Largent Catches 15 Passes, Scores 3 Times as Seahawks Win, 37-14

If regular National Football League players couldn’t stop Steve Largent in 142 games, non-union NFL players weren’t going to stop him in one.

Largent, back with Seattle after crossing the picket line earlier in the week, caught 15 passes for 261 yards and 3 touchdowns in a little more than a half Sunday and the Seahawks beat the Detroit Lions, 37-14, in the last game for most of the non-union players.

Largent, who extended his NFL record to 143 consecutive games with at least one reception, almost certainly would have broken the record for most catches in a game had he not come out with 9:26 remaining in the third quarter. The record of 18 receptions was set by Tom Fears of the Rams in 1950.

Largent said he could have gone on, but enough was enough.

“I felt by halftime we had already played a full game,” he said. “Physically, I felt like myself. I don’t think the layoff hurt me.”

He finished with one more reception than the entire Detroit squad. Largent’s number of catches and yardage were both club records, breaking marks he previously held or shared.

Quarterback Jeff Kemp, who also beat the Wednesday deadline imposed by owners, threw four touchdown passes.

The victory gave the Seahawks a 3-2 record, 2-1 with non-union players. The Lions, 0-2 before the strike, are 1-4. The game drew 8,310 subdued fans to the Silverdome.