Seahawks Stun Patriots With a 17-Point Finish : Blocked Punt and Krieg’s Bomb Help Seattle to an Improbable 38-31 Victory

The latest game in the Seattle-New England series ended as those games usually do, with the unusual.

Dave Krieg’s second touchdown bomb to Ray Butler, a 67-yard play with 1:14 left, capped the Seahawks’ 17-point explosion in the final three minutes and gave them a 38-31 NFL victory Sunday.

“That’s the type of game you’re going to get with New England-Seattle,” Patriot wide receiver Stanley Morgan said. “It won’t be over until the clock runs out. Today, the clock ran out on us.”

Two years ago, the Patriots beat Seattle, 38-23, after trailing, 23-0. Last year, they won, 20-13, after Fred Marion’s 83-yard interception return with less than three minutes to play set the stage for the winning touchdown.

On Sunday, the teams with two of the NFL’s best defenses allowed 69 points, and Seattle (3-0) rallied from a 31-21 deficit.

The Seahawks scored their final two touchdowns within 58 seconds of each other.

The first was Paul Moyer’s recovery in the end zone of a blocked punt for the touchdown that tied the score, 31-31, with 2:12 left. The second was Butler’s second touchdown catch of the day.

“We were down the whole game and we just fought and fought and fought and fought,” said Curt Warner, who ran for two Seattle touchdowns. “Regardless of what the score was, we weren’t going to quit. It was sweet.”

It was bittersweet for Tony Eason, who threw for a Patriot record of 422 yards, and Morgan, who caught three long touchdown passes.

Butler, picked up as a free agent late last season after being cut by Indianapolis, made it that way by beating cornerback Ronnie Lippett down the right sideline for the decisive points.

The Seahawks (2-1) tied the score on their second blocked punt of the game.

Punter Rich Camarillo, standing in his own end zone, had his kick blocked by Patrick Hunter and Moyer recovered. Norm Johnson’s extra-point tied the game.

Morgan, who began the day as the NFL reception leader with 15, caught 7 passes for 161 yards. It gave him, for the first time in his 10-year career, three consecutive games with more than 100 receiving yards.

Eason completed 26 of 45 passes. For the third straight game, he was not intercepted.

Krieg’s statistics, 9 completions in 20 attempts, were less impressive. But 121 of his 207 passing yards came on the 2 touchdowns to Butler.

On the series after Moyer tied the game, New England failed to get a first down and had to punt. Starting from his own 37-yard line, Krieg scrambled for a one-yard gain before a false start penalty pushed the ball back to the 33.

On the next play, Krieg connected with Butler for the winning pass.

The Patriots fought back, moving from their own 20 to a first down at the Seattle 39 with 20 seconds to go. Eason completed a pass over the middle to Cedric Jones for a 19-yard gain. Jones lateraled to Craig James, who gained three more yards. But he fumbled and Eugene Robinson recovered with seven seconds left. Seattle ran out the clock.