Seahawks Win Division, Lose Game

by Shrug on Dec 24, 2006 6:27 PM PST in Seahawks Game Recaps

The good news: The Seahawks are your 2006 NFC West Division Champs and are headed to the playoffs.

The bad news: They do so with almost zero momentum.

Not a lot of time for a recap right now, but the Seahawks lose a bawler to the San Diego Chargers, 20-17. This despite making Philip Rivers look flat-out terrible for three and a half quarters and keeping the prohibitive NFL MVP out of the end zone.

It literally came down to a few dropped passes, and the inability to secure a game-clinching first down in the final moments.

Humorous side note: At Qwest Field during the game, they showed all the scores from the NFL except the Cardinals-49ers game, which Arizona won 26-20. I trust Holmgren requested this to keep the team from scoreboard-watching. Almost worked.

Probably no time for a recap until tomorrow at the earliest. We have Festivus at my house tonight and I have to get the pole set up.

This just in: the Seahawks already trail in the wild-card game, 10-0 with 2 minutes left in the first quarter. Opponent TBD.

Merry Christmas.

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dropped passes

I'm moving beyond thinking that we have inconsistent receivers, because Deion Branch dropping 4 is ridiculous.

Our Wide Receivers Coach, if he's not responsible for the number of drops, is still responsible for fixing it. Nolan Cromwell ought to be getting some heat for this.

by Captain Morgan on Dec 24, 2006 7:40 PM PST reply actions

just remembered

That 3rd and long draw play finally worked. Who wouldda thought Alexander would get a TD out of it?

by Captain Morgan on Dec 24, 2006 7:46 PM PST up reply actions

The draw works every 6th game

its a audible call most of the time also

I don't think the WR coach can be blamed for drops. He could be blamed for bad routes but not drops

"I got to fulfill every defender's dream of punching Tom Nalen in the head" - Chuck Darby

by Scruffy Lefty on Dec 25, 2006 8:54 AM PST up reply actions

Only the second game I've ever been to...

and I really thought we were going to beat the best team in the NFL. Sure we lost, but I think this will be good for us...after all, we almost beat a team wayyyyy better than us. This will only serve to fire the team up before the playoffs, and may allow us to move beyond the first round. The D played tenaciously today (pun intended) but seriously...they were spectacular, aside from LT's one big rush.

by BrettJMiller on Dec 24, 2006 8:04 PM PST reply actions

n/s

Having Boulware back seemed to re-energize the passing defense, although the final TD pass was thrown to his Boulware's guy, courtesy of a rather large cushion. And the run defense was outstanding. LT had a lot of yards, but most of them came on a huge run. He gets at least one of those per game anyway; it's kinda inevitable. Outside of that, the Seahawks contained him as well as anybody else has all season.

It just came down to that last San Diego possession. I had a sinking feeling when we punted the ball back to them that they had too much time left on the clock.

Then I started thinking back on Seattle's dropped passes, the drives that should have ended in TD's but resulted in field goals (and one interception), etc. etc. Happens every game.

Yeah, the Seahawks played much better. No, you never know what'll happen in the playoffs. I guess it's just my somewhat meaningless 10 standard: 10-6 looks more imposing than 9-7. Or, Gawd forbid, 8-8.

But yeah. We broke the curse of teams who ~~lose the Super Bowl~~ score less points than the other team in the Super Bowl not making the playoffs. And the team that ~~won~~ scored more points than us in the Super Bowl got eliminated this afternoon. There's some satisfaction in all that I s'pose. Some.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Dec 24, 2006 8:41 PM PST up reply actions

What would you guys think if we beat Tampa Bay

next week, and then rode through the playoffs and won the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record in the regular season? Would it feel cheap?

Ever since the Cardinals won the World Series I've wondered what it would be like to have my hometown team be very mediocre in the regular season and then win a championship.

by John Spartan @ Field Gulls on Dec 24, 2006 11:47 PM PST reply actions

I'd say

even one default championship because all the other teams die in accidents would be better than the zero we currently have.

Win a few titles and then you can joke about which was the cheapest. At this point, though, beggars can't be choosers.

Lookout Landing

by Jeff on Dec 24, 2006 11:57 PM PST up reply actions

Because of the injuries we suffered

no it wouldn't feel cheap

"I got to fulfill every defender's dream of punching Tom Nalen in the head" - Chuck Darby

by Scruffy Lefty on Dec 25, 2006 8:56 AM PST up reply actions

The way Tampa is playing...

...it's more likely to be 8-8 come playoff time. Just shows you how horrible the NFC is and sort of makes last year's record a bit embarrassing (given the HeeHawks had the second easiest schedule in the league.

But, I dunno, say a miracle occurs and they do make it. Would it feel cheap? I dunno...ask the 1980 Oakland Raiders, They won as a wild card team. (albeit with an 11-5 record).

I don't how a team feels when they a win a division every else is trying to lose.

by dmad43 on Dec 25, 2006 9:18 PM PST up reply actions

rephrased

Let's put this another way- if we beat the best teams in the NFL, will I feel bad?

No, I won't feel bad if we beat the best teams in the NFL.

I think the other teams would feel bad, though. I'm sure the Detroit Tigers feel worse then the St. Louis Cardinals, because

A) they lost the World Series
and
B) they lost the Series to a team with a mediocre record

by Captain Morgan on Dec 25, 2006 11:34 PM PST up reply actions

A ring is a ring.

It wouldn't be entirely unprecendented for the Seahawks to go into the Super Bowl with less than 10 wins on their record. The '78 Rams won the division at 9-7 and lost to the Steelers in the Super Bowl.

It would be a miracle, but given the nature of the National Football Conference, it would not be a flat-out jaw-dropping shock to see the Seahawks go further in the playoffs than seems feasible now.

--Shrug

by Shrug on Dec 26, 2006 10:53 AM PST up reply actions

later thoughts

1) San Diego is the 2nd overall offense, 1st in rushing and 4th in passing. They're 11th in defense, 8th in passing, 16th in rushing.

DVOA says we had a good game. I feel like we had a good game too, considering Shawn Merriman is still in a steroid-induced rage. Alas, I never figured out why we didn't go to the shotgun, it seems like it would have helped.

2) How much did Boulware help the running game?

He was second on the team in tackles with 5, but there were 6 other people tied with 4. Tomlinson had 61 yards minus the breakaway, and it felt like the DEs and LBs did a much better job of collapsing holes. Maybe he did make a difference, but if MIchael hasn't learned anything from the benching and the front line has tightened up, Babineaux could be put back in.

3) Turnovers.

Hasselbeck threw interceptions at the San Diego 34 and 26. The first one was an unlucky ricochet, the second one was horribly overthrown to Bobby Engram. These critical turnovers are killing us. In almost every game this year, you can count on stupid early turnovers and interceptions that have cost us field goals and potential touchdowns, or put us in a hole. By my count, it's St. Louis, St. Louis, San Francisco, Green Bay, San Francisco, Arizona, and now San Diego. 8 games, at the very least.

I like to call it "Super Bowl syndrome". I'm tired of the announcers saying "wow, well, the Seahawks have dominated the game but only have 7/3/0 points to show for it!" when they've been in the red zone 3 or 4 times.

by Captain Morgan on Dec 25, 2006 12:04 AM PST reply actions