A football team with momentum can do a lot of things, most of them good. Seattle chose the unusual option of giving it away Sunday.

And the recipient Seattle chose - Denver quarterback John Elway - made sure the Seahawks never saw it again.

The Seahawks had just put up 14 points in 16 seconds late in the first half. The Kingdome crowd was going bonkers. Seahawks were whooping it up, waving their arms to the fans to bring on more noise.

In 51 seconds, Elway directed a momentum-altering field-goal drive. It was the first three of 25 unanswered points as the Broncos swamped the Seahawks 35-14 before an announced crowd of 55,859.

Perhaps the Seahawks have been out of touch with momentum for so long, they’ve forgotten how to sustain it. Seattle is 0-2 for the third straight year under Coach Dennis Erickson, and has been outscored 76-17.

“We need to get it straightened out - in a hurry,” offensive lineman Pete Kendall said. “We’re in the second week of September and it’s already starting to feel late.”

Seattle was down 10-0 before its only real flurry of the game. Lamar Smith, spelling Chris Warren, rushed for 45 yards on five attempts and quarterback Warren Moon had five completions to fuel a scoring drive. Carlester Crumpler caught a 12-yard pass for the Seahawks’ first touchdown of the season.

On Denver’s next play from scrimmage, end Michael Sinclair sacked Elway and jarred the ball loose. Chad Brown scooped up the ball in stride for a 26-yard TD return. Though dominated most of the half, Seattle suddenly led 14-10.

“It was a go-ahead touchdown, a big play,” Brown said. “I was thinking let’s go down and do something.”

Todd Peterson’s squib kick gave Denver good field position at its 36. Continuing a trend in the first half, Elway picked on Seattle rookie cornerback Shawn Springs with two completions to Ed McCaffrey for 22 yards. Jason Elam booted a 51-yard field goal and Seattle’s lead was 14-13 at half.

“We were a little soft, playing not to give up the touchdown,” Brown said, “and it took away whatever momentum we had going into the half.”

Elway appeared unfazed by Sinclair’s and Brown’s big play.

“He’s been in more tense, difficult situations than nearly anybody,” McCaffrey said. “You can tell when he gets in the huddle. He calls the play quick. He likes to get to the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t let anything bother him.”

Seattle was little more than a speed bump to the Broncos in the second half. Terrell Davis (107 yards, 21 carries) and Elway (18 of 26 for 197 yards) worked over the Seahawks’ defense.

McCaffrey beat Springs on an out-and-up for a 21-yard TD catch to put Denver on top 19-14 late in the third quarter. Elway passed to a wide-open Shannon Sharpe for a two-point conversion and a 21-14 lead.

Moon tried to answer, but cornerback Darrien Gordon perfectly timed his jump on a slant route and his interception and 32-yard TD return doubled Denver’s lead to 28-14.

“From the film studies, we knew they like to run slants in that particular area,” Gordon said. “I got inside and Warren threw it right to me.”

Surprisingly, Moon confirmed Gordon’s statement.

“We have a tendency sometime to throw slant on third and short or medium,” said Moon, 20 of 33 for 222 yards in his first start in place of injured John Friesz. “I can’t fault anybody on that except myself… That (slant) was the only time we did it today, but we have done that in the past. We got burned by it the one time.”

Moon then led the Seahawks to Denver’s 39. Needing two yards for a first down, Seattle tried three consecutive running plays and netted 1 yard. Denver took over on downs.

Six plays later, Davis breezed in from the 1 for Denver’s last touchdown. The drive was aided by a pass interference penalty on cornerback Willie Williams. Springs had been whistled twice for pass interference and once for illegal contact in the first half.

Denver coach Mike Shanahan pointed back to the field goal late in the first half as crucial. “It sure was a difference with the score 14-13 compared to 14-10,” he said.

It was to Seattle, too.

“I definitely thought we had the momentum,” Sinclair said. “but we came out flat in the second half.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo