s two short TDs grounded the offense and made it multi-dimensional. Jason Myers’ long field goals added to Seattle’s scoring flexibility.

Spencer Rattler & the Saints — bright spots amid a mess

Rattler finished with decent volume (28/39, 218 yards) and a late touchdown to Jack Stoll, but his lone interception and the team’s inability to convert third downs (5-for-15 reported) were fatal. Alvin Kamara’s production was muted — New Orleans couldn’t find sustainable rhythm either on the ground or through consistent targeting in the intermediate passing game. (Canal Street Chronicles)

Special teams and penalties — the invisible game-changers

You can have a competent QB and decent offensive playbook and still lose by three touchdowns if your special teams allow a 95-yard return and a punt gets blocked. Those two plays — plus 11 penalties — turned a possible competitive game into a rout. New Orleans’ special-teams miscues were the single largest cause of the deficit.

Coaching & tactical analysis — what each staff did right (and wrong)

Seahawks (what worked)

• Special teams scheming: Giving Horton the green-light to run that punt and generating lane discipline on blocks were both coaching wins. Seattle turned special teams into immediate scoring opportunities.
• Offensive efficiency: Under Sam Darnold the offense minimized mistakes and attacked downfield selectively — the result was high points per possession and a short-field advantage thanks to special teams.
• Defensive control: Seattle’s defense contained Alvin Kamara and pressured Rattler enough to force one INT and a string of stalled Saints drives. When defense made stops, special teams and offense finished the job. (Field Gulls)

Saints (where things broke)

• Discipline & penalties: Eleven flags (77 yards) are season-sapping — penalties killed extended drives and flipped field position continually. Kellen Moore’s crew must prioritize discipline in practice.
• Special teams execution: A blocked punt and a 95-yard punt return are two plays that directly cost points and swung momentum. Special teams coaching and return coverage units will be under review.
• Offensive inconsistency: Rattler’s stat line looked respectable on paper, but the Saints’ inability to convert third downs (5-for-15) and failure to attack in chunks left too many punts and forced field-position battles they lost.

Turning points & game-defining plays (the five that mattered)

1. Tory Horton’s 95-yard punt return TD: Instant 14-0 swing in the first quarter and the longest punt return in Seahawks history — momentum changed forever.
2. Blocked Saints punt leading to a Seattle touchdown: Special teams failure that gifted Seattle points and field position.
3. Kenneth Walker III’s two short rushing TDs: Ground control that added reliable scoring and made it harder for the Saints to mount a comeback.
4. Jason Myers 56-yard field goal before halftime: Long-range scoring that extended the margin and demoralized the road team heading into the locker room.
5. Saints’ penalty spiral and third-down failures: The pattern of infractions and inefficiency on third down prevented any mid-game recovery.

Those five plays and trends explain how a game that might have been competitive became a blowout.

Geaux Hawks!

Presented by @Delta pic.twitter.com/5dtbpjkgpH

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 21, 2025

 

Injury notes & roster implications

Media coverage immediately following the game didn’t highlight major season-ending injuries on either side; Seattle’s rotation and the comfortable margin allowed backups to enter late and avoid significant knocks. For the Saints, the punishment in a hostile environment adds to the wear and tear column; coaches will monitor the health of key starters during the week leading up to Buffalo. Expect practice reports and official injury designations to surface early in the week.

What the win means for the Seahawks (short & medium term)

• Momentum & morale: A 44-13 win builds confidence in special teams, the run game and a defense that can create short fields — valuable for an NFL season that swings on small advantages. (Field Gulls)
• Playoff profile: Early dominant performances help build a better defensive reputation, which can pay dividends in tight division races later. With a strong home-field environment at Lumen Field, Seattle can leverage special teams and defense into consistent advantages.

What the loss means for the Saints (short & medium term)

• Immediate urgency: Dropping to 0–3 under Kellen Moore puts pressure on the coaching staff and exposes the team’s thin margin for error in a competitive NFC South.
• Special teams and discipline first: The Saints must address special teams breakdowns and the penalty issue before heading to Buffalo — two fixes that require both schematic tweaks and practice discipline.

[Note: Images are collected from Instagram]

 

X-factor & advanced analytics snapshot

• Win Probability swings: Video and play-by-play win-probability charts show the game becoming essentially decided after the 95-yard punt return and the blocked punt — those two plays created massive WP swings. ESPN’s gamecast and boxscore display the exact charts (gameId: 401772736).
• Special Teams EPA: The expected-points impact of a 95-yard return plus the extra points off a blocked punt is immense — look for special-teams EPA to be a major delta in analytical breakdowns this week. (Field Gulls)

For analysts tracking PFF grades or Next Gen Stats, Horton’s return and separation on routes on his receiving TD will be the clips dissected on Monday shows.

Where to watch & how to catch the action (live, replay, highlights)

• Live TV (U.S.): Week 3’s Seahawks vs Saints was televised on CBS (check local CBS affiliate) with national distribution for the early-afternoon window. Game analysts and commentators varied by market.
• Streaming & replays: Replays and condensed edits appear on the NFL’s Game Pass (region-specific), ESPN’s highlight packages, and the Seahawks/ Saints official websites typically post game recaps and clips shortly after final whistle. The full game and podcast breakdowns also show on network platforms and YouTube highlights.
• Best clips to hunt for: “Tory Horton 95-yard punt return,” “Seahawks blocked punt vs Saints,” and “Jason Myers 56 yard field goal” will surface immediately on NFL.com and YouTube.

If you missed the live tilt, condensed replays and official team recaps will have the key plays packaged under 10 minutes for quick catching up.

Fan reaction & social media pulse

The storylines that trended after the final whistle:

• Seahawks fans celebrated Horton’s record return and the multi-faceted scoring outputs — especially the special-teams highlight reel that instantly becomes an anthem in Lumen Field highlight reels. (Reuters)
• Saints fans expressed frustration about penalties, special teams, and clock management; local talk radio and beat writers called for immediate remedial action from Kellen Moore’s staff. (saintsreport.com)

Expect a Monday morning flood of tactical twitter threads, film breakdowns on PFF and The Athletic, and local beat writers digging into why New Orleans’ discipline failed at such a large scale.

 

What to watch next — schedules & short-term outlook

• Seahawks: The Week 4 slate sends Seattle to Arizona; the Seahawks will want to carry their special-teams swagger and defense’s momentum into the division matchup. Seattle’s upcoming schedule includes a mix of NFC West rivals and prime-time showdowns that could define the season.
• Saints: New Orleans heads to Buffalo next — a tough road test where penalty correction and special-teams overhaul will be a priority. The early 0–3 start means little margin for continued breakdowns. (Wikipedia)

Final thoughts — a warning shot and a wake-up call

Sunday’s Seahawks vs Saints game was more than a one-day embarrassment for New Orleans — it was a warning that new coaching schemes and personnel can take time, and that special teams and discipline are not optional. For Seattle, the win is a morale and identity builder: defense, special teams, and opportunistic offense can win games decisively.

If you’re a Saints fan, the fix list is immediate and practical: shore up return coverage, eliminate mental errors, convert third downs, and get into a rhythm on offense. If you’re a Seahawks fan, savor the win — specially the rookie breakout moments — but keep an eye on consistency as the schedule gets tougher.

Football games are sometimes decided by inches and occasionally by 95-yard returns. This one was in the latter category — and the Seahawks will carry that momentum forward while the Saints take a long, necessary look in the mirror.

 

FAQs fans search for

Q: What was the final Saints vs Seahawks score?
A: Seahawks 44, Saints 13. (ESPN.com)

Q: Who returned the punt for a touchdown?
A: Rookie Tory Horton returned a Saints punt 95 yards for a touchdown — the longest in Seahawks franchise history. (ESPN.com)

Q: Why did the Saints lose?
A: A combination of special-teams failures (blocked punt and the 95-yard return), 11 penalties for 77 yards, poor third-down efficiency (5-for-15), and an inability to sustain drives created the blowout. (New Orleans Saints)

Q: Where can I watch highlights of the game?
A: NFL.com, ESPN, Seahawks.com and YouTube will have the clips — search “Tory Horton punt return” or “Seahawks vs Saints highlights.” (ESPN.com)