Special teams were ‘story of the day’ for Seahawks

SEATTLE – Special teams are often an underappreciated and overlooked part of football.

But on Sunday afternoon, the game’s third phase was front and center for the Seattle Seahawks.

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Over a 10-minute span in the first half, rookie Tory Horton delivered the longest punt return touchdown in franchise history, D’Anthony Bell blocked a punt and Dareke Young added a long kickoff return to spark Seattle’s 44-13 rout of the New Orleans Saints.

“The story of the day, honestly, was our special teams unit,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said. “Those guys deserve a lot of credit. I gave (special teams coach) Jay Harbaugh a game ball. … Just great all around.”

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The onslaught of special teams highlights began midway through the first quarter, when Horton scored on a franchise-record 95-yard punt return to give Seattle a 14-0 lead. It was the Seahawks’ first punt return TD since Tyler Lockett took one back in Week 1 of 2015.

Horton, a fifth-round draft pick, had three punt return touchdowns during his standout college career at Colorado State.

“Once the ball’s in my hands, it’s reading blocks, really,” said Horton, who also had a touchdown reception for the second straight game. “It kind of takes me back to my youth self (with) that little game of sharks and minnows. That’s something that I try to bring back.

“You’ve gotta weave through some. Some of them you’ve just gotta knife through and just try to find little creases to help those blocks out.”

TORY HORTON GOES 95 YARDS TO THE CRIB!

NOvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/nwjvDYnnD2

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Horton fielded the punt at the 5-yard line and used a strong block from cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett to gain separation from the initial wave of New Orleans’ punt coverage unit. Horton then juked his way past another Saints player and burst through a lane up the middle before getting a punishing block from linebacker Chazz Surratt, who cleared the last line of defense by leveling punter Kai Kroeger to the ground.

From there, the speedy Horton cruised the rest of the way and etched his name in the Seahawks record books – in just his third NFL game, no less.

“I came to the sideline talking to (Jake) Bobo and I was like, man, I’m still gassed from that punt return,” Horton said. “And then I looked on the iPad and I was like, 95? And I was like, no wonder I’m so tired. I just ran the whole field.”

Horton made sure to credit his teammates for making it possible.

“It wouldn’t have gotten started without them,” Horton said.

The first punt return TD by the @Seahawks in 10 years! pic.twitter.com/JPMxMFO7Xo

— NFL (@NFL) September 21, 2025

Later in the first quarter, Seahawks safety D’Anthony Bell raced untouched around the left edge and blocked a punt, which set up Seattle’s offense on the 11-yard line. The Seahawks cashed in two plays later to make it 21-0.

Bell opened the season on the practice squad, but has been elevated for the past two games to help fill in for the team’s shorthanded secondary.

“It was something that we had prepped for all week,” Bell said of the punt block. “So shout-out coach Jay. He had seen it, and he was like, hey, when we get an opportunity here, let’s take advantage of it.”

Early in the second quarter, Young added to the special teams highlights by taking his first-ever NFL kickoff return 60 yards down the right sideline. That set up a three-play, 38-yard touchdown drive that stretched the Seahawks’ lead to 28-3.

Young’s long return was aided by a strong initial block from undrafted rookie running back Jacardia Wright – another practice squad player who was elevated for Sunday’s game.

“I think you felt the strength of the 70 today,” Macdonald said, referring to the 53-man roster and the 17-man practice squad. “Really proud of those guys. It’s hard to stay ready when you’re not in a prominent role, and these guys have done that.”

Special teams hamstrung the Seahawks at times last season, as they dealt with a slew of mistakes in their return game.

But it’s been the complete opposite this year. In addition to Sunday’s special teams success, Seattle also got a blocked field goal from Julian Love in Week 1 and a rare end-zone kickoff recovery for a touchdown from George Holani in Week 2.

Essentially, the Seahawks have made five impact plays on special teams over the first three weeks.

“That hypes everybody up, both sides of the ball – offense and defense,” Seattle defensive tackle Byron Murphy II said of those big moments. “And vice versa, if the defense goes out there and gets a four-and-out, a pick, a sack, that turns up the offense and special teams. We’re all one – 12 as one.”

Horton scores longest punt return TD in Seattle Seahawks history

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