My thoughts on the Seahawks in the Playoffs for 2011

Well, we made it. The 7-9 Seahawks are division champs. Amazing. It is really hard to believe a team with such horrible stats could make the playoffs, but it has happened. With a 16-6 victory over the Rams, the Seahawks secured a division title and a game at home vs. the New Orleans Saints. More on that later.

You look at the Seahawks right now… we are a team in disarray. Our quarterback situation is a mess, we are the worst running team in the NFL, our pass defense is a joke sometimes, and we still managed to make it to the playoffs. Whoever heard of an NFL playoff team that couldn’t score nor play defense well? Dead last in rushing, our Offensive Line is a game of musical chairs, and we still managed it. Unbelievable.

Moving on to the game against the Saints. The Seahawks are 10 point underdogs… at home… to a team that hasn’t won a road playoff game, while the Seahawks have yet to lose a playoff game at Qwest Field. It’s always when the Seahawks go on the road in the playoffs where they struggle. But, given the way the Seahawks have played, I can see why they are such big underdogs for this game.

I will say this: The Seahawks have a shot of winning, especially if they do these things:
- No big plays allowed
- Win turnover battle
- Rattle Drew Brees

No big plays allowed means on defense, limiting the Saints to plays of 5, 8, 10 yards instead of plays of 15, 20, and 25 yards. Have the safeties play back a bit and even bring in extra defensive backs in nickel and dime coverage. The Saints are missing both Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory, so they will be pretty one-dimensional. Therefore, the Seahawks need to play tight coverage, pressure Drew Brees, and not allow big plays.

Winning the turnover battle means that Hasselbeck has to control the ball—the same goes for Lynch, too. Hasselbeck cannot force it into tight spaces and get it picked off. Lynch, who fumbled twice in our previous game against the Saints, must hold onto the football. If the Seahawks can hold onto the football and maybe get a turnover or two on the other side of the ball, they have a decent shot of winning.

There are the other small factors, too. There’s the whole QB controversy with Hasselbeck and Whitehurst, the Saints having to prepare for both quarterbacks, because we might see both play in the game. Then there is the short week, the travel of over 2,000 miles, and of course, playing in Qwest Field, the loudest outdoor football stadium in the NFL. If Drew Brees has an off game, or an unspectacular game, the Seahawks have a shot. They really do.

I am glad we are starting Hasselbeck. He has the experience and the wherewithal to keep us in the game. Whitehurst would be too panicky and would cause us to stall too many drives. Yes, Hasselbeck has been rusty and banged up, but you always want to go with the veteran in a playoff game. Experience means a ton in these kinds of games.

So, I’ve laid it out there that the Seahawks CAN win. But will they? Probably not. I have to admit it, they probably won’t win the game. I hate to say it, and I desperately want a win, but it’s more than likely not going to happen. I think the Seahawks will be as one-dimensional, if not more one-dimensional, than the Saints, who will carve up the Seahawks secondary in zone coverage. I think we will turn the ball over. The Seahawks have to almost play perfectly to win, and we haven’t really seen them play perfect all year.

I predict about an 8 or 9 point loss. I think the Seahawks will fall behind but scratch their way back closer to make the game a closer result. I can’t see a game where the Seahawks lose by 20 points. The Saints aren’t planning on that. All they want is a W at the lowest cost, which probably means a closer result than 20 points.

However, let’s just have fun for a bit. There is actually a way that the Seahawks could get to the Super Bowl, and it’s not as improbable as you might think. First off, of course, they’d have to win against the Saints. If they do what I mentioned above, that is very possible. Secondly, the Packers would have to beat the Eagles (and then later beat the Falcons). In that case, the Seahawks would travel to Chicago, where, oh by the way, they’ve won already this year. If they get a win there against a possibly shaky Jay Cutler and his Bears, then they would play the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game… at QWEST FIELD. You heard me right. The NFC Championship game could be at the home of a 7-9 team.

But the odds of that are probably slimmer than an Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl. But one can always dream. The Seahawks will need to show up even more so than they did against the Rams. The Seahawks will need the fans, the energy, the momentum, and to feel the electricity coursing through their veins. It could happen. So Seahawks, make it happen. Beat the defending champs. Show the world what you’re made of. GO SEAHAWKS!