Loss leaves Seahawks playing for wild card

Published 9:00 pm Sunday, December 14, 2003

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The road to an NFC West title was supposed to go through the Edward Jones Dome, which is exactly where it came to an end Sunday for the Seattle Seahawks.

Clinging to their ever-dwindling playoff hopes – and an even slimmer chance of winning the division title – the Seahawks suffered another setback when the St. Louis Rams knocked them off 27-22. The win clinched the NFC West title for the Rams (11-3), while the Seahawks dropped into a tie with Green Bay and Minnesota for the conference’s final playoff spot.

“Our season is clearly well-defined for us,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “We have to win the last two games and see what happens.”

Seattle (8-6) plays host to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday before a season finale at San Francisco six days later. Either the Packers or Vikings will win the NFC North, while the remaining team could hold a tie-breaker over the Seahawks because of a head-to-head victory. The Packers play at Oakland this weekend and host Denver the following Sunday. Minnesota hosts Kansas City, followed by a road game at Arizona.

The Seahawks didn’t have to be in this back-to-the-wall scenario if they could have pulled out a rare road victory Sunday. They had their chance at the end, with the ball at the Rams’ 34-yard line and two shots at the St. Louis end zone, but couldn’t pull out the come-from-behind win.

It marked Seattle’s sixth consecutive road loss, even though the Seahawks put on one of their best road performances of the season.

Things looked pretty bleak in the first half, as St. Louis rebounded from an early safety to take leads of 14-2 after one quarter and 21-9 late in the second period. The Seahawks got a field goal with 18 seconds remaining before halftime to pull them within 21-12 and give some semblance of hope despite being manhandled on both sides of the ball.

Seattle fielded a more competitive effort in the second half, clawing its way back into the game as the Rams’ high-octane offense sputtered without injured wide receiver Isaac Bruce. A Shaun Alexander touchdown less than five minutes into the fourth quarter pulled the Seahawks within 24-22. Seattle’s defense then forced a three-and-out to set up a possible go-ahead scoring drive, but the offense couldn’t get farther than its own 44-yard line.

St. Louis got the ball back with 5:57 remaining and went on a 10-play, 57-yard drive over 4:20, during which running back Marshall Faulk accounted for all of the Rams’ yardage.

Kicker Jeff Wilkins finished that drive with a 46-yard field goal with 1:37 remaining in the game to leave the Seahawks five points back and needing a touchdown to win.

Four Matt Hasselbeck pass completions, including a 26-yarder to Darrell Jackson, put Seattle at the St. Louis 34-yard line with 11 seconds remaining. Hasselbeck’s only incompletion in that span was a throw to Bobby Engram in the end zone that got broken up when the receiver tripped over fallen official Greg Steed.

Hasselbeck threw toward the end zone again with 11 seconds remaining, but the pass intended for Darrell Jackson sailed over his head and out of bounds. That left a fourth down with two seconds left, meaning the Rams had one play separating them from the division title.

Hasselbeck dropped back again, first looking toward a trio of receivers streaking down the left sideline before targeting Koren Robinson in double coverage to the right. Robinson was at the 3-yard line when St. Louis safety Rich Coady batted the ball away after time had expired.

“This really isn’t a surprise to us,” Rams defensive lineman Grant Wistrom said of the NFC West title. “We knew we were one of the best teams out there in the NFL all year.”

The Seahawks once had a two-game lead on St. Louis atop the division, but three losses in the last four games helped the Rams overtake Seattle. The division title out of reach, the Seahawks can now only hope for a wild-card berth.

“The goal is to get in the playoffs and see what happens,” Seahawks center Robbie Tobeck said. “We’re excited about these next two games and to go out and win them and get into the playoffs.”

The Seahawks’ last playoff appearance came in 1999, when they got off to an 8-2 start before losing five of six down the stretch. During that late-season swoon, Seattle beat Kansas City in a game that eventually won the AFC West title.

During the current 2-4 skid, the Seahawks have been unable to come up with a big victory when needed. Back-to-back losses at Minnesota and St. Louis leave what was once a playoff favorite needing some help down the stretch.

“Our focus is still there, and we’re still hungry for the playoffs,” Jackson said. “I don’t think (Sunday’s loss) was devastating.”

Maybe not today, when there is still hope for the Seahawks. But two weeks from now, they may be looking back on the loss to St. Louis as the straw that broke the season’s back.