Seahawks 34, Saints 7
SEATTLE -- The New Orleans Saints hope to avoid going through Seattle in the NFC playoffs, and Monday night's game provided a clear reason why.
The Seattle Seahawks continued their dominance at home and put a stranglehold on the NFC's top playoff seed with a 34-7 dismantling of the Saints at CenturyLink Field.
New Orleans (9-3) fell into a 17-point hole in the first quarter and never recovered in a game that matched the teams with the best records in the NFC. Seattle (11-1) clinched a playoff berth with the win and moved one step closer to earning home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Quarterback Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to their 14th consecutive home win by throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns -- one of which came when a third-quarter pass bounced off tight end Kellen Davis's hands to fullback Derrick Coleman, who caught the ball at the 2-yard line and dived into the end zone for a 34-7 lead.
Wilson completed 22 of 30 passes, including all eight of his attempts on third down. He did not throw an interception.
The Seahawks could officially wrap up the NFC West and move within one victory of clinching the NFC's top seed with a win over the 49ers at San Francisco on Sunday.
New Orleans now shares first place in the NFC South. The Saints and the co-division-leading Carolina Panthers will play Sunday night in New Orleans.
Seattle improved its league-best record on "Monday Night Football" to 20-8 after winning for the eighth consecutive time on a Monday. The Seahawks are 9-1 in prime-time games played under coach Pete Carroll.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 23 of 38 passes for a season-low 147 yards and one touchdown. It was his lowest passing-yardage total since the 2006 season finale.
Seattle held the Saints to 188 yards of total offense. The Seahawks racked up 429 total yards, including 127 on the ground. Wilson had a game-high 47 rushing yards on eight carries.
Two Wilson touchdown passes helped Seattle take a 27-7 lead into halftime.
The Seahawks jumped out to a 17-0 lead before the end of the first quarter thanks to a defensive touchdown and two long scoring drives.
After Seattle kicker Steven Hauschka capped an 11-play, 61-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal, Seahawks linebacker Cliff Avril sacked Brees and caused a fumble that Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett returned 22 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 lead with 6:27 remaining in the first quarter.
The Seahawks' lead swelled to 17-0 when Wilson hit tight end Zach Miller on a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:55 remaining in the first quarter.
The Saints, who didn't have a single first down until the final snap of the first quarter, pulled to within 17-7 on Brees' 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Graham with 8:45 left in the first half.
After another Hauschka field goal, with 3:41 remaining in the half, the Seahawks closed out the half with a 10-play, 87-yard touchdown drive. Wilson hit wide receiver Doug Baldwin for a 4-yard scoring pass with 13 seconds remaining until halftime.
NOTES: The Seahawks' inactives included WR Percy Harvin, who has battled hip soreness since making his season debut Nov. 17. Harvin underwent offseason hip surgery and missed the first 10 games of the season. ... The Saints failed to record a first down on their first three drives, the first time that happened to them since QB Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton arrived in 2006. ... LB Keyunta Dawson (calf) and DE Glenn Foster (knee) were among the Saints' inactive players.
