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Super Shaun Seahawks upset Raiders 34-27 on Alexander's huge night
Updated: Monday November 12, 2001 3:09 PM
SEATTLE (AP) -- Shaun Alexander replaced Curt Warner and Joey Galloway in the Seattle Seahawks' record book. He came close to replacing Corey Dillon, Walter Payton and O.J. Simpson in the NFL record book, too. Alexander set franchise marks with 266 yards rushing and an 88-yard touchdown run as the Seahawks beat the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders 34-27 on Sunday night. It was the fourth-best rushing game in NFL history behind Dillon's 278 yards set Oct. 22, 2000, against the Denver Broncos in Cincinnati, the late Walter Payton's 275 for the Chicago Bears Nov. 20, 1977, against Minnesota, and O.J. Simpson's 273 for the Buffalo Bills Nov. 25, 1976, against Detroit.
"I think like that," Alexander said, not surprised by his performance. "I dream so big. I think big with everything." The second-year running back from Alabama, starting his fifth consecutive game in place of the injured Ricky Watters, also had TD runs of 6 and 10 yards for the Seahawks (4-4). "He thinks he's pretty good, and he is," head coach Mike Holmgren said. "He was marvelous tonight." The 266 yards on 35 carries broke the team single-game record of 207 yards set by Warner at Kansas City in overtime Nov. 27, 1983. His 88-yard TD run that broke a 20-20 tie late in the third quarter was the longest in team history, breaking the mark of 86 yards on a reverse for a touchdown by Galloway, a receiver, on Nov. 12, 1995, against Jacksonville. On his 88-yard burst, he got a good block at the line of scrimmage from rookie guard Steve Hutchinson and then it was just a matter of whether the Raiders could catch up to him. They couldn't. "It just felt good to go out there and bust a long run," Alexander said. "The biggest thing that I've learned from everybody is to trust your speed. You're in the pros, so you must be fast."
That one even surprised Holmgren. It came on a first-and-12 situation after Bobby Engram made a fair catch of Shane Lechler's punt. "I don't think you ever expect any back in this league to pop an 88-yarder unless it's a blitz situation and that wasn't a blitz situation," Holmgren said. Alexander's teammates have a nickname for him. "We call him O.J. '76 because he reminds you a little bit of the old-time backs," middle linebacker Levon Kirkland said. The Raiders (6-2) had a five-game winning streak broken, and lost after their Monday night victory over Denver at home. They beat the Seahawks 38-14 in Week 3 in Oakland. After the game, head coach Jon Gruden had his Raiders baseball hat pulled down over his face. "I don't know if that was Alexander or Jim Brown out there today," Gruden said. "You're asking me if he's good. He ran for a franchise record. He's real good, man. Real good." Alexander has had three 100-yard games rushing since Watters was lost 6-to-8 weeks with a shoulder injury Sept. 30 in Oakland. He had 176 yards on 31 carries against Jacksonville on Oct. 7. After Alexander's third TD run gave Seattle a 34-20 lead with 7:03 remaining, Oakland cut the deficit on Rich Gannon's 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Roland Williams with 3:40 left. The Raiders got the ball back on their 23 with 67 seconds left after a Seahawks punt. The Raiders took a 20-13 lead when Terry Kirby ran back the opening second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, and Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 37-yard field goal midway in the third. In the first quarter, Seattle's Rian Lindell kicked two field goals and Janikowski booted a 52-yard field goal, his longest of the season. Gannon threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown for Oakland, and Matt Hasselbeck had a 9-yard TD pass to Darrell Jackson with 20 seconds left in the first half. Notes: Raiders backup running back Randy Jordan injured his left shoulder when he caught a 6-yard pass from Gannon early in the third quarter, but returned to the game later. "My arm was underneath me when I flipped trying to get the first down," Jordan said. "It hurts." ... The Seahawks set a team rushing record with 319 yards. Their previous best was 298 set against Denver Dec. 20, 1986. ... Maurice Kelly, who started his third straight game at free safety for the Seahawks in place of the injured Marcus Robertson, suffered a foot injury. ... Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who was sacked 23 times in five previous games, was sacked once.
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