EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — In the fourth quarter, in the madness of the Meadowlands, the Seahawks' backup quarterback threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to an undrafted free-agent rookie receiver.

Then, just minutes later in a fourth quarter that felt 60 minutes long, with the New York Giants ready to reclaim the lead in this epic, a cornerback from the Canadian Football League intercepted Eli Manning's last meaningful pass and returned it 94 yards for the game-clinching touchdown.

Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst? Wide receiver Doug Baldwin? Cornerback Brandon Browner?

Who are these guys?

"All of those guys who made those plays today, got an opportunity in Seattle to play," wide receiver Ben Obomanu said after Sunday's shocking 36-25 win. "It's about opportunities here.

"Coach (Pete) Carroll is always talking about competition, and it's the competition that allowed these guys to come out and do what they did today in the fourth quarter. For those guys, it was just a matter of finding an opportunity. Finding that niche to play. It's just a matter of getting in the rhythm to play."

Baldwin didn't quit on a pattern after New York pass rusher Osi Umenyiora jumped offside.

He streaked past lolling Giants defensive backs Antrel Rolle and Aaron Ross.

And Whitehurst, who replaced injured Tarvaris Jackson in the third quarter, dropped a perfect parabola into Baldwin's hands for the 27-yard touchdown pass that put the Hawks ahead 29-25 with 2:37 to go.

"It just speaks to the type of players we have on this team. Charlie Whitehurst comes in and we don't miss a beat," Baldwin said. "That's the way this team was built. It doesn't matter where we've been. It's where we're going. It's where we want to be and we're going to work our butts off to get there."

But no lead was safe, and the Giants quickly rolled all the way to the Hawks' 5. But on second-and-goal from the 10, Victor Cruz juggled Manning's pass and Browner gobbled the deflection. He streaked past Carroll on the sideline, who briefly seemed to want to race Browner to the end zone.

"That was a freakin' blast," Carroll said.

The 94-yard return was Browner's first NFL touchdown and his first NFL interception. Not bad for a guy who failed numerous NFL tryouts and, before this Seahawks training camp, seemed destined to finish his career in Canada.

"The rest of the country may not know who we are, but those guys upstairs know," Browner said. "They're the guys who brought us in. They're the reason we're here. They're the only guys we have to impress. They're the guys who matter.

"I'm very happy with how this is going, but I want to keep on building from here. I've had a couple of tough games. I haven't played up to my standards. But it's just a matter of learning a scheme and learning how they want me to play things up here. I'm getting more and more confident as the weeks go on."

We all know Carroll preaches the gospel of competition. Whitehurst's slow growth (his quarterback rating Sunday was 100.5), Baldwin's dependability as a slot receiver and Browner's starting opportunity are the results of competition.

"We believe in these guys," Carroll said.

They also are testaments to general manager John Schneider's bird-dog's eye for talent.

"It's wholly John Schneider," Carroll said. "Finding guys for us. He was the first guy to mention Charlie's name. He was the first guy to be so over the top about Doug Baldwin. He brought Brandon Browner's name to me. He never rests on the opportunity to make this team better, and I think he deserves all the credit."

Baldwin caught eight passes for 136 yards, which leads us to a couple of questions: Just how smart are these scouts and coaches and GMs who attend the NFL combine? And how could all of them swing and miss on Baldwin like so many Alex Rodriguezes in the ninth inning of a playoff game?

"I think he uses the fact he wasn't drafted all the time. It's a chip that he puts on his shoulder," Obomanu said. "He can say to all those teams that passed him by because of his size, or whatever the case may be, that he can play.

"We talk about it all the time and I think the biggest thing for Doug is getting over that little part of not getting drafted. I was a seventh-round draft pick and I had to get over that. But you have to realize that once you get into the league, that part of it is over. You just have to show that you belong. And Doug did that from Day One."

The backup quarterback, the undrafted free agent, the nomadic CFL corner. They've found jobs in the NFL, and Sunday they found magic in the Meadowlands.

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists