Worst. Seahawks. Ever!
by Johnny Peel (DKSB) on Jan 6, 2010 8:50 PM PST
in Commentary
33 comments
Last year back on my humble little home blog, I ranked every squad in team history (76-08), and planned to come back after the '09 season and adjust the rankings. Sadly, I've concluded that this version of the Seahawks is the worst that the franchise has ever fielded. Worse than the '76 expansion Hawks, worse than the 14-loss 1992 team.
How can a 5-win team be considered worse than teams that only notched a pair of victories? My detailed explanation after the jump...
First, to follow with the methodology I established on my own blog:
34. 2009
Record: 5-11
Offensive Rank: 25th out of 32 teams
Defensive Rank: 25h out of 32
Turnover Ratio Rank: 26th out of 32
Team MVP: Olindo Mare
High Point: Seahawks 20, 49ers 17
Low Point: Buccaneers 24, Seahawks 7
How bad were the 2009 Seahawks? Not only did no members of the team get selected to the Pro Bowl, but the team's two best players were probably Kicker Olindo Mare and Punter Jon Ryan. No other Seahawks team in franchise history lost in blowout fashion more than the '09ers, who lost seven games by margins of 17 points or more. The 2009 Seahawks had no 1,000 yard rusher, no 1,000 yard reciever, and no defender with more than five sacks or more than three interceptions.
Not only did this team lose, but they often lost big with little fight and even less pizazz. The expansion Hawks of '76 and the 1980 4-win team had Zorn and Largent to at least create a modicum of offensive excitement, and the '92s boasted Cortez Kennedy's DPOY performance, a memorable MNF win over the hated Broncos, and a 1,000-yard rusher in Chris Warren. Even in 2008 the Seahawks were more competitive, dropping close games to the Patriots, 49ers, Dolphins, Redskins and Cardinals, and beating Brett Favre's Jets in Holmgren's final snowglobe home game.
Even most of Seattle's wins in 2009 were disheartening. Yes, it was a blast killing the Niners' season with a late FG, and it was fun to see the Seahawks flatten Jacksonville 41-0... But falling behind the 2-win Lions 17-0 at Qwest before winning ugly? Ugh. Two more wins over the overmatched, 1-win Rams? Nothing to celebrate, other than a feeling of relief that the Seahawks didn't dishonor themselves with defeats.
Embarassing, non-descript shittiness. That's the legacy of the 2009 Seahawks. May a quick tunaround lead to the '09s being a shameful, but soon forgotten, footnote in team history.
BONUS: My complete rankings of all 34 squads in franchise history.. links take you to my write-up on each. Enjoy!
1. 2005 2. 1984 3. 1983 4. 2007 5. 1986 6. 2003 7. 2006 8. 1988 9. 1987 10. 1979 11. 1990 12. 1978 13. 2001 14. 1999 15. 2004 16. 1998 17. 1985 18. 1997 19. 1995 20. 2002 21. 1991 22. 1996 23. 1989 24. 1982 25. 1977 26. 1981 27. 1993 28. 1994 29. 2000 30. 2008 31. 1980 32. 1976 33. 1992 34. 2009
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2009 wasn't really the worst season, but...
I’d buy an argument it was the most embarrassing. Having Frank Gore have a near career long run and then break the record about an hour later. The franchise setting a record for rushing futility in the Cards game, then breaking their own record about a month later. The Jared Allen-esque “wtf-lateral” Hass threw in the TB loss, arguably the worst performance of his career. Then losing that game, the worst team by winning percentage (assuming at least 1 win) the Seahawks have ever lost to (1-12). At home, by 3 scores. 9 out of 11 defeats were by double digits. 5 defeats were by 20+. Both franchise records.
Oh, and don’t forget these.
Despite having a better record, Seattle played worse in 2009 than in 2008, per FO. So I’d put it lower than 2008, but probably higher than 1992. As awful as the Seahawks were, they had an “expected wins” total around 4, so I couldn’t put them behind a 2-14 team in good conscience.
Also the high point of the season was either the Jacksonville or Rams shutouts. The 49ers win was painful for me- it hurt our draft stock and added some small degree of job security for Mora. That plus it was a very unimpressive win- the 49ers looked like the better team even in defeat.
by kearly on Jan 6, 2010 9:56 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Two Frank Gore runs weren't anywhere near as embarrassing as the 2002 run defense
by Nate Dogg on Jan 6, 2010 10:06 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree
I’m just saying those Gore runs were so painful/embarrassing to watch. That game was full of iconic bad moments now that I think about it.
by kearly on Jan 6, 2010 10:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Hasselbeck's scramble has soured with age.
by John Morgan on Jan 6, 2010 10:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Agree completely
That decision looks worse and worse. As much as I would like Seattle to move on from Hasselbeck, the truth is, they aren’t ready for that yet.
That hit might have cost Hasselbeck two or three years of being an acceptable QB while Seattle groomed his successor. It didn’t just kill the 2009 season, but it puts the Seahawks and their new GM in a terribly difficult position this offseason.
by kearly on Jan 6, 2010 10:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Hasselbeck is so reckless with his body if it wasn't the Willis hit it would've been another
by Nate Dogg on Jan 6, 2010 10:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Probably
I will say, I don’t hold any ill-will against Willis for that. He was just playing hard, and it was an unfortunate result. I hate Willis, but only because he is a good player on the 49ers and not for any other reason.
by kearly on Jan 6, 2010 10:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed.
Darnell Dockett is another story; that elbow was cheap.
by thebyron on Jan 6, 2010 10:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I still like those unis...
Whenever I play Madden, I have my Seahawks wear those.
by chrees on Jan 6, 2010 10:13 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I dig em
I wish we try them out again…
the only think I would change is make the green a bit more green (it looks too light until they get wet, then it’s better) and run the blue stripe on the arm, down the side of the jersey into the pants. I think that would tie it in a bit better.
I love Seahawks and Sounders lime green….love it
I Bleed Blue and Green
by DSAhawker on Jan 6, 2010 10:22 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Everyone is entitled to their opinion on subjective matters,
But I would point out that you or I don’t have to wear them to work. Just look at how “thrilled” Burleson and Housh look wearing the uniforms in that photo.
The retirement of these jerseys was surprisingly sudden and swift. I don’t think its a huge mystery why. : )
by kearly on Jan 6, 2010 10:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Housh looks like he wants to throw down.
by John Morgan on Jan 6, 2010 10:44 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I love Housh
I feel sorry for him, being a Seahawk.
by kearly on Jan 6, 2010 10:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I would give anything to wear these to work.
by BrianL on Jan 6, 2010 11:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I would sacrifice Robert to the football gods to wear these to work.
by BrianL on Jan 6, 2010 11:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I would give Scruffy free reign to make fun of my height for a week to wear these to work.
by BrianL on Jan 6, 2010 11:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Doesn't Scruffy already have free reign to do that?
by Nate Dogg on Jan 6, 2010 11:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
You should buy some.
Due to a huge stock and nobody buying them, a lot of stores are selling these things at #37 prices.
If nothing else, it would be worth it as a way of repelling those pesky female fans.
by kearly on Jan 7, 2010 3:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I think they're trying to look BAD
Michael Jackson Bad
yea dude
by dirtyktm on Jan 7, 2010 5:09 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Mora's retirement of these jerseys
just shows he’s unfit to lead.
And Housh always looks like he wants to throw down.
by DrunkAmerican on Jan 7, 2010 1:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Mare has an argument
Ryan isn’t even as good as Nick Reed.
by John Morgan on Jan 6, 2010 10:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
NOBODY is as good as Nick Reed.
FIRE JIM MORA NOW!
by SSreporters on Jan 7, 2010 8:03 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe you guys mostly weren't around in 1980
But that was the worst. We were 0-8 at home! We lost every single home game! After getting to 9-7 for 2 straight years and really getting the home fans pumped, they dropped every stinking game in the Kingdome that year. That was the first year I went to every home game, and it stunk.
by lordtd on Jan 6, 2010 10:28 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I disagree with the part about "Nothing to celebrate" with the 2 victories over St. Louis.
The shutout was a great way to start the season, even if in hindsight it was just setting up our hopes to be dashed.
by thebyron on Jan 6, 2010 10:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
2009 was the worst year for me, for a number of reasons
1) Living in Toronto Canada, historically, I would actually get to watch a couple Seahawks games per year on TV: any Monday night contest, the occasional 4:00 game, any game against the Bills, the occasional trip to the sportsbar when the Hawks were playing a friend’s team. I’ve been a fan of the team since the early 80s but it’s only the last 5 years or so that I’ve been able to pick up all their games on cable (thanks to time-shifting and getting most Vancouver and Seattle stations in my cable pakckage. So while, say, the 1992 team might have been worse, I didn’t have to watch them suck week in and week out like I have with the 2008 and 2009 teams. And it’s no contest between 08 and 09. 08 featured a ton of injuries and a scrappy team that lost some close games to good teams. 09 has no injury excuse (at least not to the same extent as 08) and blowout after blowout.
2) That loud bang and shattering glass wasn’t just the closing of a superbowl window, it was the violent smashing of the Seahawks Superbowl window. It was one thing to stink in ‘92 after half a decade of mediocrity. It’s another thing in 2009 to stink after 5 consecutive playoff appearances, a Superbowl appearance, etc. Yeah, in retrospect, 2008 was the beginning of the end, but at the time it seemed like an injury fueled anomoly. Numerous experts picked the Matt Hasselbeck/TJ Houshmandzadeh/Lofa Tatupu/Aaron Curry Seahawks to win the division. No one expected the Stan Gelbaugh Seahawks to accomplish anything. Oh, and the 92 team had a putrid offense but a respectable defense. The 2009 had a putrid offense and a putrid defense.
3) The 2009 Seahawks gave up but Jim Mora Jr still has a job. (note: Tom Flores was awful too)
by Keasley on Jan 7, 2010 10:35 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
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