Dilfer, Wallace play well in Seahawks' win

SEATTLE (AP) -- Trent Dilfer, Seneca Wallace -- and don't forget about Pro Bowler Matt Hasselbeck.

Yes, the Seattle Seahawks sure look solid at quarterback.

Dilfer completed 17 of 20 passes for 211 yards and two first-half touchdowns and Wallace led a late drive for the winning field goal as the Seahawks beat the Minnesota Vikings 23-21 on Thursday night.

Josh Brown kicked a 28-yarder with no time remaining after Wallace led a nine-play, 68-yard drive in the final 2:57.

"It was just confidence," said Wallace, who was 15-of-25 for 148 yards. "You start seeing things. We knew on that last drive we needed a field goal to win, and guys made big plays for us."

Brown also kicked a 41-yard field goal with 5:21 to play and hit a 39-yard try early in the second half.

Minnesota's Larry Ned, playing for injured running back Michael Bennett, scored on a 1-yard run and caught a 10-yard scoring pass from Shaun Hill as the Vikings erased a 10-point deficit in the third period, taking a 21-17 lead.

"I knew coming in I had to make some plays in the backfield," Ned said.

Wallace was shaky earlier in the half but he looked cool when Seattle took possession on its 22 just under the 3-minute mark.

Minnesota's Rod Davis was penalized 15 yards for a personal foul after a helmet-to-helmet hit on a 7-yard catch by Antoine Burns with 1:57 on the clock. The penalty moved the ball to the Vikings' 44.

Four plays later, a 16-yard run by Kerry Carter put the Seahawks at the 13 and he followed with a 3-yard run up the middle. Wallace ran the clock down to three seconds, then called timeout for the kick.

Coach Mike Holmgren was impressed by Wallace's performance.

"A couple of balls fell for him early but he settled in," Holmgren said. "Anytime you take a team 75 or 80 yards downfield, I don't care who's playing quarterback. That's a good thing."

With starter Hasselbeck watching from the sideline all night, Dilfer and Wallace made the Seahawks look deep at quarterback -- even with Brock Huard out for the season with a strained lower back.

"I felt good," Dilfer said. "It was fun to play a little bit and to have some fun. It felt good to take some reps."

Dilfer played only the first half but was sharp, spreading his passes among seven receivers. One of his few mistakes came on the opening drive, when he forced a pass under pressure right into the arms of Vikings defensive tackle Steve Martin.

"Trent is a pro," Holmgren said. "The thing I liked about him was that he was working with young receivers and he didn't care. He was going to play the position."

It was the final preseason game for both teams, and neither coach was willing to risk an injury to a star.

Shaun Alexander joined Hasselbeck on Seattle's sideline while Minnesota receiver Randy Moss passed the whole game on the bench, draped in a purple warmup jacket with a towel over his head.

"We held a bunch of guys out. Mike held a bunch of guys out," Vikings coach Mike Tice said.

Daunte Culpepper played only one series but looked ready for the regular season. He completed all five throws for 92 yards on Minnesota's opening drive, capping it with a 22-yard TD pass to wide open Jermaine Wiggins to put the Vikings up 7-0.

"He's been like that all preseason," Tice said. "He has completed a high percentage of his passes -- in the 70s. He has done an excellent job of working the offense. He's very poised right now."

Grant Wistrom, who joined Seattle as a free agent, played his first game in a Seahawks uniform and drew big cheers when he helped linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski drop Mewelde Moore for no gain on Minnesota's second play.

"Man, it was great," said Wistrom, who has been nursing plantar fasciitis in his right foot. "I am looking forward to a lot more."

The Seahawks tied it 7-7 when Dilfer threw a 5-yard TD pass to Jason Willis with 2:42 left before halftime. Dilfer made it 14-7 just before the break with a 7-yard TD strike to Burns, who had a 72-yard gain on the previous play.

Game notes
Seattle FB Chris Davis was carted off the field early in the second half for X-rays on his right knee. Holmgren said he'd know more about the injury Friday. ... Vikings TE Rich Angulo left with a sprained left knee. ... Seattle-area Olympians Brett McClure (gymnastics), Tara and Dana Kirk (swimming), Michael Callahan and Emil Kossev (rowing) were honored at halftime.