2006: Seahawks Overwhelm Panthers for NFC Championship

The NFC Championship game on January 22, 2006 featured the Seattle Seahawks, winners of the NFC West and top-seeded team in the conference, hosting the Carolina Panthers, a Wild Card team that finished second in the NFC South.

The Seahawks were coached by Mike Holmgren, who had previously guided the Packers to a NFL Championship, and posted a 13-3 record during the 2005 regular season. RB Shaun Alexander (pictured above) topped the league in rushing (1880 yards) and scoring (168 points) while setting a new NFL record for touchdowns (28, which was broken the next year) and QB Matt Hasselbeck achieved career highs in completion percentage (65.5), yards per attempt (7.7), and passer rating (98.2). The defense was unspectacular but effective and benefited from the addition of rookie MLB Lofa Tatupu. Seattle, which was in the playoffs for the third consecutive year, defeated the Redskins in the Divisional round to advance to its first conference title game since 1983, when the Seahawks were in the AFC (they moved to the NFC as part of the 2002 reorganization). If there was a major concern coming into the game, it was that Alexander had suffered a concussion the previous week.

Carolina, coached by John Fox, was two years removed from a losing Super Bowl appearance and, after dipping to 7-9 in 2004, had bounced back to 11-5 in ’05. Key players on offense were Pro Bowl QB Jake Delhomme and WR Steve Smith, who was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection after catching 103 passes for 1563 yards (15.2 avg.) and 12 TDs. However, the running game struggled due to injuries and RBs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster were both out for the NFC title contest. The defense had trouble against the run, having lost DT Kris Jenkins to injury for virtually the entire season, although there were capable pass rushers in ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker. The Panthers shut out the Giants in the Wild Card playoff round and then defeated the Bears at the Divisional level.

There were 67,837 fans in attendance at Qwest Field. The teams traded punts until the Seahawks, gaining the advantage in field position, put together a 57-yard drive in five plays. The last two were the biggest as Matt Hasselbeck threw to QB/WR Seneca Wallace for 28 yards and then connected with a wide-open TE Jerramy Stevens for a 17-yard touchdown. Josh Brown added the extra point.

Seattle got the ball back on the next series when Lofa Tatupu intercepted a Jake Delhomme pass that was thrown into coverage and returned it 21 yards to the Carolina 20. The Seahawks weren’t able to reach the end zone again, but Brown kicked a 24-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0.

With time running down in the opening period, the Seahawks again took advantage of a turnover as FS Marquand Manuel picked off a throw by Delhomme and ran it back 32 yards to the Carolina 17. Shaun Alexander had a 15-yard run on the last play of the first quarter and, two plays later it was Alexander running for a one-yard TD. Brown’s conversion put the home team up by 17-0.

The Panthers, who had lost yet another running back in Nick Goings during the first quarter, fought back as Delhomme completed a pass to WR Drew Carter for 41 yards to the Seattle 26, but a holding penalty backed the visitors up and a sack by DT Rocky Bernard took them out of field goal range, forcing a punt. A short Seattle possession also resulted in a punt and Steve Smith returned it 59 yards for a touchdown. While a penalty flag was thrown during the return, a conference by the officials led to no infraction being called and, when John Kasay kicked the point after, the Seahawks’ lead was narrowed to 17-7.

Seattle responded by advancing to another score. Hasselbeck (pictured below) completed three passes, all to WR Darrell Jackson, and Alexander had back-to-back carries of 11 and 18 yards. A 15-yard penalty for an illegal crackback block blunted the drive, but Brown booted a 39-yard field goal to make it a 20-7 game. Following a punt by the Panthers, the Seahawks had an opportunity to add to their margin with 33 seconds remaining in the first half, but Brown missed a field goal try from 49 yards. Thus far the Seahawks had been dominant on defense, holding Carolina to three first downs and 62 total yards in the first thirty minutes.

Seattle took the second half kickoff and drove 65 yards in eight plays, essentially putting the game out of reach for Carolina. Alexander again ran effectively, with a 16-yard gain along the way, and Hasselbeck had three completions, the last to Jackson for a 20-yard TD. Brown’s extra point had the Seahawks up by an imposing 27-7.

Seattle’s defense kept the Panthers in check as their next two possessions went three-and-out, resulting in punts, and the third ended with a Delhomme pass being intercepted by SS Michael Boulware. An exchange of punts led to the last score for the Seahawks on a one-yard carry by Alexander. Carolina responded with one last hurrah, a Delhomme throw to WR Drew Carter for a 47-yard touchdown, but with six minutes remaining in the contest, the outcome was not in doubt. The Seahawks won convincingly by a final score of 34-14.

The statistics reflected Seattle’s dominance. The Seahawks had big leads in total yards (393 to 212), first downs (27 to 11), and time of possession (41:51 to 18:09). In addition, Carolina turned the ball over four times, to none suffered by Seattle.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 20 of 28 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns with none intercepted. Shaun Alexander, showing no ill effects from his concussion the week before, rushed for 132 yards on 34 carries that included the two short TDs. Darrell Jackson and Jerramy Stevens each accounted for a team-leading six pass receptions, for 75 and 66 yards, respectively, and scored a touchdown apiece. On defense, Rocky Bernard was credited with both of Seattle’s sacks.

For the Panthers, Jake Delhomme was successful on only 15 of 35 throws for 196 yards and a TD while giving up three interceptions. RB Jamal Robertson, forced into action due to the attrition at running back, led the club in pass receiving with 37 yards on five catches and in rushing with only 19 yards on four attempts. Steve Smith, who was well bottled up by the defense, also had five pass receptions, gaining 33 yards, but he provided one of Carolina’s few highlights with his lone punt return for a 59-yard TD.

“I don’t know if we ran out of gas,” said Carolina’s Coach Fox from the losing team’s perspective. “I’m not too sure what the problem was. Their defense played tremendous. We know we’d have our hands full with their offense.”

The Seahawks lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl. They topped the NFC West with a lesser record in 2006 but lost in overtime to the Bears at the Divisional level in the postseason. Carolina dropped to 8-8 and missed the playoffs in ’06, next appearing in the postseason in 2008.

Highlighted Year: Shaun Alexander, 2001

Running Back, Seattle Seahawks

Age: 24

2^nd season in pro football & with Seahawks

College: Alabama

Height: 5’11” Weight: 218

Prelude:

After rushing for 3565 yards in college, including 1383 as a senior when he was SEC Player of the Year, Alexander was chosen by the Seahawks in the 1^st round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He backed up starting RB Ricky Watters as a rookie, rushing for 313 yards on 64 carries (4.9 avg.). Alexander started the ’01 season behind Watters but, when the veteran was injured, broke into the starting lineup.

2001 Season Summary

Appeared in all 16 games

[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing

Attempts – 309 [9]

Most attempts, game – 35 (for 266 yds.) vs. Oakland 11/11

Yards – 1318 [6]

Most yards, game – 266 yards (on 35 carries) vs. Oakland 11/11

Average gain – 4.3 [17]

TDs – 14 [1]

200-yard rushing games – 1

100-yard rushing games – 4

Pass Receiving

Receptions – 44      

Most receptions, game – 7 (for 66 yds.) at Oakland 9/30

Yards – 343

Most yards, game – 66 (on 7 catches) at Oakland 9/30

Average gain – 7.8

TDs – 2

Scoring

TDs – 16 [2, tied with Terrell Owens; 1^st in AFC]

Points – 96 [20, tied with Terrell Owens & Olindo Mare]

Seahawks went 9-7 to finish second in the AFC West (their last year in that division before being realigned into the NFC West).

Aftermath:

The thousand-yard, double-digit touchdown season in 2001 was the first of five straight for Alexander. He also improved on his pass receiving and blocking. He was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2003 thru ‘05 seasons, rushing for 1435 and 1696 yards in ’03 and ’04 before leading the NFL with a career-high 1880 yards in 2005. He also scored a then-record 28 touchdowns that year as the Seahawks won the NFC Championship and he received consensus MVP honors.Alexander signed an 8-year contract extension but broke his foot three weeks into the 2006 season and was limited to just 10 games, gaining 896 yards rushing, including 201 on 40 carries against Green Bay. After a less productive year in ’07, in which he suffered a series of nagging injuries, he was released. Alexander joined the Redskins during the 2008 season, to provide depth following the loss of backup RB Ladell Betts, and ran the ball just 11 times in four games in his final year at age 31. Overall, Alexander rushed for 9453 yards on 2187 carries (4.3 avg.), caught 215 passes for 1520 more yards (7.1 avg.), and scored a total of 112 touchdowns (100 rushing, 12 receiving).  9429 of his rushing yards, and all of the TDs, came with the Seahawks, making him the franchise’s career leader in both categories.

--

Highlighted Years features players who were consensus first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the following statistical categories:

Rushing: Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Passing: Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating

Receiving: Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)

Scoring: TDs, Points, Field Goals (min. 5)

All-Purpose: Total Yards

Defense: Interceptions, Sacks

Kickoff Returns: Average

Punt Returns: Average

Punting: Average

*Leagues include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)

**NFC/AFC since 1970

2004: Harris INT Return in Overtime Gives Packers Win Over Seahawks

The NFC Wild Card playoff game on January 4, 2004 featured the Green Bay Packers, winners of the NFC North with a 10-6 record, against the visiting Seattle Seahawks, also a 10-6 team that had placed second in the NFC West.

The Packers, coached by Mike Sherman for the fourth year, had struggled through much of the season and were at 6-6 after a Thanksgiving loss at Detroit, but won their remaining games to win the division. The key to the offense was 34-year-old QB Brett Favre (pictured above), as had been the case for over a decade. Seemingly indestructible, Favre had been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand for the previous eleven weeks. RB Ahman Green rushed for a NFC-leading 1883 yards during the season. Second-year WR Javon Walker emerged as a fine deep threat while WR Donald Driver remained the top receiver. The midseason addition of NT Grady Jackson boosted the defense and rookie MLB Nick Barnett led the club in tackles.

Seattle was coached by Mike Holmgren, who had led the Packers to two NFC Championships and a Super Bowl win in 1996-97. Now he had the Seahawks in the playoffs for the first time in four years, but while they had been undefeated at home, they were only 2-6 on the road. QB Matt Hasselbeck, who had originally been drafted by Green Bay, directed the offense with skill and RB Shaun Alexander was productive. The pass defense was suspect, ranking 27^th in the NFL during the regular season.

It was a 20-degree day with a wind chill that was far lower and there were 71,457 fans in attendance at Lambeau Field. The Packers punted following their first possession and Seattle drove 57 yards in ten plays. Matt Hasselbeck completed consecutive passes to WR Koren Robinson for 11 and 15 yards to get the series underway and with Shaun Alexander contributing runs of 8 and 17 yards along the way, the Seahawks reached the Green Bay nine. However, from there Alexander lost yardage on two carries and, after Hasselbeck’s third down pass fell incomplete, Josh Brown kicked a 30-yard field goal.

The teams traded punts for the remainder of the opening period. Early in the second quarter, the Packers took possession at midfield following a punt and moved quickly to the Seattle 21 when Brett Favre threw to FB William Henderson for a 29-yard gain. Two carries by Ahman Green (pictured below) picked up eight yards and, after an incomplete pass on third down, Ryan Longwell tied the score with a 31-yard field goal.

The Seahawks came back with an eight-play, 51-yard drive. Hasselbeck had a 28-yard completion to WR Bobby Engram to get the ball to the Green Bay 28, but after getting a first down at the 17, Hasselbeck was held to three incomplete passes and Seattle settled for a 35-yard field goal by Brown that put the visitors back in front.

Green Bay came back quickly, taking five plays to advance 80 yards. Favre immediately connected with Javon Walker for a 44-yard gain to the Seattle 36. Another pass, this time to Green, picked up another 13 yards and Favre finished the series with a throw to TE Bubba Franks for a 23-yard touchdown. Longwell kicked the extra point and the Packers had a 10-6 lead.

The Seahawks lost yardage and had to punt following their next series and the Packers got the ball back in Seattle territory with 2:18 remaining in the half. In a possession featuring a Favre pass to Donald Driver that gained 23 yards, the Packers managed to add to their lead when Longwell booted a 27-yard field goal. The score was 13-6 at halftime.

The Seahawks had the first possession in the third quarter and drove 74 yards in ten plays. Hasselbeck completed five passes along the way, starting with a throw to WR Darrell Jackson that picked up 25 yards to start things off. TE Itula Mili had two receptions that totaled 29 yards and, on fourth-and-goal at the Green Bay one, Alexander scored a touchdown. Adding Brown’s extra point, the game was tied at 13-13.

Following a punt by the Packers, Seattle again mounted a scoring drive, this time advancing 77 yards in 11 plays. Six of the plays were Hasselbeck pass completions, including one to Engram for 15 yards on third-and-four and another to Robinson that picked up 33 yards to the Green Bay 19. Once again, Alexander ran for a one-yard TD and, adding on Brown’s PAT, the visitors were up by 20-13.

Green Bay came back with a 12-play, 60-yard series that extended into the fourth quarter. Favre completed all five of his passes and Green ran for two yards on a fourth-and-one play at the Seattle three. Green followed up by gaining the last yard for a touchdown and, with Longwell adding the extra point, the game was once again tied at 20-20 with ten minutes remaining in regulation.

The Seahawks went three-and-out on their next possession and Tom Rouen’s punt was returned 21 yards by WR Antonio Chatman for good field position at the Seattle 49. Favre completed three passes and Green again converted a fourth down with a two-yard carry (although he lost the ball at the end, it was ruled that his forward progress had been stopped before the fumble, much to the consternation of Mike Holmgren), one of his six during the 12-play, 51-yard drive. He picked up a total of 21 yards, including one yard for a TD. Longwell’s extra point again made it a seven-point contest with the clock now down to less than three minutes.

The Seahawks took over at their 33 following the kickoff and Hasselbeck immediately passed to Robinson for nine yards and Jackson for another 16. Now at the Green Bay 42, on the second play after the two-minute warning Hasselbeck connected with Engram for 34 yards to the eight. Alexander ran for two yards, a five-yard penalty moved the ball to the one, and it was Alexander going the final yard for a TD. Brown’s extra point again knotted the score at 27-27.

The Packers still had 51 seconds to work with and reached the Seattle 30 after Favre threw to Walker for 27 yards. But after letting the clock run down, Longwell’s 47-yard field goal attempt was unsuccessful and the game headed into overtime.

Seattle won the toss, with Hasselbeck shouting “We want the ball, we’re going to score”. The Seahawks didn’t, however, and the teams traded punts in OT. On Seattle’s second series, and facing third-and-11 at its own 45, Hasselbeck threw a pass that was intercepted by CB Al Harris (pictured below), who cut in front of WR Alex Bannister at the last moment. With clear sailing in front of him, Harris returned it 52 yards down the sideline for a touchdown and Green Bay came away with a stunning 33-27 win. It was the first time a defensive play ended a NFL overtime playoff game.

The Packers had the edge in total yards (397 to 340) while the teams were even with 22 first downs apiece. Neither club ran the ball consistently, with Green Bay compiling 78 yards on 32 carries and the Seahawks gaining 49 yards on 21 attempts. There was only one turnover in the game, and it was the game-winning play.

Brett Favre completed 26 of 38 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Donald Driver caught 6 passes for 66 yards while Javon Walker gained 111 yards on his 5 receptions. Ahman Green ran for 66 yards on 23 carries, including two TDs and the two big fourth down conversions, and contributed 5 catches for 44 more yards.

For the Seahawks, Matt Hasselbeck (pictured at right) was successful on 25 of 45 throws for 305 yards and no TDs with the one big interception. Shaun Alexander gained just 45 yards on 20 rushing attempts, but had the three short scoring carries. Koren Robinson led the club with 7 catches for 88 yards and Itula Mili had 6 receptions for 62 yards while Bobby Engram gained 83 yards on his four catches.

“This game came down to us making a play at the end,” said Coach Mike Sherman. “It could have gone either way.”

“I’m dying inside,” said Mike Holmgren from the losing side. “It hurts bad to lose this game today.”

The Packers went on to lose a close contest in overtime at Philadelphia in the Divisional round. They repeated as North Division champs in 2004 but lost in the Wild Card playoff game. Seattle had a lesser record at 9-7 but won the NFC West, also falling in the first round.

2007: Seahawks Edge Cowboys Thanks to Botched FG Attempt

The Dallas Cowboys had lost four straight playoff games – their last win coming a decade earlier in 1996 - as they faced the Seattle Seahawks in a Wild Card Playoff game on January 6, 2007. In their fourth season under Head Coach Bill Parcells, the Cowboys were off to a 3-3 start when they replaced veteran QB Drew Bledsoe with unheralded backup Tony Romo. They went 6-4 the rest of the way to finish second in the NFC East at 9-7 and claim a Wild Card spot. Romo tailed off late in the season but still earned selection to the Pro Bowl. Both wide receivers Terrell Owens, in his first year with the Cowboys, and Terry Glenn gained over a thousand yards, Pro Bowl TE Jason Witten was solid, and the running back tandem of Julius Jones and Marion Barber was productive.

The Seahawks, coached by Mike Holmgren, had won the NFC title in 2005 and, while they struggled at times in ’06, they also went 9-7 to top the NFC West for the third consecutive year. Injuries were an issue as QB Matt Hasselbeck missed four games and RB Shaun Alexander, who set a record for touchdowns scored in ’05, also missed time with a foot injury. Both had subpar years. The defensive secondary was prone to giving up big plays and the pass rush tailed off as the season progressed.

There was a crowd of 68,058 at Seattle’s Qwest Field. The Seahawks had the game’s first possession and drove 55 yards in nine plays. Hasselbeck completed four passes, including one to WR Bobby Engram that gained 36 yards. Josh Brown kicked a 23-yard field goal to give the home team the early lead.

Following a Dallas punt, Hasselbeck was intercepted by CB Anthony Henry to give the Cowboys good field position at the Seattle 43. They made the most of the opportunity as Martin Gramatica booted a 50-yard field goal to tie the score five plays later.

That was the tally heading into the second quarter until the Seahawks put together a 13-play series that covered 54 yards. With Hasselbeck completing short passes and Shaun Alexander running the ball, Seattle reached the Dallas 12 from where Brown kicked his second field goal, from 30 yards.

Both teams had three-and-out possessions before the Cowboys went 76 yards in ten plays. A third-and-six pass by Tony Romo to WR Patrick Crayton for 18 yards kept the drive alive, as did a throw to Jason Witten for 32 yards to the Seattle three in a fourth-and-two situation. An offensive holding penalty moved the ball back ten yards, but Romo connected with Crayton from there for a touchdown and Dallas took a 10-6 lead into halftime.

In the third quarter, and following a short Dallas possession that ended with a punt, the Seahawks briefly regained the lead with a 12-play, 62-yard drive. Five runs by Alexander gained 32 yards, including one for three yards that converted a fourth-and-one situation, and Hasselbeck completed three passes, the last to TE Jerramy Stevens for a 15-yard touchdown. With the successful extra point, it was 13-10 in favor of Seattle – but the lead didn’t last long. The ensuing kickoff was returned 93 yards for a TD by WR Miles Austin and the Cowboys were back in front at 17-13. It was the first touchdown on a kickoff return in Dallas postseason history.

That was the score early in the fourth quarter when Hasselbeck went long for WR D.J. Hackett but was picked off by SS Roy Williams after the ball was tipped by CB Terence Newman. Taking over at their own 43, the Cowboys made the most of the turnover by advancing 46 yards in eight plays. Along the way, Romo completed a pass to Terry Glenn for 16 yards and Julius Jones (pictured at right) had an 18-yard run. Gramatica kicked a 29-yard field goal and Dallas extended its lead to 20-13.

In the ensuing possession, the Seahawks drove from their 27 yard line to the Dallas two, but an incomplete pass on fourth down forced them to give the ball up. However, on the next play Glenn fumbled after catching a short pass from Romo and, initially, the play was ruled a touchdown on a recovery in the end zone by SS Michael Boulware. Upon review, the call was reversed and ruled a safety with the ball having rolled out of bounds in the end zone.

Now down by five points, the Seahawks started off following the free kick with good field position at midfield. Four plays later, Hasselbeck connected with Stevens for a 37-yard touchdown. The try for a two-point conversion failed, but Seattle was now in front by a point.

There were still over four minutes remaining on the clock, however – plenty of time for the Cowboys to respond. After Romo completed two passes, with a short run in between, Jones took off for a 35-yard gain to the Seattle 11. They got it down to the two (narrowly missing another first down) and lined up for a potentially game-winning field goal attempt by Gramatica. However, Romo, who had been the holder for placekicks far longer than he had been the starting quarterback, fumbled the snap (pictured at top) and had to pick up the loose ball and run with it. He came up short of either a score or a first down as he was tackled by CB Jordan Babineaux at the line of scrimmage.  With the stunning reprieve, the Seahawks held on for a 21-20 win.

Seattle led in total yards (332 to 284) and first downs (19 to 14). The Seahawks also turned the ball over twice, to one by Dallas. The Cowboys hurt themselves with 8 penalties, at a cost of 74 yards, while Seattle was flagged just three times.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 18 of 36 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns with two intercepted. Shaun Alexander ran for 69 yards on 24 carries. Jerramy Stevens caught 5 passes for 77 yards and two TDs while Bobby Engram (pictured below) gained 88 yards on his four receptions.

For the Cowboys, Tony Romo was successful on 17 of 29 throws for 189 yards and a touchdown without giving up an interception. Julius Jones had a fine performance running the ball as he gained 112 yards on 22 attempts. Terry Glenn paced the receivers with four pass receptions for 41 yards while Jason Witten contributed 57 yards on three catches.

Of the failed field goal attempt by the Cowboys, Mike Holmgren said, “You coach long enough, you end up seeing just about everything. One more thing for the journal.”

“It’s just one of those things,” said Bill Parcells. “It looked like a good snap. I can’t tell you what happened after that.”

The Seahawks lost another close game, this time in overtime, to the Bears at the Divisional Playoff level. They again topped the NFC West in 2007 while the Cowboys finished first in the NFC East, but both clubs fell in the Divisional round of the postseason.

Bill Parcells was not at the helm for Dallas in ’07 – he stepped down as head coach and the loss to Seattle thus marked his finale. His four-year record with the Cowboys was 34-30 with two playoff losses as well. It was the final stop in a head coaching career with four teams that yielded a 172-130-1 regular season record and 11-8 playoff tally that included three conference titles and two Super Bowl victories.

2005: Seahawks Stop 2-Point Conversion, Defeat Falcons to Win NFC West

The 2004 season-ending game on January 2, 2005 between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field featured two teams assured of spots in the postseason, but it still held significance for the home team. The Seahawks, in their sixth year under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, were 8-7 and had clinched a playoff spot the week before. However, if they lost and the Rams won, they would end up as a wild card team rather than a division champion with a home playoff game to open the postseason.

Seattle’s offense featured star RB Shaun Alexander and included QB Matt Hasselbeck, still a work in progress at age 29 and in his fourth year as a starter, and WR Darrell Jackson. Anchoring the offensive line were OT Walter Jones and G Steve Hutchinson on the left side. The defense was a problem area, having been diluted by injuries.

Atlanta, under first-year Head Coach Jim Mora Jr., had far less riding on the game. The Falcons were 11-4 and had the AFC South title wrapped up. They also had injured players, such as athletic QB Michael Vick, who needed a rest prior to the postseason. Despite being a West Coast offense, Atlanta featured its ground game, led by running backs Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett – not to mention Vick, who could be quick to run with the ball. TE Alge Crumpler was his best receiver.

Following a short possession by the Seahawks to start the game, the Falcons showed that they took the contest seriously by blocking the ensuing punt. With Vick completing three passes and Dunn running for 12 yards, Atlanta went 48 yards in 12 plays and WR Peerless Price caught a two-yard touchdown pass to take an early 7-0 lead.

Seattle came right back as Alexander rushed for 24 yards in a six-play, 48-yard drive that ended with the star running back scoring from a yard out. Josh Brown’s conversion tied the contest at 7-7.

The teams traded punts as the game proceeded into the second quarter. The Falcons drove to the Seattle 10 yard line thanks to the running of Dunn (back-to-back carries of 14 and 26 yards to get the ball into Seahawks territory) and Vick’s throwing. Jay Feely kicked a 33-yard field goal to finish off the 10-play series and put the Falcons back in front at 10-7. The lead grew larger five plays later as Hasselbeck was intercepted by CB DeAngelo Hall, who returned it 48 yards for a TD.

Seattle bounced back as Hasselbeck immediately connected with WR Bobby Engram on the next play from scrimmage to get to midfield and capped a 66-yard drive with a three-yard scoring pass to Jackson.

When the Falcons returned on offense, Vick had been replaced by rookie backup QB Matt Schaub. While Coach Mora had vowed to treat the contest like a playoff game, Vick was nursing a hand injury and it made no sense to expose him any further. Still, Schaub gave notice of his ability by throwing for a 26-yard gain to WR Brian Finneran on his first pass. Atlanta came up empty on the series and there was no further scoring in the first half as the tally stood at 17-14 at the intermission.

The Falcons drove into Seattle territory to start the third quarter, but Schaub was intercepted by CB Marcus Trufant, who returned the pickoff 31 yards to the Atlanta 41 yard line. Hasselbeck completed six passes for 35 yards, including a scoring throw to TE Jerramy Stevens from three yards out. With the successful conversion, the Seahawks were back in front at 21-17.

It seemed as though Atlanta would narrow the score when T.J. Duckett dashed 35 yards up the middle to fuel an advance to the Seattle 21, but Feely missed a 39-yard field goal attempt. The Seahawks went three-and-out and the Falcons proceeded to put together a long, 15-play drive that stretched into the fourth quarter and covered 56 yards. Highlights included a six-yard Schaub completion to Price in a third-and-five situation and a 17-yard throw to the same receiver that moved the ball into Seattle territory. Feely ended the possession with another field goal attempt, and this time he was successful from 40 yards to make it a one-point game.

The Seahawks responded with a long drive of their own, going 60 yards in 10 plays. Hasselbeck had pass completions of eight yards to TE Ryan Hannam, 23 yards to Engram, and 11 to Stevens to get to the Atlanta 16, and Alexander ran for 15 yards on three carries to set up Hasselbeck’s one-yard scoring carry. It was 28-20 with 4:28 remaining on the clock.

That was enough time for the Falcons to put together a closing 15-play drive following CB Allen Rossum’s 23-yard kickoff return. Atlanta moved methodically down the field, converting two third downs, the first with Schaub carrying for eight yards on a third-and-one play. In a third-and-17 situation from the Seattle 28, Schaub completed a pass to Finneran for 16 yards and, following a timeout with 18 seconds left, the rookie quarterback out of Virginia completed a swing pass to FB Fred McCrary for a nine-yard gain on fourth-and-one. After a near-interception by CB Ken Lucas, Schaub was successful on a three-yard scoring toss to Finneran on a crossing pattern at the back of the end zone with no time remaining in regulation. That set up a two-point conversion attempt to try and tie the game and send it into overtime. However, the Seahawks held on for the 28-26 win when Schaub rolled to his left and gave the ball to Dunn on a counter play that barely came up short under a pile of Seattle defenders.

The Falcons had more total yards (354 to 253) and first downs (22 to 21), and of that yardage figure, 204 came on the ground (to 83 for the Seahawks). Atlanta drew far more penalties (8 for 53 yards to just one for five yards on Seattle). Each team turned the ball over once.

Matt Hasselbeck completed 21 of 27 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Shaun Alexander ran for 80 yards on 19 carries that included a TD. Bobby Engram (pictured below) was the team’s top receiver with 6 catches for 79 yards.


For Atlanta, Michael Vick was successful on 6 of 7 throws for 35 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game. Matt Schaub went to the air 22 times and completed 14 for 133 yards with a TD and one picked off. Warrick Dunn was outstanding with 132 yards on 25 carries and three receptions for 20 more. Peerless Price pulled in 7 passes for 46 yards and a TD and Brian Finneran gained 45 yards on his 3 catches that included a score. Of the seven sacks the teams combined for (four by the Falcons, three by Seattle), DT Roderick Coleman accounted for two.

“I knew I wasn't in,” Dunn said of his run on the two-point conversion attempt at the end. “It was just one of those plays that we thought was going to be there and it wasn't. They played it well. I was trying to squeeze myself into a small crack and get in.”

“To come up short like we did is not acceptable,” Coach Mora said in summing up. “But to run for 204 yards, to have drives with a rookie quarterback to win, and to stop the run? That was outstanding.”

The Seahawks faced their division rivals, the Rams, in the Wild Card playoff round. St. Louis had swept the season series and made it three-for-three with a 27-20 win at Seattle. The Falcons, who had a first-round bye, went deeper into the postseason as they then thrashed the Rams, 47-17, but lost the NFC Championship game at Philadelphia.

Thanks to the Falcons holding onto the ball so long at the end of the game, Shaun Alexander ended up losing the NFL rushing title by one yard to Curtis Martin of the Jets. Alexander ended up with 1696 yards on 353 carries (4.8 avg.) and scored 16 touchdowns. He led the league by scoring a total of 20 TDs and was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Warrick Dunn (pictured below) finished five spots behind Alexander among NFC rushers with 1106 yards on 265 attempts (4.2 avg.) and 9 touchdowns. Matt Schaub made a favorable impression in his rookie season and stayed for another two years as Vick’s backup before being dealt to the Houston Texans.

2004: Rams Score 17 Points in Last 6 Minutes, Beat Seahawks in OT

The St. Louis Rams were at 2-2 as they faced the Seattle Seahawks on October 10, 2004 at Qwest Field. Seattle, coming off a bye week, was undefeated at 3-0 and looking to build upon a 10-6 Wild Card season in ’03. In their sixth season under Head Coach Mike Holmgren, the Seahawks featured star RB Shaun Alexander and a good quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, although the receivers were prone to dropping passes.

The Rams won the Super Bowl following the 1999 season, and with the exception of a down year in 2002, had continued to regularly contend in the seasons since. Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator in ’99, became head coach in 2000 and the Rams continued to feature a high-octane passing attack along with the running of RB Marshall Faulk. Originally, the quarterback directing that attack had been Kurt Warner, but injuries dramatically reduced his effectiveness and playing time in 2002 and ’03, and it was Marc Bulger (pictured above) who had emerged as the starter. While not as talented as Warner at his best, he was an accurate passer capable of staying calm in clutch situations, and still had great receivers in Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce to throw to, as well as Faulk in the backfield.

There was a record crowd of 66,940 at Qwest Field, and they had reason to cheer early as the Seahawks drove to a touchdown on their first possession. Hasselbeck completed four passes and Alexander carried the ball five times, once for a 33-yard gain to the St. Louis four yard line and the last time for one yard into the end zone. Seattle added to its lead early in the second quarter following another long possession of 13 plays that went 50 yards and ended with a 48-yard field goal by Josh Brown.

On the next possession by the Rams, they went 78 yards on six plays to get on the board. The big play was a 48-yard carry by rookie RB Steven Jackson to the Seattle nine yard line, and from there Bulger ran the rest of the way for a TD that made the score 10-7.

The Seahawks came right back as Hasselbeck immediately connected with WR Koren Robinson for a 20-yard gain. Later in the six-play drive he found Robinson again for 15 yards to the St. Louis 29 and two plays later he passed to TE Jerramy Stevens for a 24-yard touchdown. Seattle was again up by ten points at 17-7.

Bulger was intercepted by CB Ken Lucas shortly thereafter, but the turnover came to naught when Brown missed a 43-yard field goal attempt. Following a punt by the Rams, the Seahawks did score again as they went 90 yards in just five plays, the last a Hasselbeck pass to WR Darrell Jackson for a 56-yard TD. Seattle led by a tally of 24-7 at halftime.

The teams traded punts to start the third quarter before the Rams put together a 13-play drive that featured four straight completed passes by Bulger to gain 58 yards and ended with Jeff Wilkins kicking a 39-yard field goal.

Following a three-and-out possession by Seattle that led to a punt to start the final period, Bulger was intercepted by CB Marcus Trufant. The Seahawks capitalized when Brown kicked a 34-yard field goal that gave them a seemingly secure lead of 27-10 with less than nine minutes remaining.

The Rams weren’t done, however, and drove 66 yards in eight plays that included Bulger passes to WR Isaac Bruce for 20 yards and to WR Shaun McDonald for 24. An eight-yard scoring throw to TE Brandon Manumaleuna made it a ten-point game with the clock at 5:34. Seattle went three-and-out and, following a 39-yard return of Tom Rouen’s punt by McDonald, Bulger immediately connected with WR Kevin Curtis, who had gotten clear of two defenders, for a 41-yard touchdown.

Suddenly, with the successful extra point, it was a three-point game with 3:30 to go in the fourth quarter. Hasselbeck threw for a 10-yard gain to Robinson when the Seahawks got the ball back, but they failed to move thereafter and were forced to punt once more after the quarterback was sacked for a 12-yard loss by DE Leonard Little on the first play following the two-minute warning. The Rams took over at their 36 with no timeouts remaining and, after throwing an incompletion, Bulger went to Bruce for a 27-yard gain. Three plays later, he connected with WR Dane Looker for 16 yards to the Seattle 18 and from there Wilkins booted a 36-yard field goal with eight seconds on the clock to tie the contest at 27-27 and send it into overtime.

The Rams gained possession to start the extra period and went 71 yards on six plays. They converted a third-and-six situation with Bulger throwing to Holt for 13 yards while being blitzed, and with third-and-eight on their own 48, Bulger threw to McDonald for a 52-yard touchdown (pictured below) to win the game in stunning fashion, 33-27.


St. Louis outgained the Seahawks (441 yards to 391) and had a slight edge in first downs (21 to 20). However, while Seattle suffered no turnovers, the Rams turned the ball over three times.

Marc Bulger completed 24 of 42 passes for 325 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, and was at his best during the fourth quarter comeback. Isaac Bruce caught 6 passes for 78 yards while Shaun McDonald gained 76 yards on his two receptions, including the game-winning score. Steven Jackson led the Rams in rushing with 64 yards on five carries and Marshall Faulk ran the ball 15 times for 51 yards (Jackson would spell the aging Faulk increasingly during the season).

For Seattle, Shaun Alexander ran for 150 yards on 23 carries with a TD in a losing cause. Matt Hasselbeck went to the air 35 times and had 20 completions for 216 yards and two TDs. Darrell Jackson caught 5 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown and Koren Robinson also caught 5, for 59 yards.

“That's a tough way to lose,” said Seattle’s Coach Holmgren. “As good as we were in the first half, we were average to below average in the second half. Give the Rams credit. They hung in there.”

While the Rams won the next week, they remained inconsistent and finished at 8-8 and second in the NFC West, just a game behind the division-winning Seahawks, who were 9-7. It was good enough to qualify for the second wild card playoff spot, and while they beat Seattle for a third time in the first round (they also defeated them at home in Week 10), they lost badly to Atlanta at the Divisional level. The paths of the two teams would diverge over the next few seasons, as the Rams sank into mediocrity while the Seahawks continued to dominate the division and won the NFC Championship in 2005.

For Marc Bulger, the comeback win over the Seahawks was one of four he engineered during the season. He passed for 3964 yards, completing 66.2 percent of his throws. However, he also was sacked 41 times for a league-leading loss of 302 yards.

MVP Profile: Shaun Alexander, 2005

Running Back, Seattle Seahawks



Age: 28
6th season in pro football & with Seahawks
College: Alabama
Height: 5’11” Weight: 225

Prelude:
Chosen by the Seahawks in the 1st round of the 2000 NFL Draft, Alexander broke into the starting lineup in ’01. He had four straight 1000-yard seasons through 2004, with a high of 1696 in ’04, and led the league with 14 rushing TDs in 2001. He was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2003 and ’04 seasons.

2005 Season Summary
Appeared and started in all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Rushing
Attempts – 370 [1]
Most attempts, game - 33 (for 165 yds.) vs. St. Louis 11/13
Yards – 1880 [1]
Most yards, game – 173 yards (on 23 carries) at Arizona 11/6
Average gain – 5.1 [5]
TDs – 27 [1]
100-yard rushing games - 11

Pass Receiving
Receptions – 15
Most receptions, game – 4 (for 20 yds.) vs. San Francisco 12/11
Yards – 78
Most yards, game - 20 (on 4 catches) vs. San Francisco 12/11
Average gain – 5.2
TDs - 1

Scoring
TDs – 28 [1]
Points – 168 [1]

The 28 touchdowns set a NFL single-season record, since broken.

Postseason: 3 G
Rushing attempts – 60
Most rushing attempts, game - 34 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship
Rushing yards – 236
Most rushing yards, game - 132 vs. Carolina, NFC Championship
Average gain rushing – 3.9
Rushing TDs – 2

Pass receptions – 3
Most pass receptions, game - 2 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl
Pass receiving yards - 2
Most pass receiving yards, game - 2 vs. Pittsburgh, Super Bowl
Average yards per reception – 0.7
Pass Receiving TDs - 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, NEA, Bert Bell Award, Sporting News
NFL Offensive Player of the Year: AP
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFC: Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Seahawks went 13-3 to win NFC West and gain top playoff seed in conference while leading league in points scored (452) and touchdowns (57). Won Divisional playoff over Washington Redskins (20-10) and NFC Championship over Carolina Panthers (34-14). Lost Super Bowl to Pittsburgh Steelers (21-10)

Aftermath:
Alexander signed an 8-year contract extension but broke his foot three weeks into the 2006 season and was limited to just 10 games, gaining 896 yards rushing, including 201 on 40 carries against Green Bay. After a less productive year in ’07, in which he suffered a series of nagging injuries, he was released. Alexander joined the Redskins during the 2008 season, to provide depth following the loss of backup RB Ladell Betts, and ran the ball just 11 times in four games in his final year at age 31.

--

MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/15/14]

2001: Shaun Alexander Gains 266 Yards to Lead Seahawks Over Raiders

RB Shaun Alexander was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2000 draft out of Alabama, but spent his rookie season seeing limited action behind 31-year-old veteran Ricky Watters. To be sure, Watters had a typically solid year, rushing for 1242 yards and co-leading the team with 63 pass receptions, and was still the starting running back at the beginning of the 2001 season. However, Alexander got his chance when the veteran went down with a shoulder injury three games into the schedule, and made the most of it.

The 5’11”, 220-pound Alexander gained 176 yards in his first start, against Jacksonville, and after four games had 465 yards on 100 carries with five touchdowns. On November 11 against the Oakland Raiders, he had his biggest performance of all.

The Seahawks, under Mike Holmgren, who had led the Packers to a Super Bowl victory and was now in his third year in Seattle, were 3-4 coming into the Sunday night contest at Husky Stadium against a Raiders team that had beaten them handily in Oakland. Oakland, under Head Coach Jon Gruden, was 6-1. An aging club, they were the defending AFC West champions and coming off a big win over Denver the preceding Monday.

The first quarter started quietly, with Seattle’s Rian Lindell kicking field goals of 33 and 20 yards and, in between, Oakland’s Sebastian Janikowski booming a 52-yarder. QB Matt Hasselbeck, who was struggling with inconsistency in his first year as a starting quarterback after backing up Brett Favre in Green Bay for two seasons, threw timely passes to set up both field goals.

The Raiders scored the first touchdown of the game in the second quarter thanks to a 10-play, 89-yard drive that ended with QB Rich Gannon throwing a four-yard scoring pass to WR Tim Brown. But just before the end of the half, Hasselbeck directed the Seahawks on a 76-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson. Seattle had a 13-10 lead at halftime.

That margin evaporated quickly when Oakland RB Terry Kirby returned the kickoff to open the second half 90 yards for a touchdown and 17-13 lead for the Raiders. Later, Oakland extended the margin in more methodical fashion, driving 61 yards on nine plays that included Gannon passes to Brown for 13 and 18 yards, and capped by a 37-yard Janikowski field goal.

Seattle came back, however, on a nine-play possession that covered 61 yards and was helped along by a 28-yard pass play from Hasselbeck to WR Bobby Engram in a third-and-five situation. With the ball at the Oakland 18, Alexander took off on a 12-yard carry and then ran the final six yards for a touchdown. With Lindell’s successful PAT, the score was tied at 20-20.

Late in the third quarter, Alexander made the most spectacular play of the game. With the ball on the Seattle 12 yard line, he took the handoff, ran to his left before cutting across the middle of the field and running nearly untouched for a touchdown (CB Tory James caught him at the one but couldn’t stop Alexander from falling into the end zone). The 88-yard run was the longest in Seahawks history. It also capped a third quarter in which Alexander ran for 120 yards and Seattle moved ahead by a 27-20 score.

The Seattle defense came up with a big play in the fourth quarter when LB Anthony Simmons forced a fumble by Raiders RB Zack Crockett and CB Willie Williams recovered at the Oakland 25. Alexander scored his third touchdown of the game from 10 yards out to extend Seattle’s lead to 34-20 with just over seven minutes remaining on the clock.

The Raiders came back with a 10-play, 64-yard drive that was highlighted by a 16-yard run by Gannon and a 13-yard pass completion to 17-year veteran WR Jerry Rice on a fourth-and-seven play. TE Roland Williams scored a touchdown on a five-yard pass from Gannon to narrow the margin. But Seattle ran the clock down on its next possession, helped along by a key first down run by Alexander, and the Raiders got the ball back for one last shot from their 22 yard line with 1:07 remaining and no time outs. Oakland got to the Seattle 48 as time expired, and the Seahawks came away with a 34-27 win.

Shaun Alexander was the star of the game, running for 266 yards on 35 carries with three touchdowns. The rushing total set a franchise record and was the fourth-highest in NFL history up to that time.

Overall, the Seahawks rolled up 497 total yards, with 319 of them coming on the ground against a Raiders defense that had entered the game ranked fourth against the run. Matt Hasselbeck passed for 181 yards, completing 15 of 23 throws with a TD and none intercepted. Darrell Jackson was the leading receiver by far, catching 7 of those passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Rich Gannon went to the air 38 times with 24 completions for 257 yards and two touchdowns against no interceptions. The savvy veteran wide receivers had very similar numbers as Tim Brown caught 7 passes for 86 yards and a TD and Jerry Rice added 6 receptions for 85 yards. RB Charlie Garner led Oakland in rushing with 57 yards on 13 carries.

”I don't know if that was Alexander or Jim Brown,” said Raiders Coach Gruden about Alexander’s performance. “If you're asking me if he's good, he ran for a franchise record. He's real good, man, real good.”

“Shaun Alexander had a marvelous game,” summed up Mike Holmgren. “The offensive line and (FB) Mack Strong did a great job. We challenged the offensive line and they came through big time, and Shaun had just a great game, but he has to do it game after game and year after year. But there is no reason to think he won't do that.”

The Seahawks went on to a 9-7 record to place second in the AFC West in their last season in the American Conference - with realignment in 2002, Seattle moved over to the NFC West. Oakland faltered in the second half of the season, losing its last three games, but still won the division at 10-6. The Raiders won in the Wild Card playoff round, but lost a close-fought Divisional playoff game to New England in a snowstorm.

Shaun Alexander ended up with 1318 yards on 309 carries (4.3 avg.) for a league-leading 14 rushing touchdowns. He briefly yielded the starting job back to Watters, and took some criticism for poor pass blocking, but by the next season Alexander was unquestionably the team’s number one running back. He would go on to string together five straight thousand-yard rushing seasons, leading the league once and setting a single-season record for touchdowns along the way. In eight years in Seattle, Alexander gained 9429 yards to become the franchise’s career rushing leader, as well as single-game and single-season record holder.