PHILADELPHIA – The Orwellian goal of this year’s Seattle Seahawks was never a secret.
Even before the NFC West title was secured, months previous to the unfolding possibility of Super Bowl reality, the Seahawks just wanted to go back to 1984. They wanted that ever-elusive playoff win that has eluded them for 20 years and counting.
While their postseason addendum is still a few weeks from being written, the 2005 Seahawks did something on Monday night that finally ties them to the memorable 1984 team.
With Monday’s convincing – although not entirely dramatic – 42-0 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seahawks (10-2) tied the longest winning streak in franchise history. Seattle’s eighth consecutive victory, made possible by three defensive touchdowns, matched a team record that only the ‘84 team had accomplished.
“It’s a great feeling,” said left tackle Walter Jones, one of several offensive starters who came out of the one-sided game before the final quarter. “It’s great to be on the other side. The Philadelphia Eagles have been to the big games, and that’s where we’re trying to get to. This was another stepping stone to where we’re trying to go.”
Seattle recorded the biggest shutout victory in Monday Night Football history, supplanting a 41-0 shellacking that Chicago handed San Francisco in 1987.
Playing their first game as NFC West champions – the Seahawks wrapped up their second consecutive division title when the St. Louis Rams lost to Washington on Sunday – Seattle had two first-half interception returns for touchdowns and a pair of Shaun Alexander TDs on the way to a 35-0 halftime lead. They added another fumble return touchdown early in the second half – Andre Dyson’s second of the game – to break things wide open.
The snow and 31-degree temperature at kickoff didn’t seem to cool off the Seahawks’ hot streak. They marched down the field on the opening drive, going 65 yards in 16 plays while chewing up 8:10, and took a 7-0 lead on Bobby Engram’s 11-yard touchdown reception.
That lead swelled to 14-0 on Philadelphia’s first possession when Dyson stepped in front of a Mike McMahon pass and returned the interception 72 yards for a touchdown. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu added a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown 31/2 minutes into the second quarter, and the rout was on.
“We finally put a game together, and we’ve been looking for that for awhile,” said Dyson, who sprained his ankle on his second touchdown and did not return to the game. “We haven’t had a big turnover game, and we did that. We wanted to come out on a national stage and show how good we are. We haven’t really gotten noticed, and we wanted to prove we were a good defense that could play with anybody.”
Philadelphia benched McMahon with five minutes remaining in the first half, but Koy Detmer brought more of the same. His first pass was intercepted by Michael Boulware, who returned it 32 yards to the Eagles’ 2-yard line. Alexander scored on the next play for a 28-0 lead with 4:34 remaining in the first half. He added another touchdown with 29 seconds left before halftime.
Philadelphia finished with six turnovers, the most forced by a Seattle defense since San Diego turned it over eight times in a 1998 game.
“When they come, they come in bunches,” safety Marquand Manuel said. “And they did (Monday).”
The Seahawks showed a national television audience what all the fuss has been about, playing like the team that boasts the best record in the NFC. While the league’s top-ranked offense didn’t need to do much, the defense showed the country that it can make plays too.
“The media did a real good job of pumping up our defense by talking not about us,” Alexander said. “I think that teed them all off before the game started, so they wanted to make a statement. That was good for us.”
Seattle recorded its first shutout of the season. The last time the Seahawks held an opponent without any points was Sept. 26, 2004, when they beat San Francisco 34-0.
Philadelphia’s biggest threat Monday came when punt returner Reno Mahe went 44 yards to the Seattle 36-yard line before Jean-Philippe Darche tackled him with less than two minutes remaining in the game.
With four games to go, Seattle maintained its one game lead atop the conference. The Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers remain one game back, both at 9-3. While the Seahawks had already clinched at least one home game, they are still battling for the NFC’s top seed. If Seattle were to finish with the top record in the conference, it would have a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
The win snapped a four-game East Coast losing streak that stretched back to the beginning of the 2004 season. Seattle had lost its previous four games played in the Eastern time zone.
The Seahawks also won for the first time in their past four appearances on Monday Night Football.
While the nation most certainly took notice, the Seahawks weren’t too excited about being the talk of professional football.
“I don’t know (what people are saying), and I really don’t care,” defensive end Grant Wistrom said. “I would just assume keep sneaking up on people.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
