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Beware of these Seahawks
By JOHN ROMANO
Published February 5, 2006
DETROIT - If you are a sensible person, your pick is Pittsburgh.
If your pencils are always sharpened, your hedges always trimmed and your eyes forever on the prize, then Pittsburgh is the team for you.
The Steelers are a popular pick. A safe pick. A sensible pick.
But if you are a little bent, if you think Ilsa should have stayed in Casablanca with Rick, if you see hope where there is none, then you might want to consider these Seahawks.
They are underdogs, yes, but they are not without promise. They have no history, true, but they have been building for quite some time.
The Seahawks have a head coach with a Super Bowl ring, a running back with an MVP trophy and a quiet confidence that is unmistakable.
They have an offense that controls the tempo and spreads the field. They pass as often as they run, and they are exceptionally effective at both.
They rarely turn the ball over, and the offensive line does a good job of protecting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
The Steelers defense might be known as "Blitzburgh," but it was the Seahawks who led the NFL in sacks this season. The defense is not dominant, but it is effective. And that's enough with Shaun Alexander and Hasselbeck on offense.
The rap is Seattle got here on a free pass. That the NFC was exceptionally weak this season, and the Seahawks coasted to Detroit.
Except the numbers don't quite bear that out. Sure, the AFC had the better record in interconference games with a winning percentage of .531. But that's supposed to prove dominance? Winning 53 percent of the time?
Not exactly the difference between the SEC and the Big Sky, is it?
Look, the Seahawks are not a fluke. They did not just show up because Donovan McNabb got hurt, the Bears couldn't score and Jim Mora is a moron.
This is a smart, physical team. A team that relies less on emotion and gimmicks than game plan and execution.
Holmgren is an exceptionally bright coach. He's had a winning record in 12 of his 14 seasons and is 11-8 in the postseason. That's a better postseason percentage than Don Shula (19-17), Tom Landry (20-16) or John Madden (9-7). Do the Seahawks have flaws? Absolutely. The quick-paced offense often means the defense is on the field too much. The secondary is suspect, and the right side of the offensive line could be susceptible to blitzes.
Should the Steelers be favored? Probably. They have more balance to their roster. Their defense is clearly superior to Seattle's, and defenses are usually what win championships. The Steelers also have the almost unprecedented momentum of three consecutive road victories in the playoffs.
What do the Seahawks have? A chance to be reborn. To make the world look differently at Hasselbeck. To give Alexander the respect appropriate to his talents.
It doesn't happen often. In the 40-year history of the Super Bowl, only six teams have overcome a spread of four points or more.
The last time it happened?
It was a few years ago when, just like today, the AFC team was one of history's most decorated franchises. And, just like today, the NFC sent an expansion team appearing in its first Super Bowl.
You might recall it.
It was the year the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl.
[Last modified February 5, 2006, 01:22:20]
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