Hawks survive Giants in unbelievable finish

They weren't about to leave early this time. Not like they had before. Even when the New York Giants lined up for three shots at a game-winning field goal.

Even when the Seahawks defense looked like it had nothing left, and when the offense seemed to be all out of the big plays and drives that had won Seattle the previous six games in a row.

They stayed, more than 67,000 strong, and were treated to a finish that will only lead to visions of playoff grandeur and, dare it be said, Super Bowl dreams.

The Seahawks finished off another wild and raucous day at Qwest Field with a 24-21 overtime win over one of the best teams they'll play all season. They won their seventh in a row, remained the NFC's best team with a 9-2 record, kept alive their hopes of getting into the playoffs with home-field advantage throughout, and moved one win from the NFC West title.

A sign in the stands said it best: "9-2 = Respect." It also equals some good fortune, as the outcome came down to the kickers.

There was the Giants' Jay Feely, whose chance to win the game in regulation from 40 yards out sailed wide left. His 54-yard try at the 10:48 mark in overtime came up well short. And for good measure, his 45-yard effort with 6:05 left in overtime was also short.

All the while, Seahawks kicker Josh Brown stood on the sideline, waiting for his chance to be a hero. But the Seahawks couldn't mount a decent drive for almost 10 minutes between the fourth quarter and overtime.

Finally, it happened, and Brown was the man again, just as he was in the Seahawks' comeback win over Dallas earlier this season. Brown's 36-yard field goal split the uprights, and the Seahawks reveled in improving their home record to 6-0 in 2005.

"You can describe highs and lows right there," Brown said, empathizing with Feely. "Fifty-four [yards], I understand exactly what he's facing. The other two, I feel bad."

The Seahawks' decisive overtime drive included a 38-yard bomb from Matt Hasselbeck to D.J. Hackett in front of the Seattle bench. That was followed by two Shaun Alexander runs of 8 and 13 yards.

"I figured we're going to have one shot and one shot only," Brown said. "We needed to get the game over. The guys had been on the field a long time. I didn't really worry about it."

After the game, Feely was feeling the pain. He apologized to his teammates for letting them down.

Asked if he felt the Giants would win the game after his third miss, Feely said no.

"It's hard for the defense to keep coming back and stopping them when they keep getting let down like that," Feely said. "You can't keep giving a good team like Seattle opportunities to move down the field. ... They have a good kicker, and they got in there and made it."

But the Seahawks had a chance to seal the win in regulation. They led 21-13 at the 4:33 mark of the fourth quarter after Alexander burst through the line on fourth-and inches from the Giants' 4-yard line for a touchdown.

The Seahawks had fought back from a 13-7 deficit, their defense surrendering chunks of yards to running back Tiki Barber and to quarterback Eli Manning throwing to receiver Plaxico Burress and tight end Jeremy Shockey.

The Giants gained 490 yards of offense, by far the most the Seahawks have allowed this season. Shockey was particularly effective over the middle, shedding tacklers and creating matchup headaches as Seattle tried a plethora of defenders to cover the 253-pound bruiser.

"He found himself soft spots," cornerback Jordan Babineaux said. "We were just making adjustments trying to find ways to defend him."

Barber, with 151 rushing yards, became the first opposing running back to get a 100-yard game against Seattle's defense.

"If this is the best the NFC has to offer, then that says a lot about us," Barber said.

"A lot of yards, a few points," linebacker Lofa Tatupu said. "I'd rather have it that way than the other way."

The Giants (7-4), playoff contenders out of the hard-core NFC East, showed their mettle with a quick eight-play, 61-yard drive after Alexander's touchdown, capped by Manning's 18-yard touchdown pass to Amani Toomer to get to 21-19 with 1:59 left in regulation. Things got more interesting when Manning hit Shockey for the game-tying two-point conversion.

The game went into overtime, and the Seahawks defense survived while it waited for the offense to get back to its NFL-best form.

When all was said and done, Hasselbeck reflected on the bigger picture for his team, making clear that winning the division and getting into the postseason with homefield advantage are his top goals.

"You want to win as many games as possible so that you can play as many games at home, because it's such a huge advantage," Hasselbeck said.

Indeed it was on Sunday, from start to fantastic finish.

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