NFL Recap (Indianapolis-Seattle)
Posted: Sun December 20, 1998 at 9:05 p.m. EST
SEATTLE 27, INDIANAPOLIS 23
SEATTLE (Ticker) -- This time, the Seattle Seahawks did not
allow the officials to cost them a game.
Seattle's defense stiffened on four straight plays inside its own
10-yard line in the final seconds after a questionable interference call
had given the Indianapolis
Colts life as the Seahawks held on for a 27-23 victory.
Despite the dramatic triumph, the Seahawks have been eliminated from
the postseason race. Seattle has not made the playoffs since 1988.
With about a minute to go and the Colts at the Seattle 35, Peyton Manning lofted a
pass down the left sideline. The ball fell out of bounds but Seahawks
cornerback Terry
McDaniel was flagged for interference, giving Indianapolis possession
at the 7.
After an incomplete pass, Manning fired a strike into the end zone for
tight end Ken Dilger,
who was open but dropped the potential game-winning score.
"I couldn't quite catch it," Dilger said. "It was a pretty good pass
but the safety tipped it a little and I couldn't react to the tip in time."
With the Colts' hopes riding on fourth down, Manning floated a pass to
the back of the end zone for Torrance Small, who hauled
it in but was unable to get both his feet down in bounds.
"It was a great win for us the way we came back and made those four
plays in the end zone," said Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson. "It was a
great effort by the defense at the end."
overcame what appeared to be an officiating mistake -- unlike their
Week 14 loss to the New York
Jets. In that game, the Jets won on quarterback Vinny Testaverde's
fourth-down TD run with 20 seconds left, although television replays showed
the ball never crossed the goal line.
Ricky Watters
rushed for a career-high 178 yards and a TD on 32 carries for the Seahawks,
who close their season with a trip to Super Bowl champion Denver.
"The offensive line was coming off the ball well today," Watters said.
"They were really fired up in the beginning. The line was firing off the
ball from the first play. You can tell we were going to establish the run
no matter what it took."
"It was great to see Ricky have the day that he did," added Erickson.
"He ran hard and made some big plays for us. He has had an outstanding
year."
The Seahawks trailed, 23-10 early in the fourth quarter before staging
a furious rally. Watters broke through the line of scrimmage and went 33
yards for a touchdown with 9:19 to play. On the Colts' ensuing possession,
running balk Marshall
Faulk fumbled and Pro Bowl safety Shawn Springs scooped up
the ball and sprinted 14 yards for a touchdown.
Todd Peterson's
extra point gave the Seahawks a 24-23 lead and his 30-yard field goal with
1:57 left forced the Colts (3-12) to go for the end zone on the final
possession.
The disappointing ending spoiled a terrific performance by Manning,
who completed 23-of-39 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown with an
interception. Faulk carried 13 times for just 19 yards for the Colts, who
finish the season next Sunday against Carolina.
"That was a lousy job of coaching and playing out there today," said
Indianapolis coach Jim Mora. "There was absolutely no reason for us to lose
that football game. We gave it away because we couldn't finish them off.
We haven't been able to finish off people all year."
Indianapolis appeared on its way to a second straight victory after
dominating the first 18 minutes of the second half. Mike Vanderjagt broke a
10-10 tie early in the third quarter when he connected on a 48-yard field
goal. Vanderjagt had missed from 53 yards moments earlier but was given a
second chance when the Seahawks were flagged for running into the kicker.
On the second play of the Colts' next drive, Manning hit Small for a
53-yard gain to the Seattle 4 and seconds later hooked up with tight end Marcus Pollard on a
one-yard TD toss. Vanderjagt's 20-yarder just under three minutes into the
fourth quarter gave Indianapolis the 13-point advantage.
Jon Kitna was
16-of-29 for 177 yards and a score for the Seahawks. Joey Galloway hauled in
five passes for 50 yards and Watters added 38 yards on three receptions.
"He (Kitna) plays hard," said Watters. "The next series he plays just
as hard as he did the last series. He came in in situations that weren't
the easiest and he's done a great job for us."
The teams traded short touchdowns in the opening quarter. Lamont Warren barreled his
way for a four-yard scoring run 5:34 into the first quarter for the Colts,
but Seattle answered later in the period when Kitna connected with Galloway
on a three-yard TD.
In the second quarter, the teams exchanged field goals, Peterson
connecting from 42 yards before Vanderjagt forced a 10-10 halftime tie with
a 32-yarder as the gun sounded.
© 1998 Sportsticker Enterprises, LP
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