I spent all week downplaying the importance of this game, focused on two facts: It wasn't a "must-win" for the Seahawks, and our chances of winning the NFC West were minimal even with a victory over the 49ers. Once again, the Seahawks revealed just how little I know about professional football. On the sport's biggest stage, they treated the Kings of the Power Rankings like asphalt treated Evel Knievel's bones & organs. With the nation watching, they played their best game of the season, against their strongest opponent and most hated foe. After three delirious, joyful hours it became clear: The Seahawks don't need to be in Seattle to win playoff games. Whether the games are played at FedEx Field, or the Georgia Dome, or Lambeau Field or the Moon, or inside an active volcano, these Hawks can win. They can win FOUR games on the road this postseason, y'all (including the last one down in New Orleans).
Sure, this game won't mean jack if we end up losing at San Francisco in the playoffs- but will the Niners even make it that far in the tournament? After the physical beating/domination they just absorbed on national television San Francisco will be hard-pressed to even win a home game in the Wild Card round. They SHOULD beat Arizona at home next week, but beating, say, Minnesota the week after? Will their minds (and bodies) sufficiently mend by then?
The Seahawks are headed for the playoffs for the 12th time in franchise history, and only in 2005 did they enter the postseason with a better chance to reach the Super Bowl. By pretty much any statistical metric you could cite Seattle boasts the NFL's best defense, and over the last month the offense has grown to match (or arguably exceed) their execution. Tonight the defense fractured a San Francisco offense that dropped 41 points in Foxboro one week ago, forcing two turnovers and keeping the Niners out of the end zone until garbage time.
Kam Chancellor's brutal, legal and unfairly flagged hit on Vernon Davis in the second quarter didn't just knock the Pro Bowl tight end out of the game, it also appeared to break the will of the 49ers. Just a few plays later, Red Bryant's blocked kick was scooped/scored by Richard Sherman and the competitive phase of the game was emphatically ended. Colin Kaepernick was left looking like a rookie QB- Well, a regular, shaky rookie QB... Not a rookie QB like, say... Russell Wilson?
Wilson delivered another performance that somehow topped what he did the week before: 4 TD passes (out of only 15 completions), and an ever-growing ability to frustrate and embarrass enemy defenders with his nimble feet and shoulder-mounted flame thrower/right arm. Whether he wins OROY or not, he's going to be one of the most dangerous QBs in this upcoming postseason. RGIII can have that trophy- I'm sure DangeRuss would rather have the playoff win over Griffin's squad in the Wild Card round. Doug Baldwin made multiple ridiculous catches (and seems to have recaptured his 2011 form), and Marshawn Lynch notched ANOTHER 100-yard rushing performance. Seattle's offense looks primed to fold, spindle and mutilate the opposition over the next six weeks.
If the Seahawks win next week, they'll be the first 11-5 squad in team history, and they'd close out the 3rd best regular season Seattle has ever seen, behind only 2005 (13-3) and 1984 (12-4). Even if they go one-and-done in the playoffs, 2012 will go down as an unreservedly successful campaign. The foundations of great offensive and defensive units are laid, and Seattle has found a quarterback that can lead them to championship contention for the next decade... but there's no reason for these Seahawks to wait in their turn. They can break the rules- They can be the first team with a rookie quarterback to win the Super Bowl.
After what we saw tonight, it's hard to imagine what these Seahawks CANNOT accomplish.
What do you think, sirs?
3 comments:
This was an AWESOME and much needed WIN. As I mentioned on your below post, I felt this was a MUST win game because Pete Carrolls Seahawks hadn't beaten Harbaughs 49ers. NOW Seattle did -in dominating fashion. I believe the Chicago Win started this role and now we are steam rolling! We just beat potentially the best NFC playoff team. Also no Justin Smith for 49ers - so there was no excuses for us. Now let's make some noise in the playoffs. Would be nice to get the #2 seed--lol--but i know 49ers play cards and Minny would have to beat GB....hey u never know!
Speaking of parallels (last week):
1986.
We've spoken several times about how dangerous that team was, and if they'd made the playoffs, they might have won the Super Bowl. Now we have a chance to see a similar story.
Both teams started with a win over a NFC North/Central team (Minnesota in '86, Chicago this year.). They followed up that close game with decisive wins over their next three opponents. The '86 team finished with a beat down of a division opponent (Denver). The Hawks finish with the Rams.
The '86 team finished with five straight wins. If the Hawks win on Sunday, five straight wins. Dave Kreig was the highest rated qb over those games. Let's see if DangeRuss can be as dominating.
You hear about karma (lick my taint packers. Sorry, just sick of that media bs that's STILL around.). Maybe this year, karma comes back around and says how we've been screwed for so long, that we get some payback now.
Thanks, man. Merry Christmas to you, yours, and all DKSB followers.
Go Seahawks!
People just don't understand what and who Russell Wilson is. His own coaches didn't get it till the 4th Quarter of the Chicago game. As Pete said after the game, "He [RW] hasn't changed, we have." And he wasn't just talking about the players, he was talking about the coaching staff.
I am alternately disgusted or LOL when people talk about Wilson's improvement from the beginning of the season. I'm sure there has been, primarily just in adjusting to the speed of the game. Beyond that, the "adjusting" has been mostly on the part of the coaches figuring out what they had.
Wilson, being the team guy, non-complainer, non-attention whore that he is, certainly never said, "Damnit, Coach, just let me play!" But he should have. Seattle would be looking at either the #1 or #2 seed right now if they had.
Did Carroll not watch the KC game in the preseason? D he forget to watch film afterward? Yeah, I know, he did what is standard for NFL coaches: ease the kid in. But there was absolutely NOTHING in RW's history to indicate he needed that. I have never been so frustrated in my life with NFL football than I was through the 4th quarter of the Bears game watching Wilson patiently play within what he was asked to do when he could have been doing so much more.
To his credit, Carroll did acknowledge after the Miami game he had probably been too conservative with Russell.
No kidding?
But now everything is out, everything is on the table, the full menu and more is coming at anyone standing in front of the 'Hawks.
Are the 'Hawks invincible? OF course not. Are they?
Good luck with that, NFL.
Go Hawks!
P.S Thanks for that near-SB run, Dave. Was another great year to be a Seahawks fan.
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