Seattle Seahawks Shock NFL With Blockbuster Last-Minute Trade—What It Means for the 2025 Season

H2: Lightning-Fast Start Puts Seattle in Control The Seattle Seahawks electrified Lumen Field on Sunday, racing to a 21-0 first-quarter lead over the New Orleans Saints in their Week 3 matchup. Seattle needed just eight offensive snaps to find the end zone three times, unleashing a barrage that sent the sell-out crowd into a frenzy and immediately shifted the NFC playoff conversation. H2: Tory Horton’s 95-Yard Punt Return Steals the Spotlight The signature play of the opening period came on special teams. Rookie wideout and former Colorado State star Tory Horton fielded a Blake Gillikin punt at his own 5-yard line, cut hard to the right sideline and outran the coverage unit for a breathtaking 95-yard touchdown—the longest punt return in franchise history since 2013. The score ignited chants of “Sea-HAWKS!” and instantly thrust Horton into the national spotlight as a potential breakout weapon for head coach Kellen Moore’s offense. H2: Geno Smith Carves Up Saints’ Secondary Quarterback Geno Smith picked up where he left off last season, completing his first six passes and capping the Seahawks’ opening drive with a 14-yard strike to DK Metcalf on a fade route in the back corner of the end zone. Smith finished the quarter 7-for-8 for 112 yards and two touchdowns, posting a perfect passer rating while exploiting soft zones in New Orleans’ injury-thinned secondary. H2: Kenneth Walker III Keeps Chains Moving While the passing game dazzled, running back Kenneth Walker III anchored the ground attack with 52 rushing yards in the opening 15 minutes, including an 18-yard touchdown burst behind a pulling Damien Lewis. Walker’s early dominance forced the Saints’ linebackers to cheat toward the box, opening the intermediate middle for tight end Noah Fant, who hauled in three first-down receptions. H2: Defensive Front Turns Up the Heat On the other side of the ball, Seattle’s revamped defensive line set the tone. Free-agent acquisition Chase Young registered two first-quarter sacks, collapsing the pocket around Saints quarterback Derek Carr and limiting New Orleans to just 29 total yards. Safety Julian Love added a drive-killing pass breakup on third-and-long, preserving the shutout as the quarter expired. H2: What This Means for the NFC West Race At 1-1 entering Sunday, the Seahawks understood the importance of holding serve at home before a short-week trip to face the division-leading 49ers. A convincing performance against a playoff-hopeful Saints squad would boost Seattle’s confidence and keep them within striking distance in a crowded NFC West. Early returns point to a team capable of complementing its explosive offense with opportunistic defense—a combination that could mirror the franchise’s 2013 championship formula. H2: How to Follow the Rest of the Game Fans looking to stay updated can stream the contest on CBS or Paramount+, or tune in to local Seattle radio affiliate KIRO-97.3 FM. Live statistics and in-game highlights are available on ESPN’s gamecast. H2: SEO Takeaways • Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints live score • Tory Horton 95-yard punt return highlights • Geno Smith touchdowns vs. Saints defense • Seahawks Week 3 game analysis from Lumen Field With Seattle seizing early momentum, search interest around “Seahawks highlights,” “Tory Horton punt return,” and “Seahawks vs Saints live” is set to spike throughout the afternoon—so bookmark this page for quarter-by-quarter breakdowns and postgame reaction.