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SEATTLE (Ticker) --Jon Kitna threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns, both to Derrick Mayes, and defensive end Michael Sinclair came up with a critical fourth-quarter sack as the Seattle Seahawks posted a 26-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills. Kitna completed 17-of-30 passes, including scoring strikes of seven and 43 yards to Mayes. Ricky Watters added 75 yards on 22 carries for the Seahawks, who bounced back from a loss to the San Diego Chargers in the final seconds last week. "I thought Jon had a pretty good game," Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "He missed a couple of throws in the second half... now it's time to raise his play just a little bit. He still has to make good decisions, however, and I felt he was real solid today." "We were clicking," Watters said. "We felt good. First of all because we were moving the ball, and it was a very good defense we were doing it against." Seattle led 23-0 late in the first half but the Bills (4-3) closed to within 26-16 with 7:32 to go in the contest. Doug Flutie got Buffalo to the Seattle 36 with just over five minutes left but Sinclair beat his man, sacked Flutie and forced a fumble that teammate Sam Adams recovered. "I had a route going to the weak side and I looked and nothing was there," Flutie said. "I felt a rush coming from the outside and I stepped inside of it. I felt someone coming at me and I saw Antowain Smith off to the side of me and he broke to the opposite direction that I thought he was going to break. I held onto the ball and I got hit." "He's great at escaping the sack," Sinclair said. "I thought we did a great job of just continuing to apply pressure and make more plays than he did." Flutie finished 24-of-50 for 294 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 48 yards on five carries. Kitna and Seattle got off to a quick start. Ahman Green returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to the Buffalo 38 and five plays later Kitna found Mayes with a seven-yard scoring toss. After a Buffalo possession went nowhere, Kitna moved the Seahawks 45 yards in 10 plays, culminating in a 40-yard field goal by Todd Peterson with 5:47 left. A poor punt by Chris Mohr on the Bills next series left Seattle with a short field to work with and again Kitna burned the Buffalo defense. He found tight end Christian Fauria with a 19-yard gain, eventually setting up a 21-yard field goal by Peterson that left Seattle with a 13-0 cushion. "Through the course of the week I tried to gather my thoughts," Peterson said. "That's what separates the good kickers from the great kickers and I was thankful to get the opportunity to help the team this week." Flutie finally got the Bills moving early in the second quarter but an interception by backup safety Kerry Joseph ended the threat. Taking over at his own 23, Kitna needed just five plays to extend the Seahawks lead to 20-0. He found Mayes for 27 yards on the drive before the fourth-year receiver split the safeties for a 43-yard touchdown. "That was something we saw on film," Kitna said. "Their safeties get real wide and that exposes the middle of the field. It was just a matter of getting to that seam." "I kinda had the feeling that if I could beat my man, and if there wasn't too much help, that it would be my job to get open," Mayes said. Peterson extended the Seattle lead to 23-0 with 17 seconds left in the second quarter following a 42-yard field goal. A squib kick and 26-yard pass from Flutie to Kevin Williams set up a 50-yard field goal by Steve Christie on the final play of the half. Flutie engineered a 15-play, 84-yard drive midway through the third quarter. He capped the possession by finding Price with an 18-yard scoring strike but a bad snap resulted in a failed extra point attempt. Kitna's 39-yard pass to Sean Dawkins early in the fourth quarter set up another field goal by Peterson, this time a 34-yarder that pushed the Seattle edge to 26-9. Flutie answered immediately, finding tight end Jay Riemersma with a one-yard toss that sliced the Bills deficit to 10 with 7:32 to go. Mayes finished with 105 yards on six receptions while Price, seeing increased action following the injury to Eric Moulds, had five catches for 106 yards. It was the third career 100-yard game for Mayes while Price, a rookie, reached the plateau for the first time in his career. "I had some rookie jitters, and I let a few balls slip through my hands," Price said. "After that I relaxed a little and got more confidence."
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