Seahawks Squeak By Colts

A year of losing finally caused Jim Mora's temper to erupt.

"That was a lousy job of coaching and playing out there today," the Indianapolis Colts' first-year coach said Sunday after watching his team blow a 23-10 lead in the fourth quarter of a 27-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

"There was absolutely no reason for us to lose that game. We had it, they didn't care about winning it and we gave it away. We gave it away because we couldn't finish them off."

Mora, 63, was hired by the Colts in January after being out of the NFL since resigning as coach in New Orleans midway through the 1996 season. Mora left after 10½ years with the Saints, one day after a profanity-laced tirade following a loss to the Carolina Panthers.

"There is absolutely no excuse for our team to lose that game," he said after his team finished 0-8 on the road this season. "And we can't be content with being close. We are a young team. Baloney. The rookie quarterback (Peyton Manning). The heck with that.

"I've been calm with you guys, but you don't see me in that locker room or in meetings or on the practice field. I ain't calm now."

The Seahawks (8-7) came back and won on touchdowns in the fourth quarter by Ricky Watters and Shawn Springs after finding out early in he day they had been eliminated from the playoffs. Seattle failed to make the playoffs for the 10th straight year when New England beat San Francisco 24-21 earlier in the day.

That is expected to cost coach Dennis Erickson and some - if not all -- of his assistant coaches their jobs after the season ends next Sunday in Denver. Former San Francisco 49ers coach George Seifert has been rumored to be Erickson's replacement.

In contrast to Mora, Erickson was calm.

"When

Ricky Watters ran his way to a career high of 178 yards, capped by this 33-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. (AP)

Watters, who set a career high with 178 yards on 32 carries, scored on a 33-yard run with 9:19 to go to make it 23-17. Then the Seahawks used their defense to get the winning touchdown.

On a first-down play from the Colts' 26, Phillip Daniels caused Marshall Faulk to fumble and Springs picked up the bouncing ball and ran 14 yards into the end zone. Spring's TD extended the Seahawks' NFL record for most return touchdowns in a season with 13.

Todd Peterson, who missed two long field goal attempts for the Seahawks in the third quarter, hit a 30-yard field goal with 1:57 left to finish the scoring.

The Colts (3-12) had a chance to win the game after a 27-yard pass interference penalty against the Seahawks' Terry McDaniel gave them the ball on the Seattle 7 with 56 seconds to go. But Manning threw four straight incompletions.

Manning was 23-of-39 for 335 yards with one interception. He threw one touchdown pass and set up another with a long pass to Torrance Small.

"A loss means the same thing," Manning said. "Being close, there's no excuse for it. Losing 44-6 or 27-23. There's no difference. We lost the game."

Indianapolis took a 20-10 lead in the third quarter when Mike Vanderjagt kicked a 48-yard field goal -- his third of the game -- and Manning threw a 1-yard TD pass to Marcus Pollard, extending Manning's NFL rookie record to 12 straight games with a touchdown pass.

Vanderjagt's 48-yarder early in the third quarter came after the Seahawks were penalized five yards for running into the kicker on a missed 53-yard attempt.

As time ran out in the first half, Vanderjagt tied the score at 10 when he kicked a 32-yard field goal.

Peterson booted a 42-yard field goal midway through the second quarter.

Seattle held Faulk, a Pro Bowl selection, in check. He didn't start because he arrived late for a meeting and finished wit19 yards on 13 carries. He caught four passes for 16 yards and needs 122 yards receiving in the season finale against Carolina to become the second player in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.

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