Seahawks 36, Cardinals 6

They thought it was over. 

The back-up quarterback danced on the sideline like a kid hopped up on Pixy Stix. The starting quarterback crotch-chopped the Seahawks Stadium crowd like he had just won the PBA Championship. They treated escaping Seattle with a narrow win after blowing a 19-point-lead like they had just killed the bad guy, gotten the girl, and saved the world. 

To be honest, at the time I thought they might have been right. I felt nauseous after that loss. It felt worse than the collapses against Cincinnati and Charlotte. It felt like a fulcrum, and in a bad sort of way. I'm very much a "don't give up until mathematical elimination" sort of girl, but after losing to our bitter divisional rivals and falling to 4-5, 2015 felt destined to be an unpleasant footnote in Seahawks history ala 1985: An aberrant stumble into mediocrity by a supremely talented team. 

Then, the completion of a sweep of the execrable 49ers, followed by a rousing victory over the loathsome but lethal Steelers. The benching (and release) of Cary Williams helped. The offensive line coalescing into collective greatness helped. The emergence of Thomas Rawls helped. Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin suddenly becoming drift compatible? That helped a LOT. Seattle tore through Minnesota, Baltimore, and Cleveland. They dropped a weird decision to the otherwise ordinary Rams, and entered Sunday's game at Glendale against the surging Cardinals at 9-6. 

Arizona boasted one of the NFL's best offenses, led by legitimate MVP candidate Carson Palmer. They also had plenty to play for, given that they still had a chance at securing home field through the playoffs at kickoff. The Seahawks were missing five key starters, and were 6-point underdogs according to Las Vegas. 

The Seahawks proceeded to go at everyone's trendy Super Bowl pick with steel wool and rusty straight razors. Seattle ran out to a 30-6 halftime lead before their beret-wearing fake-ass coach cried uncle and pulled Palmer from the game before Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril could split him in twain. 

The defense, maligned by so many all season, ended up leading the league in scoring defense for the 4th consecutive year. Deshawn Shead and Kelcie McCray have filled in capably in the secondary, and Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman are playing dominant football- But this defense has become absolutely smothering against the run. They only allowed Arizona 27 rushing yards, and no defense in the NFL has allowed fewer yards on the ground than Seattle this season. While the Legion of Boom remains dangerous, it's the front seven that is now the biggest strength of the Seahawks defense. 

The Seahawks have the best defense in football. Based on the last two months, they might have the best offense, too. Despite losing first Marshawn Lynch and then Thomas Rawls, the Hawks have still run the ball effectively. Christine Michael has seemingly resuscitated his career, running for 102 yards on 17 carries yesterday (his 2nd highly effective performance in 3 weeks). Doug Baldwin wrapped up easily the finest season of his career, scoring 14 TDs and going over 1000 yards receiving for the first time. Tyler Lockett had another stunning outing, shredding Arizona's punt coverage team over and over and making tough, important veteran catches like.. well... Doug Baldwin. Even Jermaine Kearse has become a reliable target for Russell Carrington Wilson. 

Wilson? He's just ascending faster than the Ares IV MAV whisking poor ketchup-deprived Mark Watney from the Martian surface. He just had the best season ANY Seahawks quarterback has ever had, my 12s, 34 touchdowns. 4000+ yards passing. Only 8 picks. A QB rating of 110. Oh.. and over 500 yards rushing. NO ONE is playing the position better than the WolfBadger right now. Not Carson Palmer. Not Tom Brady. Not Cam Newton. Nobody. 

So Seattle is now the 6 seed in the NFC. They'll have to win in Minneapolis, Charlotte and (probably) Glendale to get to Super Bowl 50. It seems improbable, but the 2010 Packers won the title from EXACTLY this position- and these Seahawks are a demonstrably better team. These Seahawks have also won five straight road games. They are talented, confident and battle-tested. You'll hear about how it's going to be 12 degrees in Minnesapolis Sunday. Who gives a fuck? They could play this game in a clearing on Starkiller Base and it wouldn't affect this team. 

The Seahawks have the best defense. They have the best offense. They have the best quarterback. And, oh hi Marshawn... They'll have the best playoff running back since Emmitt Smith on the field Sunday, too. 

Turns out that it's not over, is it? 

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Breaking the Surface, Tasting the Air

(Me at noon and at 3 pm last Sunday) 

For the second time in ten months, I got to experience a team I love reaching the Championship- Only to end up watching the enemy celebrate. Columbus Crew SC fell in the MLS Cup 2-1 to Portland Timbers FC. For me, there were (faint) echoes of Super Bowl XL in the horrible officiating that went against the Crew and in Columbus' weirdly flat, error-sprinkled performance.  It was a crushing disappointment and a stressful way to spend a beautiful, unseasonably warm December afternoon.

This was a big deal to me- For the first time since I was 8 years old, I was missing a significant chunk of a Seahawks' non-preseason, non-replacement game. My girlfriend and I are both rabid Crew SC supporters, and my Christmas present to her (and to myself) was a day at the MLS Cup (and what was supposed to be a rare Non-Ohio State-related Championship moment for the Arch City). I had experienced three NFC Championship Game victories at Seahawks Stadium, and I was hoping (and honestly kind of expecting) a similar dizzying high on Sunday at MAPFRE Stadium... But it wasn't meant to be.

(My girlfriend and I at the MLS Cup)

Even at the MLS Cup, I couldn't escape Twelvedom. I saw a Timbers FC supporter wearing a Seahawks hat, and for an instant I wanted to bond with him over that... But I was stopped cold by two startling realizations:

1. It would have been a bizarre "breaking of the 4th wall," so to speak. I was there to root for Columbus, not be chummy with the enemy's supporters.

2. I wasn't wearing any Seahawks gear, which while appropriate, suddenly left me feeling absolutely naked when I realized I was in the presence of another 12.

When the final whistle blew after an unfathomably frustrating 90-plus minutes of soccer, I consoled myself with two thoughts: "At least the Seahawks won!" and "At least I didn't miss anything that affected the outcome in Minneapolis!"

Before we headed to MAPFRE, my girlfriend and I ducked into a nearby sports bar to catch the first half of the Seahawks game (Well, I was watching the Seahawks- My girlfriend was engrossed by Carrie Brownstein's memoir. And with good reason! We had just been to the Sleater-Kinney show the night before, and that got her good and hooked on all things S-K-related). By the time we had to leave for the match, Seattle had already built a 14-0 lead. Given that the Hawks would end up pummeling the Vikings 38-7, it turned out that I got to see the "winning" touchdown run by Russell Wilson.

I know that when and how and if I watch the Seahawks on TV doesn't impact the outcome of the games, but I would have felt horribly guilty anyway if the Hawks had lost after I stopped watching. Thanks for letting me off the hook, boys!

I'll leave detailed descriptions of the entire game to the immensely talented Brian Nemhauser, but I do want to mention one thing that leapt out at me early in the game. Russell Wilson's perfect pass and spectacular catch in traffic by Tyler Lockett was punctuated by a helmet-to-helmet flag that set up a later touchdown. That was ALL gold, but did you see Richard Sherman run down the sideline and FREAK THE FUCK OUT celebrating the catch and congratulating Flash? It reminded me of all the times the defense lost their damn minds on the sidelines during/after punishing touchdown sprints by Marshawn. The Legion of Boom fed off the toughness and explosiveness of Lynch and the offense during the crazy-hot streaks during the 2012 and 2014 stretch runs, and we're starting to see something similar brewing now. Not only are the Seahawks clicking, but they are very clearly back to a total commitment to playing FOR each other- And that should terrify the rest of the NFL.

The defense just throttled the best running game (outside of Seattle) in the NFL. They might just be back their natural state as an immovable object festooned in jagged spikes and razor wire. The offense? Holy FUCK. No one is playing better at QB than Russell Carrington Wilson right now. Get a 50-yard TD run called back on a holding flag? Just throw a 50-yard TD on the next play (to Doug Baldwin, who is blossoming into the league's most underrated wideout). Thomas Rawls' emergence continued, and defensive coordinators from Charlotte to Glendale must be losing sleep now that they are confronted with the possibility that they'll have to scheme for Wilson, Rawls. Baldwin, Lockett AND a healthy/HANGRY Marshawn Lynch.

Seattle's next three opponents have a combined record of 10-26. The Hawks should hit Glendale in week 17 at 10-5 (and hopefully with the 5th NFC seed already clinched). It's now PROBABLE that the Seahawks will get the top Wild Card slot and visit a 7-9ish NFC East Champ in the 1st round of the tournament. Charlotte's prize for 16-0 might be a rematch with a Seattle side VASTLY improved since the Panthers edged the befuddled OctoberHawks. Arizona might end up regretting all that shit-talking and crotch-chopping from last month if they are unlucky enough to host us in the NFCCG.

After the MLS Cup, my girlfriend was nearly inconsolable. I comforted her by telling her it was OK to be upset, that it was good to feel things so intensely, even if those feelings come from defeat. I told her I was the one sobbing back in February, and she might need to comfort ME after a season-ending Seahawks loss in the not-too-distant future.

But... Maybe not? They really might not lose again this season. And that consolation reciprocity might have to wait until next winter (if then).

Until then, this song's for her....

Throw me a rope, give me a leg

I haven't seen daylight in what must be day

I took the long way down, lost track of myself

Confidence fell down the steepest of slopes

I'll row you an ocean, I could do more

I feel so much stronger, now that you're here

We've got so much to do, let me make that clear

We win, we lose, only together do we break the rules

We win, we lose, only together do we make the rules

I'm breaking the surface, tasting the air

I'm reaching for things like never before

The anchor is heavy, I can't hold the weight

The guilt holds me down, won't let me be myself

Suck it all in, suck it all up

Let go of thoughts holding me back

I'll push twice as hard towards it you see

And the past falls away to the bottom of the deep

When we leave say goodbye to your old way of life

I can breathe way up high now it's our turn to fly

Felling the Timbers, Pillaging the Vikings

For the first time since 1983, this Sunday I won't be watching a Seahawks (regular-and-post-season, non-replacement players) game in anything approaching its entirety. By my count, it's been a streak of 540 games. It started when Dave Krieg came off the bench in relief of Jim Zorn in a mid-season game against Pittsburgh in 1983. The Hawks were down 24-0 at the half, but Krieg rallied the Hawks for three touchdowns and a stupendous near-comeback in a 27-21 loss. Mudbone was given the starting gig, and the magical playoff run of '83 hooked me on the team for life. From then on, I haven't missed a significant play in a Seahawks non-strike regular season or playoff game.

The closest I came to missing a game came in 2008. I had flight arrangements that were going to keep me from seeing that glorious snow-globe win over Brett Favre and the Jets in Mike Holmgren's last home game- But my flight got canceled and I got to witness one of the most satisfying wins in franchise history (at least pre-PCJS). Nothing will keep me from missing at least part of this Sunday's HUGE game in Minneapolis, though. Why?

The Seahawks kick off at 1 pm Columbus time.

The MLS Cup kicks off at 4 pm Columbus time...

AND I'LL BE AT THE MATCH!!! WOOOOO!

It's a Christmas present for my girlfriend (who is also a big Crew SC supporter), and to myself. I've written in this space before about my Crew fandom. The whole piece is worth a read, but the short version is that when I moved to Columbus back in 1999, I quickly realized that while the culture surrounding the Ohio State Buckeyes was too frightening, oppressive and suffocating for my tastes, I still wanted to have local sports rooting interests in my new home. I quickly adopted the Columbus Blue Jackets because I had no existing NHL allegiance, and I spent my adolescence rooting on the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. My path to becoming a Crew supporter was longer and more circuitous, but as my roots in central Ohio grew deeper (and my appreciation for soccer evolved over about a decade), the Crew became my (distant) 2nd biggest sports obsession after the Seahawks (I also participated in a Crew podcast explaining how I ended up as a Twelve and a Crew SC supporter a few years back).

I've been to five matches so far this season (including our defeat of Sounders FC back in May and our loss to Timbers FC in September), but this Sunday's MLS Cup Final is going to be BY FAR the most important match I've ever attended. I went to a USMNT World Cup Qualifier against Jamaica back in 2012, and that night Columbus Crew Stadium had an vibe something like a Seahawks playoff game- I've now been to three NFC Championship Games at Seahawks Stadium, and I expect MAPFRE Stadium's atmosphere Sunday to be at that fevered, raucous level. How often do ANY fans get the chance to see their side win the League Championship IN THEIR HOME STADIUM? This is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Crew SC hoist the MLS Cup in person, and I couldn't pass it up.

...but I am kinda freaking out about missing a big chunk of a very important Seahawks game. 

I'm hoping I can at least catch the first half before heading to MAPFRE. But even that might be pushing it. Sigh. My only hope (HINT) is that some kind, generous 12 (HINT) might give me access to their mobile NFL Sunday Ticket subscription (HINT). But I'm consoling myself with the knowledge that A) We're gonna win and B) I'll be at the games against Cleveland and St. Louis in a few weeks.

PREDICTIONS FOR SUNDAY: Seahawks 25, Vikings 20; Crew SC 2, Timbers FC 1

A couple of years back I wrote about the surprisingly contentious history between the Seahawks and Vikings. The Hawks have won 8 of the previous 13 meetings between the teams, but let's look back at the Top 5 Seattle wins over the Purple Norsemen...

5. 10/8/78 Seahawks 29, Vikings 28
The 3rd-year expansion Seahawks hosted the 4-time NFC Champion Vikings and gave Bud Grant, Frank Tarkenton, and the Purple People Eaters more than they could handle. The Hawks sprinted out to a 19-7 advantage, but then fell behind 28-19 going into the 4th quarter. Jim Zorn had a proto-Russell Wilson kind of day, passing for 256 yards and also rushing for 45 more (including one passing touchdown and two more via ground). Sherman Smith chipped in 74 yards rushing, San McCullum snared 5 catches for 98 yards and a TD, and Efren Herrera nailed the winning field goal that help put Seattle on the NFL map.

4. 11/4/2012 Seahawks 30, Vikings 20
I was at this game! Despite 182 yards from NFL MVP Adrian Peterson, the Seahawks outslugged the Vikings for a 10-point victory. The Hawks held Minnesota to a mere 44 yards passing, Russell Wilson threw for three TDs, and Marshawn Lynch racked up 124 yards on the ground.

3. 11/1/87 Seahawks 28, Vikings 17
Ahh, the strike year. The Vikings visited Seattle for a key early November matchup, and much of the pre-game talk was about how the "real" Vikings came into the game undefeated, but the team's overall record was only 3-3 because Minnesota's replacement players were putrid even by the low standards applied to those scab games. The Seahawks were 4-2, based in part on the 2-1 record posted by the SeaScabs. Seattle showed they weren't frauds that day- Behind three Dave Krieg TD passes (and that glorious beard he grew during the players' strike- Hmm. That seems relevant!) and 132 all-purpose yards from Curt Warner the Hawks ground out a crucial 28-17 victory. Both teams would make the playoffs, with Seattle falling at Houston in OT in the AFC Wild Card game, and Minnesota ending up a 4th-and-goal away from XXII in a heartbreaking NFC Championship game loss at DC.

2. 9/29/02 Seahawks 48, Vikings 23
Seattle got off to a miserable 0-3 start, and the desperately needed some kind of spark going into the first national showcase for Seahawks Stadium: An appearance on Sunday Night Football. Thankfully their opponents that night were the similarly 0-3 Vikings, and the football-watching nation was treated to a historic performance by Shaun Alexander, who scored five first-half touchdowns on his way to a 221-yard rushing/receiving day. The Hawks would lead 45-10 by halftime and cruise to a 48-23 victory.

1. 12/12/04 Seahawks 27 @ Vikings 23
Almost exactly 11 years ago, the Hawks headed to Minnesota needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. They were on the road and coming off a short week after a heartbreaking MNF loss to Dallas. In addition, Darrell Jackson was weighed down with grief immediately after his father's death. No one gave Seattle any chance to win.

D-Jack had perhaps the best game of his career, snagging 10 balls for 135 yards and a TD. Hasselbeck went wild, throwing for 334 yards and three scores... The win was sealed when Michael Boulware picked off an inexplicable Randy Moss option pass in the end zone late in the 4th quarter.

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Seahawks 39, Steelers 30

I love Mike Tomlin.

Oh, I DETEST the Pittsburgh Steelers. There's Super Bowl XL, obviously. There's those obnoxious fans, who have been spread through the nation like colonists fleeing Cylons since their main local industry collapsed. They wave their banana-yellow snot rags and rationalize rooting for their probably-a-rapist quarterback. And I'm SURROUNDED by them here in Columbus, where the Steelers are probably the most popular NFL team in the city (particularly when the Browns are having a down year, which is... usually). When you combine the fact that a TON of Yinzers ended up in Columbus basically as economic refugees from Pennsylvania with the reality that lots of Steelers either are former OSU Buckeyes or from Ohio (like Ben Roethlisberger), you end up with far too many Myron Cope idolaters here in the Arch City.

So yeah, fuck them. But Mike Tomlin? I love that guy. I'm sure if I was one of his players, he could get me to gargle boiling tar and bend rebar with my bare hands. Beyond that, the Steelers play an aggressive, entertaining style of football, and I love how he approaches in-game decisions. He goes for 2! He goes for it on 4th down! He fakes field goals! He goes for winning touchdowns when the meek settle for field goals and overtime! If the Steelers logo on his hat didn't send me into blind, irrational rage, I'd have to grudgingly admit I wish more coaches managed games the way he does.

With all that said, it was puzzling to see Tomlin kick a field goal with his team down 32-27 and facing a 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard-line with three minutes left in the game. All day, the Steelers had cut through the Hawks' defense like a lightsaber slicing through, well, anything else. Roethlisberger had thrown for 456 yards, and 3 more would give Pittsburgh the lead against a Seattle team that hadn't shown any ability to close out elite opposition all season.

But the Legion of Boom still has that killer rep (and deservedly so). Fail on 4th down and Seattle probably wins. The Seahawks' offense? They don't have that killer rep, do they? Russell Wilson? He's not elite, right? That offensive line? Nothing special (at best). Marshawn Lynch? Injured. Jimmy Graham? Injured. Seattle's wide receivers? Mere jaywalkers in a game of Frogger if they try to go over the middle (What's that other word for people on the street who aren't riding in cars? It's escaping me right now).

Tomlin bet big on the Seahawks going three-and-out and giving Pittsburgh the ball back with plenty of time to kick the winning field goal. He bet perhaps Pittsburgh's entire season. He bet it ALL against Russell Carrington Wilson.

1st down? A penalty, of course. Pittsburgh only declines because it saves clock.

2nd down? Bad exchange, fumble. Thank the Maker that Thomas Rawls fell on it.

Same old (2015) Seahawks... 3rd and 9. Tomlin's gambit was going to pay off.

Then Tomlin lost so big he ended up begging for bus fare back to the Keystone State.

Pittsburgh blitzed. Why not? It had worked against Wilson all season. RW3 faced down the pressure and fired a blaster bolt to The Angry One, and Doug Baldwin caught it in stride. I yelled at the TV "STAY IN BOUNDS, DOUG!!!" Well, he did. He also escaped two Steelers' defenders (utilizing a Beast-Mode-esque stiff arm to shed one of them) and galloped 80 yards for a game-clinching, season-turning, incredibly-fucking-cathartic touchdown.

In my heart, I know Baldwin's rage-fueled romp will go down as one of the most memorable and important moments of the Pete Carroll era, a pivotal play ranking up there with Sidney Rice's OT winner at Soldier Field in 2012 and Richard Sherman's pick-6 in Houston in 2013. Those were singular moments that redefined what we thought was possible for those teams. Baldwin's score wasn't just a knockout punch for Pittsburgh- It was a warning to the rest of the NFL. The Seahawks are coming. Have that go-bag ready, because a storm is approaching.

The Seahawks offered up a strange-but-stirring performance leading up to Baldwin's score. The defense surrendered more passing yards than any Seattle defense ever had before (and hoo boy, have I seen some shaky pass defenses from the Hawks over the last three decades), but they still snagged four interceptions. DeShawn Shead was picked on all day, but he made play after play that was beyond Cary Williams' skill set. Richard Sherman held the explosive Antonio Brown in check and gathered in his first interception of the season. In the 4th quarter, the front four finally started putting pressure on Roethlisberger, and slowed down that meatheaded goon just enough to give Russell Wilson the chance to win the game.

The Wolfbadger was stupendous, turning in the best performance of his career. Five touchdown passes. 345 yards. 147.9 passer rating. Almost all of it from the pocket, which is supposed to be the hole in his resume. Faced with multiple 3rd-and-longs, he converted every single one of consequence. This is just about when Wilson elevated his play in 2012, 2013 and 2014, and if he can sustain it this time around there's no limit to what Seattle can accomplish.

Doug Baldwin had a career day too, hauling in 6 catches for 145 yards and three TDs. That's some Steve Largent shit, y'all. Baldwin's numbers are constrained by the nature of Seattle's offensive system, but it's reasonable to argue that when he retires Angry Doug will be remembered as the second best wide receiver in franchise history. With Jimmy Graham lost for the season, he's more indispensable than ever. The much-maligned Jermaine Kearse stepped up as well, snaring Wilson's two other TD strikes.

Thomas Rawls wasn't as dominant as he was against Santa Clara, but he still offered hope that Seattle can contend for a Super Bowl 50 win even if Marshawn Lynch can't return to the field this season. ALL of the above was made possible by an offensive line that is still flawed but clearly improving every week. Tom Cable deserves some credit this week, as does everyone's favorite punching bag of an offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell.

The Seahawks are 6-5, and currently in position for a playoff berth for the first time all season. As I've said before, this is the exact moment where Seattle starting napalming the rest of the NFL in 2012 and 2014. Huge road challenges against Minnesota and Arizona lay ahead. If the Hawks even just win one of those two games? Not only are they a very safe bet for postseason play, they would also offer "proof of concept" that they could take the rarest of routes to a championship: Win three playoff games on the road, then win the Super Bowl (last done by Green Bay in 2010).

After what we saw yesterday, do you think Charlotte wants any part of us in the playoffs? Do you think Arizona relishes the idea of having to get past us in a 3rd dust-up to get to Santa Clara?

The next couple of months are going to be a fucking blast, aren't they? I'd love to see Pittsburgh again in SB50... assuming Mike Tomlin's bet against Russell Wilson doesn't keep them from even making the playoffs.

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Seahawks 29, Santa Clara 13

 

I've talked a lot in this space lately about how this season has felt like 2004- That forlorn, torturous campaign that ended with a Bobby Engram drop in the end zone and a excruciating playoff loss to the hated St. Louis Rams. We've certainly seen the same sort of spate of blown 4th quarter leads and nauseatingly familiar inconsistent play, but maybe we don't have to reach that far back in history to find a template for comparison. 

Four years ago this week, the Seahawks were in a similar position. They were 6-5, and they had already lost to the division leaders (San Francisco that year), so the NFC West title already seemed out of reach. In all five of their losses, they blew a lead. In three losses, they squandered a 4th-quarter lead. They were talented. They were tough. But something wasn't clicking. 

We know what happened next. The Seahawks posted an upset win at Chicago (in a game NO ONE gave them a chance to win), and then went on a spree of wanton demolition not seen since the cops went on strike in Old Detroit during the 3rd act of Robocop. They won their last 4 regular season games by an aggregate score of 170-43 (including a 42-13 thrashing of the 49ers). They upset DC on the road in the Wild Card game, and were thirty seconds away from a 3rd contest against the Niners (but this time for a trip to the Super Bowl). The team that got to the precipice on the NFC Championship Game bore little resemblance to the team that lost to 4-12 Detroit and 7-9 Miami. 

These Seahawks? They're 5-5. They haven't beaten a team with a winning record yet. They haven't beaten a team with an elite quarterback yet. They've blown BIG 4th quarter leads multiple times. The offensive line has been more putrid than an Arby's grease trap. Their identity-defining, mercilessly punishing All-Pro running back might not play again this season (or ever again for the Seahawks). They're no longer invincible at home, having already lost in Seattle twice. Their All-Pro safety held out for two games and he hasn't been quite the same since. Their franchise quarterback has underperformed on a "Wild Thing Vaughn in most of Major League II" level. They haven't played a complete, impressive 60-minute game yet this season. They are clearly suffering from a post-Super Bowl loss hangover, right? They are done. They are cooked more thoroughly than most Thanksgiving turkeys, right? 

That's the fashionable conventional wisdom, but it might also be deeply wrong. They're still talented enough to build huge leads on teams like Cincinnati and Charlotte, and to erase a huge deficit against Arizona. They have the second best overall defense in the NFL (and also the second best one against the pass, despite some maddening late-game collapses). They have the best rushing offense in the league, even with Marshawn Lynch missing three and a half games so far this season. Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril are still the best pair of edge pass rushers around, and Jeremy Lane is set to return in order to bolster the Legion of Boom.

Russell Wilson, despite a growing heap of mostly misplaced criticism, just had his best game of the season. That maligned offensive line has vastly improved in recent weeks, keeping Wilson cleaner in the pocket and creating wider running lanes for Seattle ballcarriers. Doug Baldwin is perhaps having the best season of his career. The biggest sources for optimism on offense come in the form of two rookies: WR/KR Tyler Lockett and RB Thomas Rawls. Lockett made an instant impact as a kick returner, but he's becoming a dangerous weapon as a receiver as well. Flash had 2 TDs Sunday, and the last Seahawks rookie wideout to score twice in one game was Joey Galloway all the way back in 1995. 

Lockett, hopefully coupled soon with a healthy Paul Richardson, makes defenses vulnerable to the deep ball on play-action. That only works if Seattle is effectively running the ball. With Thomas Rawls darting into holes and exploding through defenders, that doesn't appear to be a problem for the Seahawks.

The undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan is playing Willie Beamen to Marshawn Lynch's Cap Rooney right now. Sunday he touched the ball a whopping 33 times, and stacked up 245 yards while conquering the Santa Clara end zone twice. Not only does he already have three 100-yard rushing performances- He has averaged a ridiculous 6 yards per carry! Could it be a fluke? Could it just be that he's relatively fresh and healthy compared to the defenses he's flaying alive? Maybe. But the kid is starting to look like another stunning UDFA find by John Schneider, and Life After Shawn is looking slightly less bleak and terrifying all of the sudden.

Next up is Pittsburgh. Fans might want "revenge" for Super Bowl XL, but the players couldn't give less of a fuck about that. They just want to prove they can still beat a playoff-worthy team. In a similar spot 4 years ago, those '12 Hawks stunned the football world with an unexpected triumph in Chicago. With a win over the Steelers, Seattle would serve notice that they're still a legit NFC contender. It's not hyperbole to state that a win this Sunday would change the entire tenor of this season.

Seattle should (and will) beat Baltimore, Cleveland, and St. Louis. If they want to make the playoffs, they'll need to win 2 out 3 from Pittsburgh, Minnesota and Arizona. I don't know about y'all. but I'd prefer to have a playoff spot locked down before that rematch with the Cardinals, if possible. On a totally selfish tip, I'm going to be at the games against Cleveland and St. Louis that bracket Christmas, and I'd like those games to be meaningful. Don't let me down, boys.

You might be thinking "So what? So what if they sneak in as a wild card?" Well, six Wild Card teams have won the Super Bowl, one as recently as 2010. And you don't want another shot at the Packers? At the Panthers? I do, and you KNOW the Hawks do, too.

Oh... Fuck Pittsburgh. Obviously.

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