NEW ORLEANS -- With two seconds left, Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks had one last chance for some magic against the New Orleans Saints.

Trailing 25-20, Wilson dropped back to pass from the 10-yard line and took a shot to Jermaine Kearse in the back right corner of the end zone. Kearse had single coverage and made the catch, but the throw was high and he was unable to keep his feet in bounds, sealing Sunday's loss.

The failure to finish was a theme for the Seahawks' offense all game long. Seattle scored just one touchdown on nine offensive possessions against a Saints defense that came into the game allowing 32.5 points per game -- worst in the league.

The Seahawks have now managed just one offensive touchdown in their last 23 possessions.

Richard Sherman (25) and the Seattle defense remain in fine shape, but Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson (3) need to find answers on offense after Sunday's loss to the Saints. Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports

Given that Wilson was playing through his third injury (pectoral) of the season and left tackle George Fant was making his first start since the eighth grade, it looked like the offense was getting a much-needed break against the Saints. The Seahawks moved the ball, and Wilson completed 22 of 34 passes for 253 yards.

But the failure to finish drives doomed the Seahawks in the end, especially considering the matchup on the other side of the ball.

The Saints' offense entered the game averaging 29.5 points per game, second best in the league. And a banged-up Seahawks defense couldn't slow down Drew Brees & Co., allowing New Orleans to score points on six straight possessions (four field goals, two touchdowns) to close out the game.

The Seahawks played 95 snaps in last week's tie against the Arizona Cardinals. The defense was on the field for 72 more snaps against New Orleans. Plus, the Seahawks were playing without starting defensive end Michael Bennett and strong safety Kam Chancellor.

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Seattle will undoubtedly have issues with the officiating. Cornerback Jeremy Lane appeared to be picked on Brees' 2-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks early in the fourth quarter and later on a key third-down play that went for 24 yards.

Defensively, the performance is easily explainable. The Seahawks were banged up, going up against one of the league's best offenses and had a couple of calls that didn't go their way.

Offensively, though, the questions remain.

Penalties continue to be an issue. Overall, the Seahawks were penalized 11 times for 76 yards. The Saints were whistled twice for 10 yards.

Wilson will have to continue to play through injuries. The offense will have to rely on a quick passing game to make up for deficiencies on the offensive line. And running back Thomas Rawls (fibula) is still a couple of weeks away from returning.

The Seahawks will win a lot of games on the back of their defense, but with matchups against the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles coming up, finding answers on offense remains the priority.