KIRKLAND – Remember in late October, when the Seahawks coughed up one to the Kansas City Chiefs and found themselves 4-3 and suddenly on a two-game losing streak?
Remember the panic in the streets? Remember the apathy sneaking in – that is, after the Bob Knight-like tantrums?
Don’t look now, but Seattle is 8-4, has won four of its past five and suddenly, significant damage in the playoffs is no longer out of the question.
What’s more, in stark contrast to virtually every team in the NFL, the Seahawks are getting their front-liners back. Besides the much-ballyhooed returns of Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander, Sean Locklear will start at right tackle Sunday after missing five games with a high ankle sprain. Head coach Mike Holmgren said Wednesday that center Robbie Tobeck, who has missed four games with an abscess in his hip, is almost ready to practice. Wideout Bobby Engram, out eight games with a thyroid condition, may return as early as Dec. 14 against San Francisco.
If you’re a Seahawk fan, you’ve got to love the fact that, upon Tobeck’s return, the entire offensive line that began the season will be intact. And when Engram comes back, the Seahawks will have such a surplus of quality wideouts, Holmgren will be forced to bench one of his receivers.
“I haven’t given it enough thought yet,” he said. “You can’t have them all up.”
With four games left in the regular season,
So, while many of the stars in the NFC are dropping like bandaged flies (Donovan McNabb, Michael Strahan, Clinton Portis, Orlando Pace, Simeon Rice, etc.), Seattle seems to have gotten much of its injury bug out of the way early. In fact, the Seahawks may be the healthiest team in the conference, which bodes well with the playoffs a month away.
If, indeed, the worst is over in the way of injuries, the Seahawks took advantage by giving their young guys playing time, which only improves the depth. First-round draft choice Kelly Jennings is settling in at cornerback. Second-round choice Darryl Tapp returned an interception for a touchdown Sunday night. Third-rounder Rob Sims has seen action at guard.
“You’re always optimistic after the draft,” Holmgren said. “You should be. Then you have to see how much the guy is going to play and how they perform … We’re very pleased.”
The single most influential factor, though, in the Seahawks’ hopes for the postseason may be this: Who else is out there?
Mediocrity reigns in the NFL, especially in the NFC. The NFC is so bad that it’s not out of the question that 8-8 teams may squeeze through the backdoor to the playoffs.
How uncommon is that? Since 1990, the average number of victories by wild-card teams is 9.98. Ten wild-card teams have had 12 or more victories. So it’s usually pretty difficult for .500 teams to make the playoffs.
This year, it’s almost assured that at least one and perhaps two 8-8 teams will get into the NFC playoffs.
That’s beyond parity. It’s nausea.
After likely division champions Chicago (10-2), Dallas (8-4), New Orleans (8-4) and Seattle (8-4) come four 6-6 teams – the New York Giants, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Carolina – who are fighting for two wild-card spots.
Even the likely division champions have their flaws. Newly exposed are the Bears, whose quarterback, Rex Grossman had to rally against Minnesota on Sunday to build his passer rating up to 1.3.
The AFC doesn’t have a dominant team, either. Oh, sure, Indianapolis is 10-2, but the Colts have lost two of their past three and are dead last in the NFL in rushing defense (159.9 yards a game).
Pittsburgh showed us last season how important momentum is in the playoffs. Dallas has it. But so does Seattle, which also has healthy bodies coming back.
Counting out the Seahawks seems senseless, even if it was fashionable just weeks ago.
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