Published: Monday, December 21, 2009
Seahawks hit a new low
Seahawks lose to lowly Bucs
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John Froschauer / Associated Press
Buccaneers wide receiver Sammie Stroughter returns a punt for 33 yards as Seahawks linebacker Will Herring dives during the third quarter of Sunday’s game. Tampa Bay won the game 24-7 to earn its second victory of the season.
SEATTLE — On Saturday the Seahawks announced that Mike Holmgren had turned down an offer to come back to Seattle in a front office role.
A day later, the Seahawks spent three hours announcing to any future candidates that the team’s next general manager will have his hands full.
By the time the game was over, the die-hard fans that remained were left to scratch their heads as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished off a 24-7 spanking of the Seahawks for only their second win of the season.
If this NFL season was a limbo contest, the Seahawks would be championship contenders. No matter how low the bar is set, the Seahawks seem capable of slipping under it.
For all of the Seahawks struggles this year — and there have been plenty — they have at least been able to handle the league’s worst teams. Seattle opened the season with a 28-0 win over St. Louis, bullied Jacksonville before the Jaguars turned their season around, won by double digits over Detroit and at St. Louis.
But against the Buccaneers, one of only two one-win teams left in the league coming into Sunday, the Seahawks managed to turn the ball over five times and surrender 24 unanswered points.
“You know, we thought after last week it couldn’t get any worse,” receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. “Surprise, you know? I don’t know what’s going on to be honest with you. It’s mind-boggling, the type of players we have on offense ... We just find a way to lose for some odd reason.”
After last weekend’s blowout loss in Houston, heretofore known as rock bottom for Seattle, Seahawks coach Jim Mora said he would “find out about people” over the next three weeks.
On Sunday, the Seahawks found out they weren’t good enough to win a home game against a 1-12 football team that started a rookie quarterback who had thrown eight interceptions in his previous two games.
“Really, I’m speechless about that,” quarterback Hasselbeck said about losing at home to a team that entered the game with one win. “It’s not something that I ever though would happen.”
Hasselbeck had one of his worst games as a Seahawk, accounting for all five turnovers with four interceptions and a fumble, and tried to take the blame for the loss after the game, but in reality he was only one of many players responsible for the defeat.
The defense, which started the game well, was helpless against rookie quarterback Josh Freeman in the second half as he completed 11 of 14 passes for 144 yards and two scores. On special teams, the Seahawks botched a first-half field goal attempt, committed 25-yards worth of penalties, and allowed Sammie Stroughter to average 18.4 yards per punt return.
“It’s a bad game,” Hasselbeck said. “It’s a really bad game.”
If not for early mistakes, it might not have been such a bad day for the Seahawks. After punting on its first possession, Seattle got the ball right back thanks to a Deon Grant interception. Hasselbeck fumbled trying to pitch the ball to Justin Forsett after scrambling for five yards, taking away what would have been a field goal chance. Tampa Bay was held to another three-and-out, but a long Seahawks drive came up empty when a bad snap on a short field goal attempt cost the Seahawks three more points.
“I saw a lot of good things happen, but we turned the ball over,” Mora said. “We didn’t finish in the red zone. We had a chance there, early, to potentially go up 13-0, but we had the turnover, and then we had the bad snap, so that negated any good things that happened.”
After one quarter, the Seahawks had outgained the Bucs 128 yards to 67, but had nothing to show for it. Seattle went up 7-0 in the second quarter on a John Carlson 29-yard touchdown catch, but rather than build on that lead, the Seahawks let Tampa Bay back into the game thanks to an interception that set up a field goal at the end of the half.
Tampa Bay made it a one-point game with a long field goal drive to open the second half, then scored touchdowns on its next two possessions. Those were the first touchdowns scored by Tampa Bay in three weeks after scoring just nine points in its previous two games.
In the end, it all added up to an embarrassing day for the Seahawks. Sunday marked the latest in a season that the Seahawks have ever lost to a one-win team, according to STATS, Inc. On Nov. 28, 1976, their inaugural season, the Seahawks lost to the New York Giants, who were 1-10 at the time.
So what will people around the NFL think when they see this result?
“Who knows?” Houshmandzadeh said. “I don’t know. We suck? I’m sure that’s what they’ll say. But it is what it is, you can’t change it. I don’t know what the perception is. I try to put myself in another team’s shoes that’s doing well, I’d probably say, ‘Oh, the Seahawks suck, man.’”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
A day later, the Seahawks spent three hours announcing to any future candidates that the team’s next general manager will have his hands full.
By the time the game was over, the die-hard fans that remained were left to scratch their heads as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished off a 24-7 spanking of the Seahawks for only their second win of the season.
If this NFL season was a limbo contest, the Seahawks would be championship contenders. No matter how low the bar is set, the Seahawks seem capable of slipping under it.
For all of the Seahawks struggles this year — and there have been plenty — they have at least been able to handle the league’s worst teams. Seattle opened the season with a 28-0 win over St. Louis, bullied Jacksonville before the Jaguars turned their season around, won by double digits over Detroit and at St. Louis.
But against the Buccaneers, one of only two one-win teams left in the league coming into Sunday, the Seahawks managed to turn the ball over five times and surrender 24 unanswered points.
“You know, we thought after last week it couldn’t get any worse,” receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. “Surprise, you know? I don’t know what’s going on to be honest with you. It’s mind-boggling, the type of players we have on offense ... We just find a way to lose for some odd reason.”
After last weekend’s blowout loss in Houston, heretofore known as rock bottom for Seattle, Seahawks coach Jim Mora said he would “find out about people” over the next three weeks.
On Sunday, the Seahawks found out they weren’t good enough to win a home game against a 1-12 football team that started a rookie quarterback who had thrown eight interceptions in his previous two games.
“Really, I’m speechless about that,” quarterback Hasselbeck said about losing at home to a team that entered the game with one win. “It’s not something that I ever though would happen.”
Hasselbeck had one of his worst games as a Seahawk, accounting for all five turnovers with four interceptions and a fumble, and tried to take the blame for the loss after the game, but in reality he was only one of many players responsible for the defeat.
The defense, which started the game well, was helpless against rookie quarterback Josh Freeman in the second half as he completed 11 of 14 passes for 144 yards and two scores. On special teams, the Seahawks botched a first-half field goal attempt, committed 25-yards worth of penalties, and allowed Sammie Stroughter to average 18.4 yards per punt return.
“It’s a bad game,” Hasselbeck said. “It’s a really bad game.”
If not for early mistakes, it might not have been such a bad day for the Seahawks. After punting on its first possession, Seattle got the ball right back thanks to a Deon Grant interception. Hasselbeck fumbled trying to pitch the ball to Justin Forsett after scrambling for five yards, taking away what would have been a field goal chance. Tampa Bay was held to another three-and-out, but a long Seahawks drive came up empty when a bad snap on a short field goal attempt cost the Seahawks three more points.
“I saw a lot of good things happen, but we turned the ball over,” Mora said. “We didn’t finish in the red zone. We had a chance there, early, to potentially go up 13-0, but we had the turnover, and then we had the bad snap, so that negated any good things that happened.”
After one quarter, the Seahawks had outgained the Bucs 128 yards to 67, but had nothing to show for it. Seattle went up 7-0 in the second quarter on a John Carlson 29-yard touchdown catch, but rather than build on that lead, the Seahawks let Tampa Bay back into the game thanks to an interception that set up a field goal at the end of the half.
Tampa Bay made it a one-point game with a long field goal drive to open the second half, then scored touchdowns on its next two possessions. Those were the first touchdowns scored by Tampa Bay in three weeks after scoring just nine points in its previous two games.
In the end, it all added up to an embarrassing day for the Seahawks. Sunday marked the latest in a season that the Seahawks have ever lost to a one-win team, according to STATS, Inc. On Nov. 28, 1976, their inaugural season, the Seahawks lost to the New York Giants, who were 1-10 at the time.
So what will people around the NFL think when they see this result?
“Who knows?” Houshmandzadeh said. “I don’t know. We suck? I’m sure that’s what they’ll say. But it is what it is, you can’t change it. I don’t know what the perception is. I try to put myself in another team’s shoes that’s doing well, I’d probably say, ‘Oh, the Seahawks suck, man.’”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog
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