ATLANTA, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Shawn Alexander raced 27 yards for a touchdown with 4:24 left in overtime Sunday to give the Seattle Seahawks a 30-24 upset victory over Atlanta after Michael Vick had brought the Falcons from behind in the closing seconds of regulation.
The Falcons received the overtime kickoff and drove 64 yards to within easy field goal range only to have Jay Feely miss wide right on a 36-yard attempt with 8:05 remaining.
"From 37 yards I should make it regardless," Feely said. "All I can say is that I let my team down. I just have to do better and come back next week and try to make one again. I have to shoulder this burden. That's my job to make field goals."
Vick, who passed for 114 yards in the fourth quarter, drove the Falcons 77 yards in the closing two minutes and capped that effort with a 13-yard scoring strike to Trevor Gaylor with 17 seconds left in regulation.
It was the fourth overtime game for the Falcons this year and the 22nd in the league overall, the most ever in a single NFL season.
The loss dropped Atlanta to 8-5-1 and jeopardized its playoff chances. Seattle, out of the playoff picture, improved to 5-9.
The Falcons built a 17-7 halftime lead as Seattle blew two opportunities in the second quarter, fumbling at the Atlanta three early in the period and failing to make a first down in the middle of the period on third and one at the Falcons' 23.
Seattle opened the scoring with a three-yard run by Alexander after Ken Lucas intercepted a Vick pass and returned it 27 yards. That lead lasted only 13 seconds as Allen Rossum returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards.
Atlanta took a 14-7 lead with 13 seconds left in the first period when Vick threw a 20-yard pass to Gaylor. The lead grew to 17-7 with 24 seconds left in the half on a 22-yard Feely field goal.
The Seahawks rallied on the passing arm of Matt Hasselback, who completed 22 of 31 for 298 yards, and the running of Alexander, who had 127 yards on 28 carries. They stormed into the lead in the third quarter.
Hasselback's five-yard strike to Jerramy Stevens capped a 74-yard march and cut the margin to 17-14 and Willie Williams 25-yard fumble return put Seattle in front, 21-17.
Rian Lindell kicked a 43-yard field goal with 1:55 left in the game and Atlanta, with no timeouts left, appeared out of the game before Vick led the Falcons on their desperation drive.
Vick completed 21 of 38 passes for 240 yards and rushed for 40 yards on 13 carries. But he was intercepted twice and lost a fumble. Warren Dunn led Atlanta's rushing with 101 yards on 20 carries.
The Falcons fell to 1-2-1 in overtime this year. Atlanta is one overtime game away from the record of five set by the 1983 Green Bay Packers.
"I think we did a nice job on Vick, who is a wonderful player," Seahawks Coach Mike Holmgren said. "He's going to get his yards. Vick changes your whole deal. It almost takes you out of some of your blitzing game.
"You have to stay discilpined in your pass rush so that he doesn't see the big openings in the lanes. He still makes plays and he is that talented of a guy. Right now at this stage of his career you try to keep him in the pocket if you can."
