SEATTLE – Top seed in the NFC playoffs. Check.
Home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Check.
The best record in football. Check.
The most wins in franchise history. Check.
The best team in the NFL. … Not quite yet.
Jennifer Buchanan/ The Herald
That one is still subject to debate, regardless of the Seattle Seahawks’ convincing, 28-13 win over the mighty Indianapolis Colts on Saturday. Even though the Seahawks dominated Indianapolis and matched their NFL-best 13-2 record in the process, this one came with a Peyton Manning-sized asterisk.
The Colts, who just one week earlier had a sparkling record of 13-0, entered Saturday’s game overcome by both the apathy of having already suffered their first loss and the grief of the recent death of James Dungy, the 18-year-old son of head coach Tony Dungy.
“They weren’t at the top of their game; they had a lot on their plate,” Seahawks safety Michael Boulware admitted afterward. “But whatever Colts team we played today, I’m glad we beat them.”
While Seattle’s win accomplished a lot of milestones – the most important of which was securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs – it won’t necessarily anoint the Seahawks as the Super Bowl favorite.
” (The media) really kind of treat us like bastard stepchildren,” defensive end Bryce Fisher said. “I bet after this game, they’re still going to be talking about Carolina and Chicago. But we’ll be able to make a statement in a couple of weeks.”
That would be the playoffs, of course. After Saturday’s win, the Seahawks guaranteed they would not have to travel to a postseason game other than the Super Bowl.
Seattle will host a to-be-determined opponent the weekend of Jan. 14-15, then could host the NFC Championship the following Sunday.
If the Seahawks get through that game, another date with the Colts could be imminent. But it would be a very different Indianapolis team.
While the Colts played Saturday’s game without six starters and kept several others sidelined for the final three quarters, the Seahawks rode to their 11th consecutive victory behind the typical array of star players. Running back Shaun Alexander rushed for 139 yards and scored three touchdowns – his third was his 27th of the season, tying Priest Holmes for the NFL record – while quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had another efficient afternoon by completing 17 of 21 passes for 168 yards and two scores.
Even Seattle’s defense played a fairly typical game, weathering the storm of another key injury (cornerback Marcus Trufant) while overcoming the Colts’ 387 yards of offense because of a stingy red-zone effort.
“We just keep going,” safety Marquand Manuel said. “That’s going to be crucial heading into the playoffs. We know that if somebody goes down, another guy is going to step in.”
With Manning running the show, the Colts marched down the field on the opening drive, looking like the team that looked unbeatable while winning 13 in a row to start the season. But that drive eventually stalled at the Seattle 7-yard line, forcing Indianapolis to settle for a field goal.
The Seahawks offense did Indy one better, driving 46 yards in just five plays to take a 7-3 on Alexander’s 2-yard run on its opening possession.
Manning and Co. led only one more drive, resulting in another field goal attempt that was blocked, before stepping aside for backup Jim Sorgi at the beginning of the second quarter. The Colts offense was predictably stagnant after that, getting just 239 total yards and 10 points the rest of the way. Indianapolis didn’t get into the end zone until there was just 1:59 remaining in the game, when Sorgi’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Troy Walters cut a 22-point deficit into a 28-13 disadvantage.
After that, the Seahawks cleared their own bench while another Qwest Field sellout crowd cheered them on to an 8-0 home record.
“The guys have accomplished quite a bit this year, and we’re not finished yet,” said coach Mike Holmgren, who got tagged with the ceremonial Gatorade splash as the final seconds ticked off the clock. “But being undefeated at home, and (having) the best record in the NFC with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is something you play all season for.”
Many players ran back onto the field to celebrate with the fans, slapping hands and exchanging thank-yous for an improbable run to the top of the NFC. Not many people outside of the Seahawks’ locker room could have expected this team to be the first one to win 13 games in a regular season, and yet that’s exactly what happened.
“This has kind of been a work-in-progress,” Pro Bowl offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson said. “It’s been five years, really, that this offensive team has been together. We’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this, and I think it paid off for this year’s team.”
Added fellow Pro Bowler Walter Jones: “Each year takes its own path. You never know how it’s going to turn out. We started winning games, won our division, then we came out (Saturday) trying to win home field. We did that, and now our goal is to win it all, man.”
Winning it all might mean having to take on the Colts again – this time at full strength.
“I do want another chance (against Indianapolis), because that means we’d be playing in the Super Bowl,” safety Michael Boulware said. “I would love to play those guys in the Super Bowl and get their best shot.”
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