This Week in Seahawks History: 2 Horses, 1 Manning

This will be a weekly article series throughout the season looking back on what happened for the Seattle Seahawks 40, 30, 20, and 10 years ago this week. We’re still in preseason mode since this is mid-August, but we’ve nevertheless got a couple of Peyton Manning games to get through!

40 Years Ago

Friday, August 19, 1983

Game Log

The Seahawks broke the seal late in the 1st Quarter when Steve Largent caught a 10-yard TD pass from Jim Zorn. Minnesota stormed back with 13 straight points behind a Jarvis Redwine (was it red, red wine?) 1-yard TD run and a 16-yard TD pass from Steve Dils to Sammy White. Rookie Vikings kicker Steve Schonert missed the PAT attempt wide left to make the score 13-7 in favor of Minnesota. Norm Johnson was good from 37 yards away on a FG to pull Seattle within 3 points just over a minute before halftime. That was enough time for Minnesota to drive down the field as Schonert nailed a 45-yarder to make the score 16-10 at halftime. The score stayed that way until about halfway through the 4th Quarter when Dave Krieg found rookie WR Chris Castor for a 23-yard TD to put the Seahawks ahead 17-16. Sadly, Schonert put Minnesota back in the lead 19-17 with a 28-yard FG and Seattle fumbled on the ensuing drive to end their comeback hopes.

Dave Krieg was 9/15 for 133 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Jim Zorn was 8/13 for 45 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Cullen Bryant paced the RBs with 14 carries for 54 yards. Theotis Brown was the leading receiver with 61 yards on 2 catches.

Kerry Justin was on some kind of heater recording his 3rd interception of the preseason. Manu Tuiasosopo and Robert Hardy each had 2.0 sacks in the defeat.

30 Years Ago

Saturday, August 21, 1993

Game Log

Who doesn’t love a shutout, even in the preseason??

Sandwiched between John Kasay FGs from 49 yards, 28 yards, and 28 yards respectively, was a Brian Blades 14-yard TD catch from Rick Mirer as Seattle stormed out to a 16-0 lead over the 49ers. Eugene Robinson added insult to injury with an 11-yard fumble return off of future Seahawks Legend Ricky “Running” Watters for a TD before the end of the 1st Quarter to make the score 23-0. Seattle scored again just before halftime when Rick Mirer found Robb Thomas from 6 yards away to put the score at 30-0 in favor of the good guys. That’s how the score would stay as the Seahawks coasted to an easy victory over the whiners.

Rick Mirer was 6/12 for 87 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT. Rueben Mayes had 17 carries for 101 yards. Doug, not Robb, Thomas led all WR with 60 yards receiving on 2 catches.

The Seahawks had 4.0 sacks on defense, led by Natu Tuatagaloa with 2.0 sacks. Eugene Robinson blocked a punt to go along with the fumble return for a TD.

20 Years Ago

Friday, August 15, 2003

Game Log

This one started off rough for the Seahawks and didn’t get much better as the game wore on. Matt Hasselbeck was sacked by future Seahawks Legend Dwight Freeney on the first drive and fumbled. Peyton Manning threw a 3-yard TD pass to Marcus Pollard a few plays later to put Indianapolis up 7-0 early. The score would stay that way until the late 2nd Quarter when Manning threw another TD pass, this time to his old buddy Marvin Harrison from the 6 yard line to put the score at 14-0 before halftime. Seattle was driving into Colts territory in the 3rd Quarter when rookie QB Seneca Wallace was strip-sacked. David Macklin returned the fumble for a TD and a 21-0 lead for the Colts. The Seahawks avoided a shutout when UDFA Kerry Carter scored on a 3-yard TD run to put the final score at 21-7.

Seneca Wallace was 10/18 for 84 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, and 1 fumble. Kerry Carter was the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 9 carries for 32 yards and a TD. Current University of Illinois Athletic Director and former NFL TE Josh Whitman was the leading receiver for Seattle, gaining 38 yards on 4 catches.

Really the only notable defensive statistic in the lopsided loss was John Randle’s 1.0 sack.

Not much else to write about – the score looked much worse than it actually was due to 3 lost fumbles for the Seahawks. The Colts only outgained the Seahawks in total yards 193-174. A pretty ugly preseason game all around.

10 Years Ago

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Game Log

Another week, another 2013 preseason blowout – and eventual Super Bowl preview.

Hey look, a recap from Field Gulls courtesy of Ringer superstar Danny Kelly!

After the Seahawks defense forced a 3-and-out on the first drive of the game, Jermaine Kearse caught a 12-yard TD pass from Russell Wilson to put Seattle up 7-0. Denver fumbled on the ensuing drive and Seattle turned that into a 42-yard FG from Steven Hauschka. Peyton Manning – ten years and a different team later – threw an 11-yard TD to Wes Welker as Denver pulled closer at 10-7. Then, the Seahawks released the hounds, scoring 30 unanswered points. Jermaine Kearse started the run with his second TD of the game, this one coming on a 107-yard kickoff return TD following the Welker score. Mere minutes later, Brandon Browner returned a fumble 106 yards for a TD and the 24-7 lead. Hauschka added another FG halfway through the 2nd Quarter as Seattle stretched their lead to 20 points. The Seahawks snuck in another TD just before halftime when Sean McGrath caught a 3-yard pass from Russell Wilson to put Seattle up 33-7, which is where it would remain going into the locker room since Hauschka missed the extra point. The Seahawks backups wanted in on the action and Tarvaris Jackson threw a 38-yard TD pass to Stephen Williams to make the score 40-7. Denver stopped the bleeding in the 4th Quarter with a 33-yard FG to give the final score of 40-10 Seahawks.

Russell Wilson was 8/12 for 127 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT. Tarvaris Jackson was 4/7 for 93 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. Rookie RB Spencer Ware had 54 yards on 9 carries. Stephen Williams was the leading receiver with 2 catches for 45 yards including his 38-yard TD catch.

The Seahawks forced 4 fumbles, one each by Browner, O’Brien Schofield, Heath Farwell, and Brandon Mebane. UDFA Benson Mayowa had another sack, giving him 2.5 sacks at this point in the preseason.