SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 21: Kenneth Walker III #9 of the Seattle Seahawks leaps over Kool-Aid McKinstry #4 of the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter at Lumen Field on September 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
SEATTLE - The New Orleans Saints are a bad football team and the Seattle Seahawks made sure to prove it in a dominant 44-13 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The Seahawks so completely shut down the Saints that they were able to pull many starters early in the fourth quarter, giving them a needed break before Thursday night's upcoming game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"Obviously, very pleased with our win," head coach Mike Macdonald said. "Really just proud of our process right now, the guys' attitudes, our approach every day. The cool thing about our group is we're not satisfied. We have room to grow as a football team."
Sam Darnold threw a pair of touchdowns to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tory Horton, Ken Walker III added two scores on the ground, and special teams delivered a blocked punt and a franchise-record 95-yard punt return touchdown from Horton in a complete destruction of a rebuilding New Orleans team.
The game was effectively over by halftime as Seattle cruised to its second victory of the season.
It's the first victory of at least 30 points for the Seahawks since a 40-7 blowout over the New York Jets in 2020.
Here are the takeaways from Seattle's blowout win over the Saints:
Special teams were lights out.
Tory Horton's franchise-record 95-yard punt return touchdown, and D'Anthony Bell's blocked punt headlined a banner day for Seattle's special teams unit.
Jay Harbaugh's group has been terrific through three games this season for Seattle and they put on a show against the Saints.
"Really the story the day is our special teams unit," Macdonald said. "They're responsible for 30 points directly. That's pretty high powered stuff. So those guys deserve a lot of credit. Gave Jay Harbaugh a game ball. Tory Horton just a phenomenal game as well. D'Anthony Bell with the punt block, great all around.
Horton was the beneficiary of key blocks by Nehemiah Pritchett and Chazz Surratt as he sliced through the Saints' coverage unit untouched for the first Seattle punt return touchdown in a decade.
Pritchett blocked Isaac Yiadom – avoiding a block in the back penalty – as Horton built up speed. Surratt then blocked punter Kai Kroeger as the final block he needed as Horton raced into the end zone for a 14-0 Seahawks lead.
"I knew he was going to take him out for me," Horton said of Surratt. "I just had a two-way go. I kind of slowed down a little bit and let him make that block and then after that it was off to the promise land. Hell of a job (by) him."
The 95-yard return is the longest in team history, surpassing a pair of 94-yard punt return touchdowns from Charlie Rogers (Sept. 26, 1999 at Pittsburgh) and Nate Burleson (Nov. 4, 2007 at Cleveland). It's also the first punt return touchdown by any Seahawk since Tyler Lockett had a 57-yard return on Sept. 13, 2015.
"I didn’t know that was the longest punt return, I didn’t know how far that was, I was just so amped about the blocks that those guys made and how that opened up for me," Horton said.
The Seahawks easily could have had a second special teams score as well.
D'Anthony Bell came unblocked for Seattle to block a punt from Kroeger as the ball rebounded back toward the Saints' end zone. If Surratt could have picked it up cleanly, he could have walked into the end zone for another Seattle score. Instead, the Seahawks merely took over on the 11-yard line and scored two plays later on a 1-yard Ken Walker III touchdown.
"It was something that we had prepped for all week. So, shout out Coach Jay," Bell said. "He had seen it, and he was like, ‘hey, when we get an opportunity here, let's take advantage of it.'"
Dareke Young had a 60-yard kickoff return in the second quarter as well, and Jason Myers converted field goals of 56 and 46 yards for Seattle.
The Seahawks blocked a field goal in their Week 1 loss to the 49ers that was pivotal in keeping them in that contest as well.
Seattle's special teams have been arguably the best in the NFL through the first three weeks of the season.
Secondary performance strong despite key absences.
Even with the Saints lacking firepower, the Seahawks entered Sunday's game without three starters in their secondary in Devon Witherspoon, Julian Love and Nick Emmanwori.
All three players were doubtful to play and were ruled out 90 minutes before kickoff.
In their place, Ty Okada, Derion Kendrick, and D'Anthony Bell stepped into bigger roles and helped carry Seattle to a win.
"This is why we operate the way we operate," Macdonald said. "I think you felt the strength of the 70 today, and really proud of those guys. It's hard to stay ready when you're not in a prominent role and these guys have done that. Derion Kendrick, again, phenomenal game. D'Anthony is playing really fast right now. Ty played a solid game. So I'm proud of those guys to come in and play winning football for us."
Kendrick had three passes defended, including an interception of Spencer Rattler in the fourth quarter. For the second straight week, Kendrick missed a prime opportunity at an interception, only to end up getting one later in the game anyway.
"Honesty, I'm pissed off," Kendrick said. "I’m supposed to have four picks right now, but I'll take it. But I’m just keeping my head down and taking it day by day. I’m not getting ahead of myself, not looking at the past, and then going out there and trusting the process."
Okada had a half sack and nine total tackles, which was second on the team to only Josh Jobe in his first career start in his 12th career NFL game. Okada got the nod at free safety with Love out due to a hamstring injury.
Okada drilled Brandin Cooks on a third down throw to keep him short of a first down and force a field goal try. However, Blake Grupe would miss his 52-yard kick as the Seahawks kept points off the board.
"Going out there was very exciting, for sure, but at the same time just having their trust and all them backing me was a feeling like I can go out there and do this and take advantage of the opportunity," Okada said.
Additionally, Jobe, Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen were the veterans in the secondary and stepped up with strong play as well.
Jobe had a goalline pass breakup on a throw to the end zone from Spencer Rattler for Chris Olave that forced a field goal try. Bryant also had a pair of breakups on an early deep ball for Alvin Kamara, and another on a third quarter pass for Jauan Jennings.
Macdonald wouldn't give any indication whether Witherspoon, Love or Emmanwori would have a chance to return on the short week against the Cardinals, but the defense held up well on Sunday with all three out of action.
Seahawks capitalized on nearly every Saints error.
The Seahawks did plenty to help their own cause on Sunday, but the Saints also gifted them extra help and Seattle made sure to take full advantage.
Here are some examples…
– A personal foul on Bryan Bresee for headbutting Grey Zabel kept Seattle's opening drive alive after a failed third down conversion.
On the very next play, Sam Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 12-yard touchdown. That's a four-point penalty for New Orleans.
– With the Saints facing a fourth-and-1 and setting up for a "tush push" attempt to convert, Trey Simpkins was called for a false start that led to a Saints punt.
Tory Horton took that punt 95 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
– Three penalties on the next Saints possession backed New Orleans up to their own 17-yard line for a second-and-25 before an eventual punt.
D'Anthony Bell blocked that punt, and two plays later Ken Walker III scored his first touchdown for a 21-0 lead.
– After allowing a 60-yard kickoff return to Dareke Young, the Seahawks needed just three plays to go 38 yards for another touchdown on Tory Horton's 14-yard reception.
New Orleans gifted Seattle extra chances and better opportunities through their mistakes and the Seahawks jumped on nearly every one of them. The Saints are nowhere close to good enough to survive mistakes like that and Seattle adequately punished them for it.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba's torrid start to the season continues, despite illness.
Despite popping up on the injury report on Saturday afternoon with an illness that had him questionable to play against the Saints, Jaxon Smith-Njigba's explosive start to the 2025 season continued on Sunday.
Smith-Njigba caught five passes for 96 yards, which included his first touchdown of the year on a 12-yard strike from Sam Darnold for the opening score of the game.
"I’m feeling better," Smith-Njigba said. Especially after the win. It was a tough Friday and Saturday for me, but I woke up feeling good today. Not quite (the Jordan Flu Game), but the win makes me feel a lot better."
Smith-Njigba broke free for a 29-yard catch from Darnold off a scramble drill throw on the second offensive snap of the game to get Seattle's offense moving. He capped the drive with the opening touchdown as he found space in the second layer of the Saints' defense.
"He's such a good football player," Darnold said. "When I get in those scramble modes and he's able to kind of detach from his guy and make a play, I know he's always going to be there – along with all our other guys, but Jax especially. He's really good at playing ball at that point and getting open."
Smith-Njigba later got behind the New Orleans defense for a 45-yard strike from Darnold for Seattle's biggest play from scrimmage in the game.
"We’re going to get more opportunities the more games that we play, and show who we are," Smith-Njigba said of the offense. "That’s just a little taste. We can execute, we can push the ball down field, we can go up top, we can run the ball, we can do it all. I’m excited for what’s next."
Smith-Njigba now has 22 catches for 323 yards and a touchdown through three games. His 323 yards trails only Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams' 333 yards for the most in the NFL so far this season. He's on-pace for 125 catches and 1,830 receiving yards over a 17-game season, which would blow away Seattle's single-season receiving records. Smith-Njigba is tied with Tyler Lockett with 100 receptions in a season for the most in team history. DK Metcalf's 1,303 yards receiving during the 2020 season is the benchmark for receiving yards in a single season.
The Source: Information in this story came from FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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