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Seahawks throttle Saints in preseason opener

The game largely was an exercise in humility for the Saints, who finished 2004 on a four-game winning streak, then talked throughout the offseason about looking even better and being eager to get back on the field. They turned the ball over three times in the first half, all leading to Seattle touchdowns. The Seahawks had a 24-3 lead by halftime, when a number of fans booed the Saints as they walked off the Louisiana Superdome turf.

Deuce McAllister fumbled three plays in when he was stripped behind the line of scrimmage by Niko Koutouvides. Seattle linebacker Michael Boulware recovered the ball on the Saints 18, setting up Hasselbeck",s 13-yard scoring pass to Bobby Engram. Hasselbeck went to the bench for good early in the second quarter, having completed 6 of 10 passes for 40 yards.

New Orleans only score with the starters came on the second drive. It was comprised of three strong runs by McAllister and a couple of short passes from Aaron Brooks. John Carney capped it with a 50-yard field goal.