2006 Seattle Seahawks season
Encyclopedia
The 2006
Seattle Seahawks
season was the team's 31st season in the National Football League
. The season began with the team attempting to improve on their 13-3 record from 2005
, repeat as National Football Conference
(NFC) champions, and return to the Super Bowl
. The team, while winning their NFC West division, only advanced as far as the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs
, losing to eventual 2006 NFC Champions Chicago Bears
in overtime.
The team ended the preseason with a record of 2-2-0.
on September 10. Despite the Seahawks' offense failing to score a single point, Josh Brown had a big day, as he provided all of the Seahawks' points. He kicked a 20-yarder, a 50-yarder, and a 42-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. Meanwhile, the defense limited the Lions to just two field goals.
in a trade with the New England Patriots
. In return, they gave their first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
to the Patriots.
. Unlike Game 1, Seattle's offense got off to a strong start, as RB Shaun Alexander
got a 2-yard TD run, while QB Matt Hasselbeck
completed a 49-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson
. That's how the rest of the first half would end up. In the third quarter, the score of the period was Arizona kicker Neil Rackers
completed a 43-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks got a 1-yard TD run by FB Mack Strong
. The Cardinals would get a touchdown, which would come in the form of a 40-yard TD pass from QB Kurt Warner
to WR Bryant Johnson
, but fortunately, Seattle would maintain the lead for the win. The Seahawks would extend their home winning streak to 11 straight games.
42-30 after leading 42-3 going into the 4th quarter. Prior to the game the Giants had complained to the NFL about the level of crowd noise at Qwest Field and suggested that some of the noise was artificial. Last year the Giants were called for 11 false start penalties in a 24-21 overtime loss at Seattle. The complaint became public and the predictable result was a boisterous Seattle crowd and inspired play from the team.
One day after the game, the Seahawks reported that MVP Running Back Shaun Alexander
had a cracked bone in his foot that would sideline him for a few weeks.
in a primetime matchup of NFC powerhouses at Soldier Field
. The Seahawks took the lead on an early field goal, but momentum quickly shifted to the hometown Bears. Two Matt Hasselbeck
interceptions midway through the 2nd quarter led to 10 Chicago points and a 20-6 halftime lead. Any hopes for a comeback were erased after the Bears scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half for a 27-6 lead.
The Seahawks running attack was diminished without the injured Shaun Alexander
. Near constant pressure on Hasselbeck, including 5 sacks, thwarted the effectiveness of the 4 receiver offense that had confused the Giants the week before.
The team flight back to Seattle was diverted to South Dakota for a "medical emergency", which turned out to be Defensive Consultant Ray Rhodes
feeling ill after the game. Rhodes has a history of stroke symptoms. He was checked out at a Rapid City, SD hospital and released.
and WR Bobby Engram
, the Hawks were ineffective for much of the first half. Trailing 21-7, Mike Holmgren
blistered the paint in the locker room and a different Hawks team took the field in the second half. Seattle scored 20 unanswered points to lead 27-21 and looked to have put the game away after a Lofa Tatupu
interception late in the game. However, RB Maurice Morris
fumbled on the Ram 7 yard line with 2:48 left. A few plays later Ram QB Marc Bulger hit Torry Holt with a 67-yard TD pass to give the Rams a 28-27 lead with 1:38 remaining.
Matt Hasselbeck
engineered a final drive from the Seahawks' 17-yard line and led the team to the Rams' 31-yard line. A premature celebration erupted on the Rams' sideline as the Seahawks were called for an illegal formation after Hasselbeck spiked the ball to stop the clock with four seconds left in the game. The Rams believed the Seahawks had committed a false start which would have resulted in a ten-second runoff on the clock that would have ended the game. Instead, the Seahawks were penalized five yards, pushing them back to the 36-yard line. Despite the setback, Josh Brown still kicked a 54-yard field goal to win the game, 30-28.
Brown's kick was tied for the second longest game-winning field goal in NFL history, behind Tom Dempsey
's 63 yard effort in 1970. (It would be supplanted a week later by Tampa Bay
kicker Matt Bryant
's 62-yard field goal in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles
.) Brown also became the first player in NFL history to make 3 field goals of 49 yards or longer in the same quarter. In the third quarter, Brown achieved the equally rare feat of hitting both uprights on an unsuccessful 34 yard field goal attempt.
took over at QB, completing 14 of 25 passes with two interceptions and a fumble in his own endzone. The Hawks gave up a 15 yard TD pass from RB Mewelde Moore to TE Jermaine Wiggins to trail 17-10 as Hasselbeck was walking to the locker room. They looked to have weathered the storm and recaptured momentum when punter Ryan Plackemeier pinned the Vikings on their own 5 yard line. The next play resulted in the Vikings' longest ever TD play, a 95 yard romp by Chester Taylor that brought back memories of Bo and the Boz. Suddenly the deficit was 14 points. The Hawks drove for an FG to cut the lead to 11, but a failure to convert a 4th and 1 play on the next drive ended any hope of pulling out the game. The loss ended the Seahawks' 12 game winning streak at home.
An MRI scan on Hasselbeck's knee revealed a second degree sprain and he missed 4 games.
without stars Matt Hasselbeck
and Shaun Alexander
. Seneca Wallace
made his first career start in a stadium where the Seahawks have won only twice in their last 20 visits. The story of the game was not the Seahawks wounded offence, but rather the failure of the supposedly healthy defence.
The Chiefs controlled the ball for over 42 minutes of the contest, piled up 499 total net yards, and were able to sustain drives all afternoon. The Seahawks defence was only able to force one Chiefs punt, early in the fourth quarter. Despite being dominated in time of possession and yardage, the Seahawks found themselves leading the game 28-27 after a Kelly Herndon
61 yard TD return of a fumbled field goal attempt and a 49 yard TD grab by Darrell Jackson
with just over 6 minutes remaining. The Chiefs responded as they had all game, with an 8 play 80 yard drive capped off by Larry Johnson's 4th TD of the game. A successful 2 point conversion made the score 35-28. A last drive by the Seahawks ended when Seneca Wallace completed a short sideline pass to FB Mack Strong
for 8 yards on 4th down and 15 from the Chiefs 46 yard line.
Fox became the sixth network to air a game between these two teams. All Sunday afternoon meetings between 1977-97 were aired on NBC, then from 1998-2001 on CBS (which also aired the 2002 game in Seattle). ESPN broadcast Sunday night games in 1992 and 1998, TNT aired a Thursday night game in 1996, and ABC aired a Monday night game in 2000.
. The Raiders won the coin toss. It would be the last time fortune smiled on them on a windy and wet night at Qwest Field
. In the first quarter, QB Seneca Wallace
completed a 22-yard TD pass to WR Deion Branch
. Later in the first quarter, kicker Josh Brown nailed a 20-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Brown would get a 25-yard field goal for the only score of the quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, Brown would put the game away with another 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
While the offense did their job, Seattle's defense had a huge night, sacking Raiders QB Andrew Walter
nine times, including three consecutive times on the same set of downs.
With their 16-0 victory over the Raiders, and a 42-0 appearance at the Eagles in 2005, dubbed the Monday Night Massacre by NFL Films
, the Seahawks became the first team to post consecutive shutouts on Monday Night Football. Poetically, the Raiders became the first team to lose in back-to-back MNF shutouts, having lost 27-0 to the San Diego Chargers earlier in 2006.
was sacked and fumbled, and the Rams returned the ball 89 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks drove down the field again, this time maintaining possession to the endzone as Darrell Jackson
caught a 3 yard TD pass. The lead would change hands 6 more times in the game. With the Rams holding a 16-14 lead in the fourth quarter, Rams coach Scott Linehan chose to challenge a call, nullifying a field goal. The challenge was upheld, but the Rams still faced a fourth down play. Instead of kicking another field goal to increase the lead, Linehan chose to go for a first down. The raucous Qwest Field rose to the occasion, and Rams FB Paul Smith could not hear the play call. Rather than run a pass route he stayed in the backfield to block, and Ram QB Marc Bulger's pass to double covered TE Klopfenstein fell incomplete.
Nate Burleson
returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown and a 21-16 lead. After a Rams TD with 2:37 remaining, a series of penalties against St. Louis changed momentum. A holding penalty nullified a successful 2 point convert. The second attempt failed. A 15 yard personal foul was assessed on the subsequent kickoff, and Josh Scobey returned the ball to the Ram 49 yard line. With a short field and time on the clock, Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris
drove the Seahawks to the Ram 20 yard line, where Josh Brown kicked a game winning field goal with 9 seconds remaining.
Brown kicked game winning field goals in both games against the Rams that year.
to face division rival San Francisco. Buoyed by the return of Shaun Alexander
to the starting line-up, and having Matt Hasselbeck
dressed as the 3rd quarterback, the Seahawks expected to take a stranglehold on the NFC West. Instead, they played a flat first half and fell behind by 20 points - 13 of those coming after 3 turnovers. The Seahawks also allowed the 49ers to gain 163 rushing yards in the first half, whereas Alexander had only 9 yards on 7 carries. He would finish with 37 yards on 17 carries.
A different Hawks team appeared in the second half, scoring quickly on a 38 yard TD reception by Deion Branch
. The Seahawks added another long TD reception by Darrell Jackson
with 6:40 remaining in the game, but could not get any closer. A key sequence in the last 2 minutes of the game saw Alexander stopped for a loss on 4th and 1. Following the change of possession, 49ers RB Frank Gore fumbled, recovered by Grant Wistrom
. Given a second life, the Seahawks allowed a 9 yard loss on a sack before Seneca Wallace
threw an interception. Instead of owning a 3 game lead in the division, the Seahawks only lead the surprising 49ers by a game. The teams meet again December 14 at Qwest Field.
returned after missing 4 games and promptly turned the ball over four times in the first half. Shaun Alexander
picked up the slack for the rusty Hasselbeck, rushing a team record 40 times for 201 yards on the evening. It was a return to MVP form for Alexander, who is still running on a cracked foot injured in the first week of the season.
Josh Brown kicked four field goals in the first half to keep Seattle in the game, and they trailed only 14-12 at the half. All of Green Bay's points came off turnovers, the last 7 when a Hasselbeck fumble was returned for a TD. The snow stopped falling at halftime.
Green Bay drove for a TD on their first possession of the second half to go up 21-12. After both teams had drives stall and were forced to punt, Hasselbeck led the Seahawks on a nine-play, 62-yard drive capped by a 23-yard pass to D.J. Hackett
. Seattle drove again late in the third quarter, led by Alexander. On the second play of the 4th quarter, Hasselbeck found Darrell Jackson
for a 4 yard TD toss. A 2 point convert gave the Seahawks a 27-21 lead. After a Green Bay field goal cut the Seahawks lead to 3 points, Hasselbeck threw his third TD to Jerramy Stevens
to cap an 11 play, 51 yard drive. The Seahawks defense crushed the final three Green Bay drives with two interceptions and a fumble recovery to finish with 4 takeaways on the night.
In the second half, the teams traded punts and one turnover apiece until Seattle got the ball on its own 39 yard line with 9:42 left in the game. Two long pass completions from Matt Hasselbeck
to Darrell Jackson
put the Seahawks on the Broncos one yard line. Shaun Alexander
quickly took the ball into the endzone for a 14-13 Seahawks lead. The Broncos fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Joe Tafoya
recovered. Assisted by a holding penalty on third down, the Seahawks moved the ball into range for Josh Brown to kick a 44 yard field goal. The Broncos held onto the following kickoff, but on their first play Cutler threw an interception to Jordan Babineaux
for Seattle's 9th takeaway in the past two games. The Seahawks again had to settle for a Brown 23 yard field goal for a 20-13 lead with 3:01 remaining, keeping Denver in the game. The failure to score a TD proved costly, as Cutler connected with WR Brandon Marshall on a 71 yard pass and run play for a game tying TD, assisted by some poor tackling by Seattle.
The Seahawks started the last drive at their own 14 yard line with 2:31 remaining. A key third down reception by Nate Burleson
kept the drive alive, and Hasselbeck led the team down to the Broncos 32 yard line with 10 seconds remaining. Josh Brown came on to kick a game winning 50 yard FG, his fourth such kick of the season to tie an NFL record.
With the win the Seahawks' lead in the NFC West increased to three games over the 49ers and Rams.
for an NFC West rematch with the Arizona Cardinals
. In the first quarter, Seattle trailed early as Cardinals QB Matt Leinart
completed a 56-yard TD pass to WR Bryant Johnson
, while RB Edgerrin James
got a 7-yard TD run. The Seahawks would respond with QB Matt Hasselbeck
completing a 23-yard TD pass to WR D.J. Hackett
. In the second quarter, Arizona increased its lead with kicker Neil Rackers
nailing a 32-yard field goal. Seattle would draw closer with Hasselbeck completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson
. In the third quarter, the Seahawks took the lead with Hasselbeck's 2-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson
for the only score of the period. However, in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals got the win with Leinart's 5-yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald
and Rackers' 40-yard field goal. With the loss, Seattle fell to 8-5.
with the Seahawks hoping to avenge the earlier loss to the 49ers. On a rainy, windy night, Seattle started off strong with RB Shaun Alexander
getting a three-yard TD run for the only score of the first quarter. The 49ers offense was almost nonexistent in the first half, as seven of San Francisco's first eight drives ended in three-and-outs. However, the Seahawks still allowed a 39-yard field goal by Niners kicker Joe Nedney
near the end of the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Seattle's defense started giving way. 49ers QB Alex Smith
completed an 8-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis
. An unsportsmanlike conduct
penalty on Davis combined with an excellent kickoff return by Nate Burleson
gave Seattle prime field position at the San Francisco 33-yard line. However, the Seahawks failed to convert on a fourth down play on the first series from scrimmage, and turned the ball over on downs. Smith would take advantage by driving his team downfield and completing a 20-yard TD pass to RB Frank Gore
. San Francisco delivered the final blow with Smith running for an 18-yard TD on a naked bootleg with no defenders near him. The Seahawks got a 22-yard touchdown from QB Matt Hasselbeck
to TE Jerramy Stevens
with under two minutes left, but it wouldn't be enough as Seattle would get swept by the 49ers. With the loss, the Seahawks fell to 8-6.
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Chargers struck in the second quarter with QB Philip Rivers
completing a 9-yard TD pass to WR Vincent Jackson
for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, San Diego increased its lead with kicker Nate Kaeding
nailing a 46-yard field goal. Fortunately, Seattle started to strike back with RB Shaun Alexander
getting a 33-yard TD run. However, the Chargers answered back with Kaeding kicking a 40-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks finally took the lead with Alexander getting a 9-yard TD run, along with kicker Josh Brown's 33-yard field goal. However, the Chargers wrapped up the game with Rivers and Jackson hooking up again on a 37-yard TD pass. With the loss, Seattle fell to 8-7.
for their last game of the regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. In the first quarter, Seattle drew first blood with kicker Josh Brown nailing a 35-yard field goal, while RB Shaun Alexander
got a 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Buccaneers would get their only score of the game as QB Tim Rattay
completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR Joey Galloway
. Afterwards, Seattle took over for the rest of the game as QB Matt Hasselbeck
completed a 5-yard TD pass to WR D.J. Hackett
. In the second half, Brown wrapped up the game with a 30-yard field goal in the third goal, along with a 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. With the win, the Seahawks wrapped up the regular season at 9-7 and acquired the NFC's #4 seed.
However, CB'S Kelly Jennings
, and Jimmy Williams
were injured during the match. They would join Kelly Herndon
and Marcus Trufant
on the injured list.
. In the first quarter, Seattle struck first blood with a 23-yard field goal, while Cowboys kicker Martín Gramática
nailed a 50-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Seattle went back into the lead with Brown kicking a 30-yard field goal. However, Dallas took the lead with QB Tony Romo
completing a 13-yard TD pass to WR Patrick Crayton
before halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks regained the lead with QB Matt Hasselbeck
completing a 15-yard TD pass to TE Jerramy Stevens
. However, following the touchdown drive, the Cowboys marched right back into the lead as WR Miles Austin
returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Dallas increased its lead with Gramática kicking a 29-yard field goal. Later, Seattle retook the lead with a safety off a Terry Glenn
fumble from a hit by rookie CB Kelly Jennings
, along with Hasselbeck hooking up with Stevens again on a 37-yard TD pass (followed up with a failed a two-point conversion). Afterwards, the Cowboys got into position to score late in the game, but Romo botched the hold of a field-goal attempt. He then ran to try for the first down or the touchdown, but was tackled by strong safety Jordan Babineaux
. The Seahawks then ran out as much of the clock as they could. With two seconds left, Dallas had one final shot as Romo threw up a Hail Mary pass, but Seattle batted the ball down for the win. With the victory, the Seahawks improved their overall record to 10-7 and advanced to the Divisional Round to take on the Chicago Bears
.
In the words of the Seattle Times, the Seahawks won "a wild wild-card game."
to face the top-seeded Chicago Bears
in the Divisional round. In the first quarter, Seattle trailed early with Bears RB Thomas Jones
getting a 9-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Seahawks got on the board with QB Matt Hasselbeck
completing a 16-yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson
. However, immediately following Seattle's score, Chicago responded with QB Rex Grossman
completing a 68-yard TD pass to WR Bernard Berrian
. The Seahawks struck back with RB Shaun Alexander
getting a 4-yard TD run, yet Jones helped the Bears out with a 7-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Seattle took the lead with kicker Josh Brown kicking a 40-yard field goal, while Alexander got a 13-yard TD run. However, in the fourth quarter, Chicago tied the game with kicker Robbie Gould
getting a 41-yard field goal. In overtime, the Seahawks won the coin toss and received the ball first. Hasselback led the team to around midfield, but on their last third down of the game, he threw the ball out of bounds. On fourth down the Seahawks punted to the Bears who were able to get the ball close enough for Gould to kick a 49-yard field goal.
With the loss, Seattle ended its season with an overall record of 10-8.
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
season was the team's 31st season in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The season began with the team attempting to improve on their 13-3 record from 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, repeat as National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
(NFC) champions, and return to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. The team, while winning their NFC West division, only advanced as far as the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2006-07
The National Football League playoffs for the 2006 season began on January 6, 2007 and led up to Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.-AFC: Indianapolis Colts 23, Kansas City Chiefs 8:...
, losing to eventual 2006 NFC Champions Chicago Bears
2006 Chicago Bears season
The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11-5...
in overtime.
2006 NFL Draft
| Round/Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/31 | Kelly Jennings Kelly Jennings Kelly Jarrod Jennings is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Jennings graduated from Suwannee... |
Cornerback Cornerback A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position... |
Miami (FL) University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12... |
| 2/63 | Darryl Tapp Darryl Tapp -Seattle Seahawks:Tapp was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Tapp was a special teamer and part of the Seahawks' DE rotation. He recorded 33 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble, one interception, and one defensive touchdown... |
Defensive End Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Virginia Tech Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in... |
| 4/128 | Rob Sims Rob Sims Robert Sims is an American football guard for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
Offensive Guard Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
Ohio State Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States... |
| 5/163 | David Kirtman David Kirtman David Kirtman is an American football fullback free agent of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
Fullback Fullback (American football) A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback... |
USC University of Southern California The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university... |
| 7/239 | Ryan Plackemeier Ryan Plackemeier Ryan Steven Plackemeier is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
Punter | Wake Forest Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is... |
| 7/249 | Ben Obomanu Ben Obomanu Benjamin Ebenezer Obomanu is an American football wide receiver who was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 7th round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Obomanu played college football for the Auburn Tigers.-High School years:... |
Wide Receiver Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Auburn Auburn University Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts... |
Preseason schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result | Game site |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 12, 2006 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 13-3 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
| August 20, 2006 | Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League .... |
W 30-17 | RCA Dome RCA Dome RCA Dome was a domed stadium, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the home of the Indianapolis Colts NFL franchise for 24 seasons .... |
| August 26, 2006 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 31-20 | Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium Qualcomm Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium, in San Diego, California, in the Mission Valley area.... |
| August 31, 2006 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 30-7 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
The team ended the preseason with a record of 2-2-0.
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Game site | Channel | Record | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10, 2006 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 9-6 | Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
1-0 | Recap |
| 2 | September 17, 2006 | Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 21-10 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
2-0 | Recap |
| 3 | September 24, 2006 | New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 42-30 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
3-0 | Recap |
| 4 | October 1, 2006 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 37-6 | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... |
3-1 | Recap |
| 5 | Bye Week | ||||||
| 6 | October 15, 2006 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 30-28 | Edward Jones Dome Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
4-1 | Recap |
| 7 | October 22, 2006 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
L 31-13 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
4-2 | Recap |
| 8 | October 29, 2006 | Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
L 35-28 | Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
4-3 | Recap |
| 9 | November 6, 2006 | Oakland Raiders Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 16-0 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.... |
5-3 | Recap |
| 10 | November 12, 2006 | St. Louis Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
W 24-22 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
6-3 | Recap |
| 11 | November 19, 2006 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 20-14 | Monster Park Monster Park Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
6-4 | Recap |
| 12 | November 27, 2006 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 34-24 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
ESPN ESPN Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming.... |
7-4 | Recap |
| 13 | December 3, 2006 | Denver Broncos Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W 23-20 | Invesco Field at Mile High INVESCO Field at Mile High Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... |
8-4 | Recap |
| 14 | December 10, 2006 | Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27-21 | University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
8-5 | Recap |
| 15 | December 14, 2006 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
L 24-14 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
NFL Network NFL Network NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation... |
8-6 | Recap |
| 16 | December 24, 2006 | San Diego Chargers San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-17 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... |
8-7 | Recap |
| 17 | December 31, 2006 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
W 23-7 | Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
9-7 | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 6, 2007 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
W 21-20 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... |
10-7 | Recap |
| Divisional | January 14, 2007 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 27-24* | Soldier Field Soldier Field Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears... |
Fox Fox Broadcasting Company Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the... |
10-8 | Recap |
Week 1: at Detroit Lions
The Seahawks won their regular season opener against the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on September 10. Despite the Seahawks' offense failing to score a single point, Josh Brown had a big day, as he provided all of the Seahawks' points. He kicked a 20-yarder, a 50-yarder, and a 42-yard field goal as time expired to win the game. Meanwhile, the defense limited the Lions to just two field goals.
Deion Branch trade
On September 11, the Seahawks announced they had acquired wide receiver Deion BranchDeion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
in a trade with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. In return, they gave their first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
to the Patriots.
Week 2: vs. Arizona Cardinals
After a low-scoring victory in Detroit, the Seahawks played their Week 2 home-opener against their fellow NFC West rival, the Arizona CardinalsArizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Unlike Game 1, Seattle's offense got off to a strong start, as RB Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
got a 2-yard TD run, while QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completed a 49-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
. That's how the rest of the first half would end up. In the third quarter, the score of the period was Arizona kicker Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
completed a 43-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks got a 1-yard TD run by FB Mack Strong
Mack Strong
Mack Carlington Strong is a former professional American football fullback and running back coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He currently is a football sportscaster for Root Sports Northwest...
. The Cardinals would get a touchdown, which would come in the form of a 40-yard TD pass from QB Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
to WR Bryant Johnson
Bryant Johnson
Bryant Andrew Johnson is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals 17th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft...
, but fortunately, Seattle would maintain the lead for the win. The Seahawks would extend their home winning streak to 11 straight games.
Week 3: vs. New York Giants
The Seahawks held on to defeat the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
42-30 after leading 42-3 going into the 4th quarter. Prior to the game the Giants had complained to the NFL about the level of crowd noise at Qwest Field and suggested that some of the noise was artificial. Last year the Giants were called for 11 false start penalties in a 24-21 overtime loss at Seattle. The complaint became public and the predictable result was a boisterous Seattle crowd and inspired play from the team.
One day after the game, the Seahawks reported that MVP Running Back Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
had a cracked bone in his foot that would sideline him for a few weeks.
Week 4: at Chicago Bears
The Seahawks met the 3-0 Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a primetime matchup of NFC powerhouses at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
. The Seahawks took the lead on an early field goal, but momentum quickly shifted to the hometown Bears. Two Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
interceptions midway through the 2nd quarter led to 10 Chicago points and a 20-6 halftime lead. Any hopes for a comeback were erased after the Bears scored a touchdown on their first possession of the second half for a 27-6 lead.
The Seahawks running attack was diminished without the injured Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
. Near constant pressure on Hasselbeck, including 5 sacks, thwarted the effectiveness of the 4 receiver offense that had confused the Giants the week before.
The team flight back to Seattle was diverted to South Dakota for a "medical emergency", which turned out to be Defensive Consultant Ray Rhodes
Ray Rhodes
Raymond Earl Rhodes is currently a defensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns. He is also the former American football head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers. He is the former assistant defensive backs coach of the Houston Texans...
feeling ill after the game. Rhodes has a history of stroke symptoms. He was checked out at a Rapid City, SD hospital and released.
Week 6: at St. Louis Rams
Still recovering from the loss to the Bears and without Shaun AlexanderShaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
and WR Bobby Engram
Bobby Engram
Simon J. "Bobby" Engram III is currently the offensive assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft...
, the Hawks were ineffective for much of the first half. Trailing 21-7, Mike Holmgren
Mike Holmgren
Michael George Holmgren is a former professional football coach and current President of the Cleveland Browns. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008...
blistered the paint in the locker room and a different Hawks team took the field in the second half. Seattle scored 20 unanswered points to lead 27-21 and looked to have put the game away after a Lofa Tatupu
Lofa Tatupu
-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
interception late in the game. However, RB Maurice Morris
Maurice Morris
Maurice Autora Morris is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.-Early life:Morris attended Chester High School in Chester, South...
fumbled on the Ram 7 yard line with 2:48 left. A few plays later Ram QB Marc Bulger hit Torry Holt with a 67-yard TD pass to give the Rams a 28-27 lead with 1:38 remaining.
Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
engineered a final drive from the Seahawks' 17-yard line and led the team to the Rams' 31-yard line. A premature celebration erupted on the Rams' sideline as the Seahawks were called for an illegal formation after Hasselbeck spiked the ball to stop the clock with four seconds left in the game. The Rams believed the Seahawks had committed a false start which would have resulted in a ten-second runoff on the clock that would have ended the game. Instead, the Seahawks were penalized five yards, pushing them back to the 36-yard line. Despite the setback, Josh Brown still kicked a 54-yard field goal to win the game, 30-28.
Brown's kick was tied for the second longest game-winning field goal in NFL history, behind Tom Dempsey
Tom Dempsey
Thomas Dempsey is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints , Philadelphia Eagles , Los Angeles Rams , Houston Oilers and Buffalo Bills . He attended high school at San Dieguito High School and played college football at Palomar College...
's 63 yard effort in 1970. (It would be supplanted a week later by Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
kicker Matt Bryant
Matt Bryant
Steven Matt Bryant is an American football placekicker for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was signed by the Frankfurt Galaxy as a street free agent in 2002...
's 62-yard field goal in a win over the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.) Brown also became the first player in NFL history to make 3 field goals of 49 yards or longer in the same quarter. In the third quarter, Brown achieved the equally rare feat of hitting both uprights on an unsuccessful 34 yard field goal attempt.
Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings
The return of Steve Hutchinson had the 12th man at Qwest Field in a frenzy. A knee injury to Matt Hasselbeck early in the second half silenced them. An early 72 yard TD reception by Darrell Jackson staked the Seahawks to a 7-3 lead, but the Vikings scored a TD of their own in the second quarter and the teams went to the half tied at 10. On the Hawks first possession of the 3rd quarter, Vikings LB E.J. Henderson rolled onto Hasselbeck's right leg and sent the QB to the turf well after he had released the ball. Hasselbeck left the field with the assistance of trainers, and did not return. Seneca WallaceSeneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
took over at QB, completing 14 of 25 passes with two interceptions and a fumble in his own endzone. The Hawks gave up a 15 yard TD pass from RB Mewelde Moore to TE Jermaine Wiggins to trail 17-10 as Hasselbeck was walking to the locker room. They looked to have weathered the storm and recaptured momentum when punter Ryan Plackemeier pinned the Vikings on their own 5 yard line. The next play resulted in the Vikings' longest ever TD play, a 95 yard romp by Chester Taylor that brought back memories of Bo and the Boz. Suddenly the deficit was 14 points. The Hawks drove for an FG to cut the lead to 11, but a failure to convert a 4th and 1 play on the next drive ended any hope of pulling out the game. The loss ended the Seahawks' 12 game winning streak at home.
An MRI scan on Hasselbeck's knee revealed a second degree sprain and he missed 4 games.
Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs
The Seahawks ventured to Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
without stars Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
and Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
. Seneca Wallace
Seneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
made his first career start in a stadium where the Seahawks have won only twice in their last 20 visits. The story of the game was not the Seahawks wounded offence, but rather the failure of the supposedly healthy defence.
The Chiefs controlled the ball for over 42 minutes of the contest, piled up 499 total net yards, and were able to sustain drives all afternoon. The Seahawks defence was only able to force one Chiefs punt, early in the fourth quarter. Despite being dominated in time of possession and yardage, the Seahawks found themselves leading the game 28-27 after a Kelly Herndon
Kelly Herndon
Kelly Errin Herndon is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Toledo. Although he entered his first NFL camp in 1999, Herndon waited until 2002 to play in...
61 yard TD return of a fumbled field goal attempt and a 49 yard TD grab by Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
with just over 6 minutes remaining. The Chiefs responded as they had all game, with an 8 play 80 yard drive capped off by Larry Johnson's 4th TD of the game. A successful 2 point conversion made the score 35-28. A last drive by the Seahawks ended when Seneca Wallace completed a short sideline pass to FB Mack Strong
Mack Strong
Mack Carlington Strong is a former professional American football fullback and running back coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He currently is a football sportscaster for Root Sports Northwest...
for 8 yards on 4th down and 15 from the Chiefs 46 yard line.
Fox became the sixth network to air a game between these two teams. All Sunday afternoon meetings between 1977-97 were aired on NBC, then from 1998-2001 on CBS (which also aired the 2002 game in Seattle). ESPN broadcast Sunday night games in 1992 and 1998, TNT aired a Thursday night game in 1996, and ABC aired a Monday night game in 2000.
Week 9: vs. Oakland Raiders
Hoping to rebound from their road loss to the Chiefs, the Seahawks returned home for a Monday Night match-up with the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Raiders won the coin toss. It would be the last time fortune smiled on them on a windy and wet night at Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
. In the first quarter, QB Seneca Wallace
Seneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
completed a 22-yard TD pass to WR Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
. Later in the first quarter, kicker Josh Brown nailed a 20-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Brown would get a 25-yard field goal for the only score of the quarter. After a scoreless third quarter, Brown would put the game away with another 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
While the offense did their job, Seattle's defense had a huge night, sacking Raiders QB Andrew Walter
Andrew Walter
Andrew Scott Walter is a former American football quarterback in National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football at Arizona State....
nine times, including three consecutive times on the same set of downs.
With their 16-0 victory over the Raiders, and a 42-0 appearance at the Eagles in 2005, dubbed the Monday Night Massacre by NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
, the Seahawks became the first team to post consecutive shutouts on Monday Night Football. Poetically, the Raiders became the first team to lose in back-to-back MNF shutouts, having lost 27-0 to the San Diego Chargers earlier in 2006.
Week 10: vs. St. Louis Rams
On a windy, rainy Sunday the Seahawks hosted the Rams looking to take an effective 3 game lead in the division with a win. The Seahawks drove the ball easily on their first possession, moving to the Ram 1 yard line. After a false start penalty, Seneca WallaceSeneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
was sacked and fumbled, and the Rams returned the ball 89 yards for a touchdown. The Seahawks drove down the field again, this time maintaining possession to the endzone as Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
caught a 3 yard TD pass. The lead would change hands 6 more times in the game. With the Rams holding a 16-14 lead in the fourth quarter, Rams coach Scott Linehan chose to challenge a call, nullifying a field goal. The challenge was upheld, but the Rams still faced a fourth down play. Instead of kicking another field goal to increase the lead, Linehan chose to go for a first down. The raucous Qwest Field rose to the occasion, and Rams FB Paul Smith could not hear the play call. Rather than run a pass route he stayed in the backfield to block, and Ram QB Marc Bulger's pass to double covered TE Klopfenstein fell incomplete.
Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL...
returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown and a 21-16 lead. After a Rams TD with 2:37 remaining, a series of penalties against St. Louis changed momentum. A holding penalty nullified a successful 2 point convert. The second attempt failed. A 15 yard personal foul was assessed on the subsequent kickoff, and Josh Scobey returned the ball to the Ram 49 yard line. With a short field and time on the clock, Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris
Maurice Morris
Maurice Autora Morris is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon.-Early life:Morris attended Chester High School in Chester, South...
drove the Seahawks to the Ram 20 yard line, where Josh Brown kicked a game winning field goal with 9 seconds remaining.
Brown kicked game winning field goals in both games against the Rams that year.
Week 11: at San Francisco 49ers
The Seahawks travelled to Monster ParkMonster Park
Candlestick Park is an outdoor sports and entertainment stadium located in San Francisco, California, in the Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally built as the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 until moving into Pacific Bell Park in 2000...
to face division rival San Francisco. Buoyed by the return of Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
to the starting line-up, and having Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
dressed as the 3rd quarterback, the Seahawks expected to take a stranglehold on the NFC West. Instead, they played a flat first half and fell behind by 20 points - 13 of those coming after 3 turnovers. The Seahawks also allowed the 49ers to gain 163 rushing yards in the first half, whereas Alexander had only 9 yards on 7 carries. He would finish with 37 yards on 17 carries.
A different Hawks team appeared in the second half, scoring quickly on a 38 yard TD reception by Deion Branch
Deion Branch
Anthony Deion Branch, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville.He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks...
. The Seahawks added another long TD reception by Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
with 6:40 remaining in the game, but could not get any closer. A key sequence in the last 2 minutes of the game saw Alexander stopped for a loss on 4th and 1. Following the change of possession, 49ers RB Frank Gore fumbled, recovered by Grant Wistrom
Grant Wistrom
Grant Alden Wistrom, , is a former American Football defensive end who played for the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks during his 9 year career...
. Given a second life, the Seahawks allowed a 9 yard loss on a sack before Seneca Wallace
Seneca Wallace
Seneca Isayha Wallace is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
threw an interception. Instead of owning a 3 game lead in the division, the Seahawks only lead the surprising 49ers by a game. The teams meet again December 14 at Qwest Field.
Week 12: vs. Green Bay Packers
Snow fell on a Seahawks home game for the first time ever. In a setting that looked more like Green Bay's home field, the Seahawks started poorly on Monday Night Football. Matt HasselbeckMatt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
returned after missing 4 games and promptly turned the ball over four times in the first half. Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
picked up the slack for the rusty Hasselbeck, rushing a team record 40 times for 201 yards on the evening. It was a return to MVP form for Alexander, who is still running on a cracked foot injured in the first week of the season.
Josh Brown kicked four field goals in the first half to keep Seattle in the game, and they trailed only 14-12 at the half. All of Green Bay's points came off turnovers, the last 7 when a Hasselbeck fumble was returned for a TD. The snow stopped falling at halftime.
Green Bay drove for a TD on their first possession of the second half to go up 21-12. After both teams had drives stall and were forced to punt, Hasselbeck led the Seahawks on a nine-play, 62-yard drive capped by a 23-yard pass to D.J. Hackett
D.J. Hackett
DeAndre James "D. J." Hackett is an American football wide receiver who is currently a Free Agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. Seattle drove again late in the third quarter, led by Alexander. On the second play of the 4th quarter, Hasselbeck found Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
for a 4 yard TD toss. A 2 point convert gave the Seahawks a 27-21 lead. After a Green Bay field goal cut the Seahawks lead to 3 points, Hasselbeck threw his third TD to Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
to cap an 11 play, 51 yard drive. The Seahawks defense crushed the final three Green Bay drives with two interceptions and a fumble recovery to finish with 4 takeaways on the night.
Week 13: at Denver Broncos
The Seahawks travelled to Denver to face their old foe from the AFC West. On a frigid Sunday Night game, these Seahawks were able to accomplish what few of their predecessors managed - to come out of Denver with a win. Carrying on their recent troubling tendency of weak first half performances, the Seahawks fell behind 13-7 to the Broncos, who were led by first-time starter Jay Cutler. The Seahawks managed only 2 first downs and 67 yards of total offense in the first half, but remained in the game thanks to Darryl Tapp's 25 yard return of an intercepted Cutler pass for a TD.In the second half, the teams traded punts and one turnover apiece until Seattle got the ball on its own 39 yard line with 9:42 left in the game. Two long pass completions from Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
to Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
put the Seahawks on the Broncos one yard line. Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
quickly took the ball into the endzone for a 14-13 Seahawks lead. The Broncos fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Joe Tafoya
Joe Tafoya
Joseph Peter Tafoya is a former American football player in the NFL. He played seven seasons as a defensive end/linebacker before injuring his foot in training camp of 2008, upon which he retired. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2001 NFL Draft by Tony Dungy and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
recovered. Assisted by a holding penalty on third down, the Seahawks moved the ball into range for Josh Brown to kick a 44 yard field goal. The Broncos held onto the following kickoff, but on their first play Cutler threw an interception to Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Jude Babineaux is an American football safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2004 out of Southern Arkansas University....
for Seattle's 9th takeaway in the past two games. The Seahawks again had to settle for a Brown 23 yard field goal for a 20-13 lead with 3:01 remaining, keeping Denver in the game. The failure to score a TD proved costly, as Cutler connected with WR Brandon Marshall on a 71 yard pass and run play for a game tying TD, assisted by some poor tackling by Seattle.
The Seahawks started the last drive at their own 14 yard line with 2:31 remaining. A key third down reception by Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL...
kept the drive alive, and Hasselbeck led the team down to the Broncos 32 yard line with 10 seconds remaining. Josh Brown came on to kick a game winning 50 yard FG, his fourth such kick of the season to tie an NFL record.
With the win the Seahawks' lead in the NFC West increased to three games over the 49ers and Rams.
Week 14: at Arizona Cardinals
Coming off their Sunday night victory over the Broncos, the Seahawks flew to the University of Phoenix StadiumUniversity of Phoenix Stadium
University of Phoenix Stadium, opened August 1, 2006, is a multipurpose football stadium located in Glendale, Arizona. It is the home of the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League and the annual Fiesta Bowl...
for an NFC West rematch with the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the first quarter, Seattle trailed early as Cardinals QB Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
completed a 56-yard TD pass to WR Bryant Johnson
Bryant Johnson
Bryant Andrew Johnson is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals 17th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft...
, while RB Edgerrin James
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts fourth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami....
got a 7-yard TD run. The Seahawks would respond with QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completing a 23-yard TD pass to WR D.J. Hackett
D.J. Hackett
DeAndre James "D. J." Hackett is an American football wide receiver who is currently a Free Agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. In the second quarter, Arizona increased its lead with kicker Neil Rackers
Neil Rackers
Neil William Rackers is an American football placekicker for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
nailing a 32-yard field goal. Seattle would draw closer with Hasselbeck completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL...
. In the third quarter, the Seahawks took the lead with Hasselbeck's 2-yard TD pass to WR Darrell Jackson
Darrell Jackson
Darrell Lamont Jackson is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for nine seasons...
for the only score of the period. However, in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals got the win with Leinart's 5-yard TD pass to WR Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League, and currently ranks fourth all-time in league history in receiving yards per game for a career , behind Andre Johnson, Torry Holt, and Marvin Harrison...
and Rackers' 40-yard field goal. With the loss, Seattle fell to 8-5.
Week 15: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Despite the loss to the Cardinals, the Seahawks could still clinch the NFC West at home in a Thursday night game against the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
with the Seahawks hoping to avenge the earlier loss to the 49ers. On a rainy, windy night, Seattle started off strong with RB Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
getting a three-yard TD run for the only score of the first quarter. The 49ers offense was almost nonexistent in the first half, as seven of San Francisco's first eight drives ended in three-and-outs. However, the Seahawks still allowed a 39-yard field goal by Niners kicker Joe Nedney
Joe Nedney
Joseph Thomas Nedney is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Nedney played college football at San Jose State and signed as an undrafted player with the Miami Dolphins in 1996...
near the end of the half.
After a scoreless third quarter, Seattle's defense started giving way. 49ers QB Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
completed an 8-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis
Vernon Davis
-2006 rookie season:Vernon's first reception in the NFL was a 31-yard touchdown catch, against the Arizona Cardinals on September 10, 2006. He added a career-long 52-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on December 10 with a short catch followed by a long run. Davis played in ten games in...
. An unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct
Unsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that is not necessarily a violation of the respective sport's rules of play, but violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and/or participant conduct...
penalty on Davis combined with an excellent kickoff return by Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL...
gave Seattle prime field position at the San Francisco 33-yard line. However, the Seahawks failed to convert on a fourth down play on the first series from scrimmage, and turned the ball over on downs. Smith would take advantage by driving his team downfield and completing a 20-yard TD pass to RB Frank Gore
Frank Gore
Franklin Gore is an American football running back who plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Miami. NFL Network analysts have nicknamed Gore "The Inconvenient Truth".-High school career:Gore attended Coral Gables High...
. San Francisco delivered the final blow with Smith running for an 18-yard TD on a naked bootleg with no defenders near him. The Seahawks got a 22-yard touchdown from QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
to TE Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
with under two minutes left, but it wouldn't be enough as Seattle would get swept by the 49ers. With the loss, the Seahawks fell to 8-6.
Week 16: vs. San Diego Chargers
Trying to end a two-game skid, the Seahawks went home for a Week 16 fight with the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After a scoreless first quarter, the Chargers struck in the second quarter with QB Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
completing a 9-yard TD pass to WR Vincent Jackson
Vincent Jackson
Vincent Jackson , nicknamed "Action Jackson", is an American football wide receiver who currently plays in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers....
for the only score of the period. In the third quarter, San Diego increased its lead with kicker Nate Kaeding
Nate Kaeding
Nathaniel James Kaeding is an American football placekicker who plays for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft in the 3rd round with a pick acquired from the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade. He played college football at Iowa...
nailing a 46-yard field goal. Fortunately, Seattle started to strike back with RB Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
getting a 33-yard TD run. However, the Chargers answered back with Kaeding kicking a 40-yard field goal. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks finally took the lead with Alexander getting a 9-yard TD run, along with kicker Josh Brown's 33-yard field goal. However, the Chargers wrapped up the game with Rivers and Jackson hooking up again on a 37-yard TD pass. With the loss, Seattle fell to 8-7.
Week 17: at Tampa Bay Buccanneers
Trying the end a three-game skid, the Seahawks flew to Raymond James StadiumRaymond James Stadium
Raymond James Stadium, also known as the "Ray Jay", is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Tampa, Florida. It is home to the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers as well as the NCAA's South Florida Bulls football team. The stadium seats 65,857 , and it is expandable to 75,000 for special events...
for their last game of the regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. In the first quarter, Seattle drew first blood with kicker Josh Brown nailing a 35-yard field goal, while RB Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
got a 1-yard TD run. In the second quarter, the Buccaneers would get their only score of the game as QB Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
completed a 4-yard TD pass to WR Joey Galloway
Joey Galloway
Joseph Scott Galloway is an American football wide receiver. He most recently played for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks eighth overall in the 1995 NFL Draft...
. Afterwards, Seattle took over for the rest of the game as QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completed a 5-yard TD pass to WR D.J. Hackett
D.J. Hackett
DeAndre James "D. J." Hackett is an American football wide receiver who is currently a Free Agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. In the second half, Brown wrapped up the game with a 30-yard field goal in the third goal, along with a 23-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. With the win, the Seahawks wrapped up the regular season at 9-7 and acquired the NFC's #4 seed.
However, CB'S Kelly Jennings
Kelly Jennings
Kelly Jarrod Jennings is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Jennings graduated from Suwannee...
, and Jimmy Williams
Jimmy R. Williams
Jimmy Ray Williams is an American football cornerback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Vanderbilt...
were injured during the match. They would join Kelly Herndon
Kelly Herndon
Kelly Errin Herndon is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played college football at Toledo. Although he entered his first NFL camp in 1999, Herndon waited until 2002 to play in...
and Marcus Trufant
Marcus Trufant
Marcus Lavon Trufant is an American football cornerback who plays for the Seattle Seahawks. He was originally drafted by the Seahawks 11th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington State.-Early years:...
on the injured list.
NFC Wild Card Round: vs. Dallas Cowboys
Entering the NFC playoffs as the fourth-seed, the Seahawks began their playoff run at home against the fifth-seeded Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. In the first quarter, Seattle struck first blood with a 23-yard field goal, while Cowboys kicker Martín Gramática
Martin Gramatica
Martín Gramática is an Argentine-American former football placekicker.Gramática was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft after playing college football at Kansas State, and has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Dallas...
nailed a 50-yard field goal. In the second quarter, Seattle went back into the lead with Brown kicking a 30-yard field goal. However, Dallas took the lead with QB Tony Romo
Tony Romo
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005...
completing a 13-yard TD pass to WR Patrick Crayton
Patrick Crayton
Patrick Jamel Crayton is an American football wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was a originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
before halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks regained the lead with QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completing a 15-yard TD pass to TE Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens
Jerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
. However, following the touchdown drive, the Cowboys marched right back into the lead as WR Miles Austin
Miles Austin
Miles Jonathon Austin III is an American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2006...
returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter, Dallas increased its lead with Gramática kicking a 29-yard field goal. Later, Seattle retook the lead with a safety off a Terry Glenn
Terry Glenn
Terry Tyree Glenn is a retired American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the New England Patriots seventh overall in the 1996 NFL Draft...
fumble from a hit by rookie CB Kelly Jennings
Kelly Jennings
Kelly Jarrod Jennings is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami.-Early years:Jennings graduated from Suwannee...
, along with Hasselbeck hooking up with Stevens again on a 37-yard TD pass (followed up with a failed a two-point conversion). Afterwards, the Cowboys got into position to score late in the game, but Romo botched the hold of a field-goal attempt. He then ran to try for the first down or the touchdown, but was tackled by strong safety Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Jude Babineaux is an American football safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2004 out of Southern Arkansas University....
. The Seahawks then ran out as much of the clock as they could. With two seconds left, Dallas had one final shot as Romo threw up a Hail Mary pass, but Seattle batted the ball down for the win. With the victory, the Seahawks improved their overall record to 10-7 and advanced to the Divisional Round to take on the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In the words of the Seattle Times, the Seahawks won "a wild wild-card game."
NFC Divisional Round: at Chicago Bears
Coming off the win over the Cowboys, the Seahawks traveled to Soldier FieldSoldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
to face the top-seeded Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the Divisional round. In the first quarter, Seattle trailed early with Bears RB Thomas Jones
Thomas Jones (football player)
Thomas Quinn Jones is an American National Football League running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals seventh overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at The University of Virginia. Jones has also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago...
getting a 9-yard TD run for the only score of the period. In the second quarter, the Seahawks got on the board with QB Matt Hasselbeck
Matt Hasselbeck
Matthew Michael Hasselbeck is a National Football League quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL Draft, and traded to Seattle in 2001. After becoming the starter in 2003, Hasselbeck led Seattle to six playoff appearances and...
completing a 16-yard TD pass to WR Nate Burleson
Nate Burleson
Nathaniel Burleson is an American football player, who currently plays wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . Burleson played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack, and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the 2003 NFL...
. However, immediately following Seattle's score, Chicago responded with QB Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
completing a 68-yard TD pass to WR Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian
Bernard Berrian is a free agent American football wide receiver who last played for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
. The Seahawks struck back with RB Shaun Alexander
Shaun Alexander
Shaun Edward Alexander is a former American football running back who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins. He was drafted by the Seahawks 19th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Alabama.- Early career :Alexander was born and...
getting a 4-yard TD run, yet Jones helped the Bears out with a 7-yard TD run. In the third quarter, Seattle took the lead with kicker Josh Brown kicking a 40-yard field goal, while Alexander got a 13-yard TD run. However, in the fourth quarter, Chicago tied the game with kicker Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
getting a 41-yard field goal. In overtime, the Seahawks won the coin toss and received the ball first. Hasselback led the team to around midfield, but on their last third down of the game, he threw the ball out of bounds. On fourth down the Seahawks punted to the Bears who were able to get the ball close enough for Gould to kick a 49-yard field goal.
With the loss, Seattle ended its season with an overall record of 10-8.
Pro Bowlers
- T Walter Jones (as starter)
- LB Julian PetersonJulian PetersonJulian Thomas Peterson is a free agent linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan State...
(as starter) - FB Mack StrongMack StrongMack Carlington Strong is a former professional American football fullback and running back coach for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He currently is a football sportscaster for Root Sports Northwest...
(as starter) - LB Lofa TatupuLofa Tatupu-Seattle Seahawks:Tatupu quickly established himself as one of the top defensive players in the league as a rookie in 2005, in which he was named to the Pro Bowl, while leading the NFC Champion Seahawks in tackles, with 104, en route to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history...
(as starter)