Seahawks lose lead in fourth quarter to fall to New England Patriots 24-21

This season in Seattle has been full of heartbreak, heartaches and just plain aches and pains.

Yet there were the Seahawks, taking an eight-point lead into the fourth quarter. Poised to break a five-game losing streak and a four-game home losing streak. Minutes away from sweet victory and something tangible to validate all of their best efforts to win for themselves and their faithful.

Only it wasn't to be, like all of those other weeks. The Seahawks' defense couldn't keep the New England Patriots out of the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play from the 1 with 2:50 left in the game, and their offense, trying to drive for a tie or the win, couldn't make a key block on a safety blitz that resulted in a fumble the Patriots recovered.

New England ran out the clock for a 24-21 win, and everyone rooting for the Seahawks at Qwest Field was left wondering what more their team could do to stop the losing.

"The easy thing to write, I suppose, or to say, is that we lost another close ballgame," an emotional Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "What I have tried to emphasize is the fact that we always fight to the end. This game showed that the players are giving me everything they've got."

It was hard to argue with Holmgren. Seneca Wallace was at quarterback, with Matt Hasselbeck injured. The starting offensive line included three players who didn't begin the season as starters and right tackle Ray Willis, forced into the opener at Buffalo because of an injury to Sean Locklear. It didn't include the perennial Pro Bowler Walter Jones, who missed the game with a knee injury. Plus, the Seahawks' leading tackler, linebacker Leroy Hill, was unable to play with a shoulder nerve problem.

But that didn't stop the Seahawks (2-11) from playing inspired football. They ran the ball well. They opened holes and protected Wallace with a purpose — at least until the final fateful play. Wallace was accurate, going 20 for 28 for 212 yards and three touchdown passes, tying a career high, and wide receiver Deion Branch played as if he had something to prove.

The Seahawks converted third downs at their best rate of the season, 7 of 12. Their pass rush made a difference against New England quarterback Matt Cassel. They got two big breaks in the third quarter — a fumble on a kickoff return they lost and then recovered, and a challenged 63-yard pass play to Branch that was not overturned.

"We played our butts off," fullback Leonard Weaver said.

One had to wonder, who were these Seahawks? Not only were the fans not used to seeing things go well on the field, but they also were not used to seeing the likes of Steve Vallos, Willis and Mansfield Wrotto in place of Jones, Chris Spencer and Mike Wahle on an offensive line that had struggled to protect Hasselbeck for the previous three games. And what got into Branch, the former Super Bowl MVP who had been criticized at times for being injury-prone and not producing numbers worthy of the first-round pick the Seahawks gave the Patriots to get him in 2006?

Branch was everything the Seahawks hoped for on Sunday, catching two touchdowns and handing one of those balls to his wife in an end-zone suite.

Wallace, starting his fifth game of the season, led the Seahawks on their first game-opening touchdown drive since Nov. 2. His 14-yard touchdown pass to Branch gave the Seahawks the early lead, then he hit tight end John Carlson to finish off a 74-yard drive in the second quarter to give Seattle a 14-3 lead.

The Patriots, in need of a win to keep their AFC playoff hopes in fair standing, kept it close, but they trailed 21-13 after Branch hauled in a 4-yard pass with his right hand for a score late in the third quarter. New England was down 21-16 when it drove 71 yards for the go-ahead TD, converting three third downs on the possession.

A two-point conversion made it 24-21. Then the Seahawks got the ball and Wallace opened their last drive with a 23-yard scramble.

"I'm thinking ... if anything, we can go into overtime with a field goal," Locklear said.

Two plays later, Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather — the player New England took with the draft choice they received for Branch — roared through a gap in the middle of the Seattle offensive line, put his arms around Wallace's neck and tackled him, the ball falling on the turf. The Patriots' Richard Seymour pounced on it, and the Seahawks were finished.

"They just made a good play," Wallace said.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com