SEATTLE – In a game of unlikely twists and turns – the Seattle Seahawks failing to score after a first-and-goal at the 1, the Dallas Cowboys botching a chip-shot field goal in the late seconds – it was fitting that Seattle’s primary offensive hero turned out to be one of the team’s most maligned players.
Tight end Jerramy Stevens, who has been showered with boos by Qwest Field fans at times this season, came up huge for the Seahawks on Saturday, taking in two second-half touchdown receptions in a 21-20 NFC playoff victory over the Cowboys.
“It feels great,” Stevens said with a smile. “This is the second season, and making plays in the playoffs is obviously to me what it’s all about. This is the most fun, and I went out there and had fun today.”
On Seattle’s first possession of the third quarter, Stevens capped a 12-play, 62-yard drive – a march kept alive by two fourth-down conversions – with a 15-yard scoring reception. He ran into the right flat, took a strike delivered by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in stride, and dove into the end zone for a touchdown that put the Seahawks on top 13-10.
Then, with 41/2 minutes to play in the game, Stevens sprinted straight down the field, beat a Dallas linebacker in coverage, and took another perfect toss from Hasselbeck over his shoulder for another TD that gave Seattle its 21-20 margin.
“I really have a lot of comfort and confidence in Jerramy as a receiving tight end,” said Hasselbeck, who raised his arm in triumph even as the ball was still sailing to Stevens on the second TD. “I like throwing to him. To have him come up big with two touchdowns, it was good for him and I’m happy for him. And hopefully we can keep that going.”
Stevens, a former first-round draft pick out of Washington, finished the day with a team-best five receptions for 77 yards.
“I thought Jerramy Stevens showed up big in this game,” Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said.
Stevens became something of a target for frustrated Seahawks fans when he had a disappointing effort in last season’s Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh. This regular season he had just 22 receptions, and at times it seemed he had nearly as many dropped passes.
Other Seahawks were booed at home by fans disappointed by the team’s sporadic play, but no one more than Stevens.
“It’s been an up-and-down year,” he acknowledged after Saturday’s game. “It doesn’t always go your way in football. … Football is what I do. It’s a big part of my life. If it’s not going well, obviously it’s rough.
“This year, I think I’ve been learning and growing and becoming more confident in myself and kind of realizing what this game is really about and what it means to me. It’s always easy to ride that high when everything is going well. But when things start to turn the other way, that’s where character is built.”
Stevens credits his family for supporting him through this season’s struggles – “I lean on them through the hard times,” he said – but said he also has an ally in Hasselbeck. That friendship, professional and personal, began when Stevens arrived as a rookie in 2002. At the time, Hasselbeck was the backup to then-starter Trent Dilfer.
“I just have to thank Matt for sticking with me throughout this year and throughout my career,” Stevens said. “Through all five of these years I’ve been here, he’s just always stuck with me and kept me up when things didn’t go my way. He let me know he wasn’t going to stop coming to me.
“We’ve really established a relationship between us. I’ve had some ups and downs this year, but he knows I’m going to go out there and keep fighting to make plays. I appreciate him giving me the opportunity to do that.”
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