Hawks return to form of 2005

INDIANAPOLIS — The offense was plagued by procedural penalties. The defense couldn't make stops consistently and allowed long drives for scores.

That was so last week.

Sunday night, the Seahawks went into the RCA Dome for their second exhibition game of the summer and looked a lot more like the Seahawks of the 2005 regular season.

That is, their 30-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts featured efficient scoring drives by the offense and big plays by the defense. And one added twist for good measure that wasn't there much last year — long returns on special teams.

Two such runbacks, one on a kickoff and the other on a punt, set up the first two Seattle scores. A turnover on downs and an interception set up the next two.

After halftime, the Seahawks were on cruise control, and it was time to see what the backups could do.

"It's always more fun to win," coach Mike Holmgren said. "We were able to be somewhat efficient on offense early on. And it's a good test for our defense, because you're going against the best quarterback and really a powerful offensive team."

Things didn't start off well for the Seahawks. Their first-team defense had trouble stopping Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison, the Colts' talented triumvirate of offensive stars.

An 11-play, 78-yard drive, reminiscent of what the Dallas Cowboys did to the Seahawks on Aug. 12 at Qwest Field several times, produced the Colts' first touchdown. The drive included conversions on third-and-22 and third-and-10 and ended with Manning hitting Wayne in one-on-one coverage against cornerback Marcus Trufant for a touchdown.

But most of the highlights thereafter belonged to the Seahawks, who before a national television audience showed why they are major contenders for the Super Bowl again this season.

A 55-yard Josh Scobey return led to a 29-yard Josh Brown field goal, cutting the Colts' lead to 7-3.

"I expect that every time I touch it," Scobey said.

On the Colts' next possession, the momentum shifted to the Seahawks for good. Manning had tight end Ben Utecht for a 27-yard gain near the Seattle 10-yard line, but linebacker Julian Peterson, as he and his teammates have emphasized in training camp, stripped the ball from Utecht during the tackle. Safety Michael Boulware, playing in his first exhibition game, recovered the fumble.

The Seahawks had to punt after Dwight Freeney sacked Matt Hasselbeck for a 12-yard loss, but the No. 1 defense forced an Indianapolis punt. Peter Warrick ran that punt back 25 yards to set up Seattle at the Colts' 40-yard line.

The Seahawks were second-to-last in punt return average last season at 5.7 yards per return. Warrick's longest of 2005 was 10 yards.

Hasselbeck, getting extended playing time along with the No. 1 offense, found wide receiver Bobby Engram twice as the Seahawks drove for a touchdown, Leonard Weaver plunging in from the 1 with 8:56 left in the first half.

The Colts brought in backup quarterback Jim Sorgi, and it took the Seahawks' defense three plays to make sure a backup quarterback wouldn't pick them apart again, the way the Cowboys' Tony Romo did last weekend.

Peterson, freed up to rush from his side, roared in from the right and blasted Sorgi. The ball floated in the air for safety Mike Green to catch with ease, and Green ran 18 yards for a Seattle touchdown.

Sorgi had to leave the game.

"When I'm the free guy, I need to make a play whenever I can," Peterson said. "I didn't like the way I played last week."

The Colts had a drive going late in the first half, but decided to go for the first down on fourth-and-inches from the Seahawks' 47. Joseph Addai, the Colts' first-round draft pick, was dropped in the backfield for a one-yard loss, Green getting low to knock him backward.

Enter Seattle backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, who led an impressive five-play, 32-yard drive for a field goal as time ran out in the first half.

Later, Wallace engineered a 14-play, 57-yard scoring drive for the third of Josh Brown's three field goals on the Seahawks' second series of the second half.

Several Seahawks enjoyed good performances. Hasselbeck was 8 for 9 for 88 yards. Engram caught five passes for 64 yards.

"I thought Seneca Wallace played well," Holmgren said. "I thought he threw the ball pretty well and moved well."

Wallace finished 10 of 15 for 99 yards. Niko Koutouvides, starting in place of injured middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, had three solo tackles — two for 1-yard gains and one for no gain.