SEATTLE — Matt Cassel rallied the New England Patriots when they needed him most.

New England's fill-in quarterback calmly stared down blitzes for completions with his team's playoff chances in the balance. Then Sammy Morris leaped into the end zone from 1 yard on fourth down with 2:44 remaining and the Patriots rallied past the Seattle Seahawks 24-21 today.

One week after flopping with four turnovers in a home loss to Pittsburgh that put New England on the outside rail of the AFC playoff race, Cassel was 26 of 44 for 268 yards passing and a touchdown, with no turnovers.

The Patriots forged a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East lead after Brandon Meriweather sacked Seneca Wallace with 1:54 left and Richard Seymour recovered the fumble to clinch it.

The New York Jets lost at San Francisco. Miami beat Buffalo in Toronto. All three teams are 8-5.

New England withstood the loss of four injured starters on defense and a rare two-touchdown receiving day from former teammate Deion Branch.

Cassel, looking more like the guy who had consecutive 400-yard passing games than the one Pittsburgh harried into four turnovers in New England's 33-10 loss at home last week, was 5-for-8 on the decisive drive that began with 8:47 left at the New England 29. He converted third-down throws to Jabar Gaffney and Wes Welker, who caught a season-high 12 passes for 134 yards.

Welker's third catch of the drive included a stiff-arm of safety Brian Russell on a 25-yard play to the Seahawks 6. Three runs later, Morris jumped in off left guard for the score.

Wallace, making the ninth start of his six-year career because Matt Hasselbeck's back is hurting again, was 20-for-28 with 212 yards passing and a career-high-tying three touchdowns for Seattle (2-11), which lost for the sixth consecutive time and is off to its worst start since a franchise-worst 2-14 season in 1992.

The Seahawks led 14-13 late in the third quarter when Branch caught a short pass on the sideline, faked out formerly retired Junior Seau and then went 63 yards. Branch then tipped Wallace's 4-yard touchdown pass to himself with his outstretched left hand to give Seattle a 21-13 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Seattle led 14-10 at halftime and had 187 yards of offense, as many as its had in three games this season — despite Hasselbeck missing his sixth game with a back injury and fourth-fifths of the offensive line out.

Branch was playing his fifth game of the season following reconstructive knee surgery and a bruised heel. After his 14-yard scoring catch began the scoring, he took a bow and kept the ball after his first touchdown since Dec. 16, 2007.

Just two days after again coming out of retirement for a second time to aid New England's injured linebackers, Seau entered in the second quarter.

Starter Tedy Bruschi limped off the field with a left knee injury after getting hit by a teammate while trying to tackle Maurice Morris on a 4-yard run. Bruschi was in pain and a Seahawks trainer rushed to his side before New England medical personnel could get across the field.

Just Bruschi walked to the locker room a few minutes later, Seattle tight end John Carlson beat Seau on an out route on the third play for the 12-time Pro Bowler. The 10-yard touchdown that gave Seattle a 14-3 lead, which New England trimmed to 14-10 on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Cassel to Benjamin Watson.

New England was already missing starting outside linebacker Pierre Woods, who was inactive for the first time this season with a jaw injury. Then defensive tackle Vince Wilfork went to the locker room in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. And safety James Sanders left in the third quarter after hurting his ribs.