No Pass for the Seahawks- Seattle’s The Team to Beat

Examining the AFC playoff picture it becomes apparent that cases can be made for each of the four remaining teams to represent the conference in the Super Bowl.  However, when looking at the NFC side there is no reason to look beyond the obvious choice.  The top-seeded Seattle Seahawks have all the necessary ingredients to reach Detroit.  If they fail to do so their season should be looked at as a disappointment.Of all the exceptional individual performances in the league this year the performance of Shaun Alexander stood on a plane by itself.  The NFL MVP rebounded from falling a yard shy of the rushing title last year to not only lead the league in rushing, but to also set a new single season touchdown record in the process.  Amazingly Alexander averaged 5.1 yards per carry on his way to rushing for his 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns.  He rushed for over a 100 yards in seven of the team’s last nine games.  The only two exceptions being a blowout win over Philadelphia and the season finale at Green Bay.  In both games Alexander did not see field in the second half.  Paving the way for the NFL’s most productive back are three Pro Bowlers.  Tackle Walter Jones, guard Steve Hutchinson, and fullback Mack Strong have overpowered opponents all season long, making Alexander’s job ever so easy.  

When they were not overpowering defenders they were busy keeping them off of the team’s safety net, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.  Hasselbeck was only sacked 24 times this season, the fourth lowest total for any quarterback playing in all 16 games.  That gave the seven-year pro enough time in the pocket to have a career year on his way to becoming the NFC’s top quarterback.  The Pro Bowler’s 98.2 quarterback rating was head and shoulders above the conferences other highly esteemed signal callers.  Also with four straight games with a quarterback rating above 100, he comes into the playoffs on hot streak that rivals Alexander’s.  Over his last seven games Hasselbeck threw for 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions, likewise not playing the second half of two games.  He gives Seattle something no other remaining NFC team has, a quarterback capable of sustaining drives and converting big play opportunities without making the crucial turnover.  The Seahawks are a very efficient team and that should come as no surprise considering who their coach is.  

While Mike Holmgren may have been overmatched as a general manager and personnel guy, he knows his way around a football field.  The former Bill Walsh assistant who took Green Bay to back-to-back Super Bowls (winning one) and turned Brett Favre from potential bust into someone with a bust in Canton in his future is finally showing signs of his Super Bowl pedigree.  Seattle is the NFL’s highest scoring team and is second in total offense.  Of all the teams running the “west coast offense” Seattle is most deserving of being linked to the 49er teams of the past.  Just like those 49er teams of the past, Seattle just does not boast an offense.  The no-name Seahawk defense is seventh in the NFL in scoring defense and fifth against the run.  

Detractors will point to Seattle’s weak schedule, in particular their NFC West neighbors.  The NFC West might have been weak (the remaining NFC playoff teams are barely better), but the Seahawks were also matched up against the somewhat tough NFC East.  They went 3-1 against the east, winning close games against New York and Dallas, while dropping a heartbreaker to this week’s opponent Washington.  In the loss to the Redskins, Seattle kicker Josh Brown missed a game winning field goal before the Seahawks eventually fell in 20-17 overtime.   In fact, of Seattle’s three losses, only one has been by more than one score.  If someone in the NFC were to beat Seattle they would have to out execute them.  With Seattle playing at Qwest Field, where they went 8-0 this year, no team is likely to do that.  

The stars and planets are in alignment for the Seahawks to reach the first Super Bowl in the franchise’s history.  They have a bona fide star, the conference’s top quarterback, and a coach who has been on the big stage before.  On top of this they have a very respectable defense and home field advantage.  They are a slight favored to represent the NFC in Detroit, but they should be the prohibitive favorite.  Any loss they suffer along the way will undoubtedly be an upset.  Come the first Sunday in February expect to see Seattle representing the NFC in front of the whole world.  They may get stomped, but at least they can say they were there.