Seahawks at Buccaneers
Published 9:54 pm Saturday, December 25, 2010
When: Today, 1:15 p.m.
Where: Raymond James Stadium
TV: Fox (Ch. 13);
Radio: ESPN 710 AM and 97.3 FM KIRO
KEY MATCHUP
Seattle QB Matt Hasselbeck vs. Tampa Bay’s secondary (and his own head)
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll elected to stick with Hasselbeck this week, who has committed 13 turnovers in the past four games. Now Hasselbeck will try to prove his coach right for keeping the offense in his hands. Hasselbeck’s biggest problems come when the Seahawks fall behind, and by his own admission, he needs to do a better job controlling his emotions in those situations.
And Hasselbeck will need to show extra caution with the ball Sunday considering Tampa Bay is tied for fifth in the league with 18 interceptions. It’s also worth noting that a similar Bucs defense picked Hasselbeck four times in last season’s meeting between the two teams.
The Seahawks will certainly do some things with play calling to keep the turnovers down, but ultimately, a lot of Seattle’s offensive success — or lack thereof — will come down to Hasselbeck’s decision making.
“For us to win, I’ve got to be better,” he said. “I’ve got to be more steady, I’ve got to be more dependable. … I felt like I really let guys down by not playing my best.”
KEY INJURIES
Seahawks: Two players—DE Junior Siavii and CB Roy Lewis—were placed on injured reserve this week. Otherwise, the Seahawks are pretty healthy heading into their second to last game. Only LB Will Herring (hamstring) is listed as questionable. CB Marcus Trufant (back), DE Chris Clemons (ankle), LB Lofa Tatupu (knee) and C Chris Spencer (shoulder) are all probable.
Buccaneers: Starting RT James Lee is listed as doubtful with an ankle injury, as is WR Sammie Stroughter (hamstring). TE Kellen Winslow (knee), LB Dekoda Watson (ankle) and CB Myron Lewis (hip) all practiced Friday and are listed as probable.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the third straight year these teams have played each other, and Seattle leads the series 7-3, though Tampa Bay has won the past two meetings. Seattle is 4-1 all time in Tampa.
KEY NUMBER
The number of average yards gained per play by Atlanta last week, the lowest total for a Seahawks opponent this season.
KEYS TO THE GAME
Seahawks will win if they … Don’t fall behind. Matt Hasselbeck’s turnover problems are drastically magnified when the Seahawks are trailing, and the team as a whole has struggled playing from being this season. … Run the ball. There were positive signs in thee run game last week, and a strong rushing attack would certainly help take pressure off of Hasselbeck. … Win the turnover battle. The Seahawks are unbeaten when they have a positive turnover margin, however they’ve won just once when they give the ball away more than they get it. … Ignore the morning games. Sunday’s game will be meaningless if St. Louis beats San Francisco in an early game, and if the players know that, it certainly won’t help Seattle’s chances.
Buccaneers will win if they … Win at the line of scrimmage. Seattle was better against the run last week than it has been in a while, but Tampa Bay has the league’s ninth-ranked run game, led by power back LeGarette Blount. If Tampa can’t establish the run early, Seattle’s pass rush could become a problem for QB Josh Freeman. … Overcome injuries. Tampa Bay has lost three of four, and a big reason for the late-season swoon has been an uncommon amount of injuries. … Create turnovers. The Buccaneers have a plus-eight turnover ration, which ranks sixth in the NFL; the Seahawks, and QB Matt Hasselbeck in particular, have been turnover machines of late. … Win the Mike Williams battle. Both teams’ offenses lean heavily on receivers of the same name, and who knows, maybe whichever Williams shines brightest will lead his team to a win.
PICK
Seahawks 23, Buccaneers 19
Lost in Hasselbeck’s turnover binge last week was the fact that the Seahawks showed signs of life in two key areas: their run game and their run defense. If Hasselbeck can play smart, the Seahawks could be do for a breakout game.
John Boyle, Herald Writer
