Rookie Tory Horton scored two touchdowns, one on a franchise-record punt return, as the Seattle Seahawks trounced the visiting New Orleans Saints 44-13 Sunday afternoon.
Kenneth Walker III rushed for a pair of short TDs for the Seahawks (2-1). Sam Darnold completed 14 of 18 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns.
For the Saints (0-3), Spencer Rattler was 28 of 39 for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Chris Olave made 10 catches for 57 yards, but Alvin Kamala was limited to 42 yards on 19 rushes.
The Seahawks spoiled the homecoming of first-year New Orleans coach Kellen Moore, who grew up about 190 miles away in Prosser, Wash.
The Seahawks scored on their opening possession, as Darnold hit Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a 12-yard touchdown. Smith-Njigba, who was listed as doubtful on the injury report a day earlier due to reported flu-like symptoms, had a team-high five receptions for 96 yards.
Horton then returned Kai Kroeger’s punt 95 yards for a score, besting the mark of 94 set by Charlie Rogers in 1999 and matched by Nate Burleson in 2007. It was the Seahawks first TD on a punt return since Tyler Lockett accomplished the feat in his NFL debut in 2015.
D’Anthony Bell blocked a Kroeger punt to give Seattle the ball at the Saints’ 11-yard line. Two plays later, Walker tallied on a 3-yard run to make it 21-0 with 4:22 left in the first quarter. It was the first time New Orleans had a punt blocked in 222 consecutive games, which had been the longest active streak in the league.
Blake Grupe made a 27-yard field goal to get the Saints on the board early in the second.
Dareke Young’s 60-yard return on the ensuing kickoff set up the Seahawks at New Orleans’ 38, and Darnold hit Horton with a 14-yard scoring strike three plays later.
Walker scored on a 1-yard plunge on Seattle’s next possession.
Seattle’s Jason Myers kicked a 56-yard field goal with 1:34 left before Grupe connected on a 23-yarder with 3 seconds to go to make it 38-6 at the intermission.
Myers kicked 46- and 37-yarders in the third quarter.
The Saints finally reached the end zone on the opening play of the fourth quarter on a 13-yard pass from Rattler to tight end Jack Stoll.
