SANTA CLARA — Everything is fine. Nothing to worry about.
The power of positive thinking remains a factor for the Seattle Seahawks.
For some years, they’ve mastered the transfer of will to power; if they say it, it often comes true.
So scoff at your own peril.
On Sunday, after a tepid 25-23 win over one of the worst teams in the NFL, they unanimously claimed that they’re heading into the postseason prepped and positioned for another long run — no matter where the games are played or who they’re against.
As it happens, the Hawks open the playoffs at home Saturday against the Detroit Lions.
Their beliefs aside, it seems fair to say that the Seahawks are not going to beat anybody who is in the playoffs if they perform as they did Sunday against the 2-14 49ers.
Seattle managed 87 rushing yards against a historical bad San Francisco defense that had been rolling out the red carpet for opponents to rush for an average of more than 170 yards a game.
They fell behind 14-3, and they converted just three third-downs.
But even if only for sporadic glimpses against a terrible team, the Seahawks offense at times on Sunday was more than just nostalgia.
And fans may hope that there is value in the emergence of this memory of their former selves. Maybe it’s the sort of reminder of what it takes to execute, to perform, to win.
The Hawks went with reserves in the latter part of the game, so the final margin is not necessarily a valid indicator.
And perhaps the best part of the win was that it prevented the alternative. A loss would have left the Seahawks as the only division champ in the NFL with a losing record in the division (2-3-1).
The win perpetuated a jagged cycle of following every win with a loss since before Thanksgiving. That’s not exactly the kind of consistency that augurs playoff success.
But with a core of players who have been to two Super Bowls, they are familiar with what it takes to get to the pinnacle.
“We have the personnel to do it,” said defensive end Cliff Avril. “It’s all about us going out there and making it happen. But I’m confident in the guys we have, from our leaders to everybody (else). We just have to go make it happen now.”
Michael Bennett claimed that fans and media get unduly hysterical about the week-to-week drama surrounding the team.
“Football is one of those things where you’re dealt your cards and you play through the game,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s about lining up and beating whoever you have in front of you.”
They have done exactly that with impressive regularity, finishing this season 10-5-1, their fifth consecutive double-digit win season.
“It’s a testament to the guys in this room and the coaches that we have here; it’s a big family,” tight end Luke Willson said. “You hear stories about other teams, but here it’s about playing for each other. We talk about it before every game.”
Thank you, Luke, that’s a good reminder in the context of a game against San Francisco, a once-worthy rival that is now a franchise in shambles.
The GM, Trent Baalke, was booted, and coach Chip Kelly is on his way out too.
The new head coach will be the fourth new one in four seasons.
The Hawks, in contrast, are going to their fifth consecutive postseason.
If back-to-back 10-win seasons seem a step below the back-to-back Super Bowls after the 2013-14 seasons, that’s hard to debate. But pretty much every team other than New England would leap at that consistency.
The team still has the talent to crank it up under the bright lights. The road upset of New England in November was an example.
They showed very little of that on Sunday, but there was some. Quarterback Russell Wilson had another good game. Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham each had huge catches on the same drive. And rookie Alex Collins ran with surprising speed and power.
Don’t get it wrong, this was a mostly forgettable game in front of a sparse crowd against a team with nothing to play for.
But there seemed to be flickering memories of what it used to be like, and what it will take once again.
And none of them seemed willing to abandon the belief that they can still get it done.
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