SEATTLE, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A 56-yard punt return by Nate Burleson served as a wakeup call for Seattle Sunday, as the Seahawks pulled away to defeat Tampa Bay, 20-6.
The Buccaneers owned a 6-3 lead late in the first half, after the Seahawks struggled on offense. But Burleson returned a punt to the Tampa Bay 14-yard line and it took just three plays for Shaun Alexander to produce a one-yard touchdown run that put the Seahawks in front for good.
Seattle did not put the game away, however, until Maurice Morris caught a 34-yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck with 6:59 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Hasselbeck completed 17 of 24 passes for 222 yards while Alexander had 105 yards on 27 carries.
Tampa Bay lost running back Carnell Williams with bruised ribs in the third period, and quarterback Jeff Garcia -- in his debut as the Buccaneers starter -- missed parts of two drives in the second half after receiving a blow to the head.
