Saints rocked by Seahawks as Jets edge out Colts

Matt Hasselbeck passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch scampered 67 yards for a touchdown as Seattle upset the defending Super Bowl champions.

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch, left, leaps backwards in celebration as he jumps into the endzone to score on a long run in the fourth quarter.

Matt Hasselbeck passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch scampered 67 yards for a touchdown as the Seattle Seahawks upset defending Super Bowl champs New Orleans 41-36.

The Seahawks rallied from an early deficit to score 17 consecutive points in the first half of Saturday's NFC wild card play-off game at Qwest Field.

"We felt something special all week and today was a heck of a start for us," Hasselbeck said.

The opening round play-off win comes one week after Seattle became the National Football League's first division winner with a losing record. The Seahawks won the NFC West this season with just seven wins and nine regular season losses.

"I feel pretty calm right now," said Seattle coach Pete Carroll. "We expected to win and in fact it happened. I know it sounds crazy."

In the late game, LaDainian Tomlinson scored two touchdowns and Nick Folk kicked the game-winning field goal on the final play as the New York Jets edged Indianapolis 17-16 to advance to the second round of the play-offs.

The Seahawks held a 34-20 lead early in the final quarter before Saints quarterback Drew Brees looked ready to lead the Saints in a comeback.

But Lynch helped dash their hopes by breaking a half dozen tackles on a long run before scoring a touchdown with 3:22 left.

"I assume people are going to say it was more about what the Saints didn't do and not what we did, or that the Saints lost the game, not us winning it," Seattle wide receiver Mike Williams said.

"Whatever is said it doesn't matter. What matters is the direction our team is in and the focus the guys have in the locker room."

Late in the game, Brees led the Saints on a 70-yard drive, throwing a six-yard touchdown pass to Devery Henderson. But the Saints failed to score on the two-point attempt and then bungled an attempted on-side kick.

Brees finished 39-of-60 for 404 yards and two touchdowns for New Orleans, who earned a wild card berth with their 11-5 record, but were forced to travel to Seattle despite their superior record.

The Seahawks will travel to play next weekend against either Atlanta or Chicago while the Jets have the difficult task of facing the top-seeded New England Patriots next Sunday.

Folk kicked a 32-yard field goal with three seconds left, lifting the Jets to a dramatic victory over the Colts in an see-saw contest.

"I tell you it feels awesome," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "We are moving on. Our offence had to pick up the defence. It was a dogfight. What an amazing feeling.

"We totally dominated the second half offensively and on defence we had to hold serve."

The Jets got a measure of revenge against the Colts who beat them in the conference title game last year.

Peyton Manning and the Colts appeared to be headed for a win when the wheels fell off the team bus.

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri booted a 50-yard field goal with 53 seconds left, giving Indianapolis the lead.

Speedster Antonio Cromartie returned the kickoff 47 yards and then Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez led his troops on a five-play, 40-yard march down the field.

Braylon Edwards jumped high to snare an 18-yard catch along the sidelines to move the ball to the 14, and the Jets called a timeout with three seconds setting the stage for Folk's winning kick.

"It is emotional. Exciting." said Tomlinson. "No one believe in us but we believed in ourselves. We are so happy to move on."