With the half-back breaking records every week, the offensive line taking requests for national interviews, a lightning-rod middle linebacker vying for the defensive Rookie of the Year, a franchise-record winning streak, a first-round bye, sold-out Qwest field and no “respect,” it’s easy for Matt Hasselbeck to get lost in the shuffle.

Nevertheless, 2005 has been a season of unparalleled success for the Seattle Seahawks and its follicly-challenged quarterback.

During the season, the majority of national attention has gone toward Shaun Alexander, both for the staggering numbers he has put up as well as his highly-publicized contract situation. Alexander’s name has been bandied about MVP discussions since midseason due, in large part, to his chase of history and Priest Holmes’ touchdown record.

But make no mistake about it - Matt Hasselbeck is the Seahawks’ most valuable player.

“He's just come of age in my opinion, this is his third year of playing all the time and he is making the most of it,” Mike Holmgren boasted. “We have good people for him to hand the ball to and things like that. But I'm very pleased with how Matt's playing."

Holmgren has often preached to the necessity of flawless quarterback play for his West Coast scheme to operate at optimum efficiency. After coaching the likes of Joe Montana, Steve Young and Brett Favre, Holmgren’s knowledge of what it takes to succeed at the position is unquestionable.

With every win the Seahawks rack up, his hand-picked appointment of Hasselbeck as Seattle’s signal-caller is rapidly progressing into the same sort of unequivocal achievement.

The past two weeks, Hasselbeck has completed 42 of 52 pass attempts for 511 yards and 7 touchdowns, numbers comparable to any produced by Holmgren’s Hall of Fame assemblage.

But it wasn’t always so rosy for Hasselbeck in Seattle. Holmgren’s West Coast offense is a complicated system with verbose play-calling jargon that requires an intimate knowledge of defensive sets and situational awareness. Hasselbeck struggled early on with the Seahawks after he arrived from Green Bay in 2001. Often times it appeared as if he was in over his head in Holmgren’s system, resulting in lackluster play that ultimately situated him along the sideline as the back-up to veteran quarterback Trent Dilfer.

Admittedly, Holmgren didn’t spend much time thinking about Hasselbeck during his time with the Packers. Coaching a Hall of Fame quarterback and leading a team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances doesn’t leave much time to develop the third-string quarterback.

Still, Holmgren drafted Hasselbeck out of Boston College because of his uniquely defined cerebral proficiency. When he took over the Seahawks, Holmgren was confident that Hasselbeck had the mental make-up to master his complex offense. So much so that he shipped the 10th overall pick in the 2001 draft as well as a third-round selection to Wisconsin in exchange for the quarterback.

It took a few years and the guiding force of a close friend in Dilfer, but Hasselbeck has evolved both on and off the field into a spectacularly efficient leader, once again proving that Mike Holmgren’s recognition of what it takes to become a super-star quarterback in the NFL is well merited.

In 2005, Hasselbeck is the NFC’s highest rated passer and has earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl.

He has set career high marks for completion percentage, yards per attempt, pass completions over 40 yards and passer rating. His nine interceptions is the lowest total of his career as a full-time starter.

As the postseason nears, Hasselbeck is heating up at just the right time; the Seahawks are now a win away from clinching home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This is the time of year when superior NFL quarterbacks separate themselves from their peers and enter a realm where football immortality is viably attainable.

Last week against Tennessee, Seattle faced a second-half two-score deficit. A win would mean a franchise-record 10th consecutive win as well as a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Much of the first half resembled the bulk of the 2005 campaign – Shaun Alexander shooting through mammoth gaps in the Titans’ defense and eating up large chunks of yards. But when the Titans scored 24 unanswered points and left the Seahawks with their first deficit in nearly a month, Hasselbeck took over.

Down by 10 in the third quarter, Hasselbeck moved his team 83 yards on three passing plays eating up just over a minute off the game clock. He spread the ball around to each of his top-three receivers, Darrell Jackson, Bobby Engram and Joe Jurevicious with lethal precision and cut Tennessee’s lead to a field goal with more than a quarter left to play.

After the Seahawks stopped the Titans on fourth down at the Seattle 7-yard line during Tennessee’s ensuing possession, Hasselbeck led his offense on to the field for a game-winning drive. The methodical march resembled many of the 2005 season, an attack ranging the full length of the field and highlighted by calculated exactitude.

The drive moved 93 yards on 13 plays but only faced a third-down once, that coming at the Tennessee two-yard line where Hasselbeck hit Darrell Jackson for the game-winning touchdown pass.

“It's unique. I don't know what other word to use,” said offensive coordinator Gil Haskell after the contest. "We've had so many drives in the fourth quarter when we needed a drive and we put it together and we got it. I'll tell you what, I've been in the league a long time and I know I've never been on a team that's had so many drives in the fourth quarter.”

“A lot of the credit goes to the quarterback for keeping his patience and being able to handle the pressure of the clock going down and what Mike Holmgren's giving him to call.”

This season has proven to be Hasselbeck’s coming-out party. Although he made the Pro-Bowl in 2003 on the strength of gaudy statistics, in 2005, Hasselbeck has formed into the ever-cognizant leader that is fundamental to Holmgren’s system.

In years past, Hasselbeck would often question Holmgren’s play-calling and defer to Trent Dilfer when it came to a team-galvanizing leadership role. With Dilfer’s departure, Hasselbeck has matured and taken the quarterback responsibility seriously, realizing that his position entails much more than on-field performance.

During training camp, Hasselbeck made it a habit to eat meals with a different teammate each day. He personally ventured over to the defensive side of the ball and made it a point to get to know the men that comprised the unit opposite of his own.

Although it seems like a minimal gesture, it’s this type of all-encompassing attitude that fortifies team chemistry and sends talented football teams to that next level. In this ultimate of team sports, every factor that contributes to organizational success must be accounted for and recognized as contributory.

Hasselbeck has stepped up as Holmgren’s voice amongst the players and the team’s success can, in some part, be attributed to this often overlooked facet of team play.

“Last year we had a talented team. But we had a team made up of a lot of individuals that were at times playing as individuals,” Holmgren explained during a recent press conference. “This year's team is younger; a lot of good football players, but the individuals are playing very much as a team. As good that way, as I've ever had a group do. Unselfish; encouraging each other; it's been a real pleasure to work with this group this year that way.”

During the season, Hasselbeck has deflected personal accomplishments and focused solely on the team. Time and again he has been forthright in expressing that the team aspect of this Seahawks group is much stronger than it has ever been.

One of the reasons Hasselbeck is not getting a lot of national publicity is because he has been so quick to give credit to everyone on the team except himself. His maturation since arriving in Seattle is abundantly evident. He has grown mentally, emotionally and physically under Mike Holmgren and has mastered the fundamental aspect of effective leadership - humility.

When asked whether or not he has been playing quarterback better now than any other point in his career, Hasselbeck was quick to divert the focus back to the team.

“I’m definitely grading out better,” Hasselbeck said. “You really just try to help your team be successful, but I think there’s a stat where quarterbacks who pass for over 300 yards, their teams lose over 50 percent of the time. Stats can be misleading that way. You just try to do the best you can, I’m not really a stats guy.”

“I think the cool thing is that, for the most part, I don’t think anybody is really a stat guy on our team. I think it’s just kind of like, ‘hey let’s just go out and play hard and play well, and the stats will take care of themselves.’”

Seattle’s success on the field has led to some amazing numbers for many of its players.

Hasselbeck is no exception.

As the Seahawks swept through the NFC West, the focus was on Shaun Alexander as he set an NFL mark for consecutive 100-yard performances against division opponents. Quietly though, Hasselbeck was the epitome of efficient quarterbacking, rating out at 102.2 in games against NFC West foes.

Against the Rams in St. Louis, a pivotal win psychologically for the Seahawks, Hasselbeck threw for 316 yards on 27 of 38 passing and two touchdowns. He turned in a quarterback rating of 113.5 and was named the NFC offensive player of the week.

Against two contests with Arizona, Hasselbeck averaged a rating of 95.5. Against San Francisco, he averaged a rating of 118.1. On the year, Hasselbeck completed 117 of 174 passes for 1,418 yards and 9 touchdowns against division opponents.

The first goal for any NFL team is to win their division. The Seahawks were the first team in the league to clinch their division and did so with relative ease. Because it can be argued that Seattle plays in the weakest division in football, dominating the NFC West was the expectation. But often times, living up to expectations has been Seattle’s Achilles heel; this year however, they passed the NFC West test like a Nobel Laureate at a Spelling Bee.

Last week at Tennessee, Shaun Alexander became only the fifth NFL running-back to rush for 1,600 yards in consecutive seasons. His production this year has been ridiculously advantageous for the Seahawks. As a result, it’s easy for outsiders to get carried away with the numbers and perceive Seattle’s half-back as the sole reason for Seattle’s success.

But perception is not always the reality. While it is unarguable that Alexander has been a major contributor to the Seahawks’ success, it has been Hasselbeck’s consistent play that has led the team when they have needed it most.

Hasselbeck’s quarterback rating when the team trails by 1 to 8 points is an astonishing 135.9. His numbers on the road are far better than at home. Away from Qwest Field, Hasselbeck rates out at 102.9, more than ten points better than when he is playing at home.

In the fourth quarter when the score is within 7 points ahead or behind, his rating is 89.3, and overall when the margin is within a touchdown that mark is 98.2.

In ten games this season, Hasselbeck has rated above a 90 and only twice below 70, ironically, both of those performances turned out to be wins. One was against Dallas when Hasselbeck led the team on a game-tying drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Ryan Hannam with less than 2 minutes remaining. The other was against the Rams in Seattle when the Seahawks all but wrapped up the NFC West crown.

Many Seattle fans recall the 2003 playoff game against Green Bay when Hasselbeck declared at the overtime coin-flip that the Seahawks wanted the ball and were “going to score.”

In true S.O.S. fashion, Hasselbeck managed to throw the ball to Green Bay defensive back Al Harris and watched as the dread-locked Packer scampered his way into the end zone ending Seattle’s season.

The coin-flip outburst was an audible indication of Hasselbeck’s reticent cockiness at the time. He knew he had the tools and felt they could propel him into greatness. At the time however, he lacked the perspective of a true winner.

A winning NFL quarterback, the kind capable of Super Bowl glory, goes about his business with a quiet confidence, rather than an overt flippancy.

After the Tennessee win, Hasselbeck was asked how he felt about not being able to have a chance at being the first team to knock off the undefeated Colts after the Chargers defeated Indianapolis.

“I felt like shaving,” he retorted.

This year, Hasselbeck gets it.

It’s not about numbers or meaningless regular-season accomplishments. For Matt Hasselbeck and the 2005 Seattle Seahawks, it’s all about Detroit and doing all of the little things necessary to assure that they find themselves there in early February.

At 12 – 2 and looking to turn in the most successful campaign in franchise history, they are well on their way.

One brought prominence back to a small Seattle area high school situated amongst a rough backdrop, promising one day to return and give back to the community that helped him along the way.

The other reinvented college basketball in Seattle, setting a new standard for success at the University of Washington and leaving in his wake a love affair between the city and the program he helped to build.

On Tuesday night when the New York Knicks outlasted the Seattle Supersonics in front of 16-thousand plus at Key Arena, the game was simply a footnote.  Knicks’ guards Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson were the show.

Earlier in the day at Rainier Beach High School, Jamal Crawford made good on his promise.  In front of the student body and a community accustomed to the struggle of inner-city strife, “Crawford Court” was introduced in school’s gymnasium.  The $100,000 donation Crawford gave to Rainier Beach served to revamp the arena, complete with a new floor, a new floor logo, electronic scoreboards, bench chairs, scorer’s table, backboards and rims.

Tuesday morning was the first time Crawford had seen in person the results of his generosity. It served as a powerful reminder of what money well spent can do for those who live with next to nothing.

"It's like a real court now," he said. "When I first came here, you had to mop the court five or six times, it was so slippery. It had dust all over. It was a mess. But it was home for us. We called it ours.”

Later that night, Crawford came off the bench to lead the Knicks to victory.  He racked up every one of his season-high 31 points on 8-of-13 shooting in the second half to erase a 13-point deficit midway through the third quarter. 

The slender guard looked every bit the NBA superstar he claimed one day he would become when he led Rainier Beach to its second 3A state title in 1998.

"He had big dreams. He told me he was going go to the NBA. He told me we were going to win a state title,” recalled Robert Gary, Rainier Beach’s principal.  "He'd talk to me during games. He'd say, 'Mr. G, watch this move. I'm going to do this.' He gave us thrills and chills. We saw moves we never saw before."

During the Knicks’ 104 – 101 victory Crawford accounted for 11 of the Knicks’ final 17 points, collected four rebounds and dished out 4 assists.  He was without question the best player on the court Tuesday evening, outshining perennial NBA all-stars Stephon Marbury and Ray Allen.

“He can do a lot of things that a lot of people can't do,” Robinson said. “You look at him and it's like, 'How's this skinny guy doing all this? How do you guard somebody like this?' It's kinda hard.”

Robinson, meanwhile, was greeted with a heroes welcome while the starting lineups were announced.  The smallest player in the building, standing all of 5-7, Robinson was awarded the longest and loudest ovation, easily trumping the noise produced for each of the hometown five.

"Before the game I was feeling a little lightheaded because I was so anxious to play and so happy to be home for the first time," said Robinson. "It was wonderful to come back and see my son and all my family."

Robinson poured in 10 points for Knicks, running up the down the court with the same lightning quickness and undeterred excitement he displayed during his days under Lorenzo Romar at Washington.

Like Crawford, Nate “the great” also played for Rainier Beach High School.  They were teammates before Crawford left for the bright lights of New York, with a short detour to Ann Arbor and one season with Michigan, along the way. 

Unlike Crawford, however, Robinson’s journey led him to an elongated stay in college where Rick Neuheisel had recruited him to play football.  After a year on the gridiron, Robinson’s father, Jacque, a Husky football legend, advised him to choose a sport and stick with it.  Robinson chose his first love, basketball.  Needless to say, he chose wisely.

During his three years as a Husky, Robinson served as the centerpiece for a burgeoning program that went from absolute obscurity to the forefront of the college basketball world last March when the NCAA selection committee awarded the program its first number one tournament seed in school history.

Robinson defied the critics time and time again, electrifying the Husky faithful with show-stopping slam-dunks and an uncompromising energy that permeated every inch of Hec Edmundson Pavilion.  During his junior year, his last in Seattle, he led Washington to 30 wins, the Huskies’ first Pac-10 tournament title ever, and a sweet-sixteen appearance in the NCAA tourney.

Robinson made a cameo appearance at Rainier Beach Tuesday morning during the unveiling of Crawford Court.  Despite the needling of his teammate to bring down the house with one of his eye-popping dunks, Robinson deferred the spotlight, preferring to keep the focus on the man of the hour.

“There are some things (Crawford) beat me to,” said Robinson. “I don't want to forget where I came from. Jamal came from here. He's showing his love. He's giving back.”

"If you keep giving back, you make the world a better place."

Robinson has also put his sizable income where his mouth is, donating $10,000 to Rainier Beach’s Washington Assessment of Student Learning math program.

Together Robinson and Crawford have set a positive example that youth of Seattle and beyond can look up to and emulate.

“You're not special just because you can make a basket,” Crawford explained following the court christening. “You're special because of how you treat people. It doesn't matter if you're a high-ranking official or a bum. I try to treat people the way I want to be treated. And, that's with respect.”

After the final buzzer sounded in Key Arena Tuesday night, the Knicks gathered with the Sonics in a post game huddle at mid-court.  The ritual, started by Ray Allen at the outset of the 2004 campaign has always been exclusive to Sonics' players, but during this night, both teams came together, interlocking arms and sharing a moment of mutual respect. 

In today’s NBA, where ego-based exclusivity takes precedent, it was no surprise that this show of unity coincided with the return of two of Seattle’s favorite sons.

After being mobbed by a crowd looking to share a post-game moment with himself and Robinson, Crawford explained, “It's all love down here. There's nowhere else I'd rather be.”

“Bowl Games…  Where Everybody Wins.”

This is the tagline situated atop the Football Bowl Association’s website.  It’s a lovely sentiment, provoking images of college football players marching hand in hand triumphantly to a wondrous land of milk and honey where no one is left behind to suffer the indignity of defeat.

Unfortunately for the NCAA, BCS, FBA and all those who support this notion of unilateral success, the ideal remains in sharp contrast to the reality.

On Monday, Richard Lapchick, a professor at Central Florida University, released an annual report surveying the academic progress of Division IA college football bowl participants.  The results were, in a word, atrocious.

In 2004, the NCAA developed a new system to determine the academic progress of its student-athletes.  The Academic Progress Rate, or APR, awards points to bowl-bound institutions based on how many of their athletes meet academic eligibility standards.  A score of 925, the NCAA’s minimum requirement, means that an estimated 50 percent of a program’s athletes are on track to graduate.

Of the 56 teams participating in bowl games this season, only 33, or 59% met the minimum requirement of an APR score at or above 925.  This, of course, means that 41% of the remaining teams are on track to graduate less than 50% of their players.

Maybe it would be more pertinent for the FBA to boast, “Bowl Games… Where At Least 50% of Everybody Wins.”

Honestly, what does it say about the state of college football when graduating half of its participants is now considered the benchmark that every program should strive to reach?

"Obviously we would like to see those statistics higher," said NCAA spokesman Bob Williams. "But this is a process that the NCAA member institutions are going through to change behavior and essentially ensure the student athletes, coaches and everyone involved in collegiate athletics understands that academic achievement and academic performance is just as important as athletic performance."

Come on Bob, who are you trying to kid?

Even the FBA itself fully admits on its website that as far as college football is concerned, academics are a secondary concern.  At footballbowlassociation.com under the FAQ page the longest response is posed under the following question, “Why not a playoff in Division IA football?”

The seven paragraph explanation goes into lengthy detail outlining the various reasons why Division IA football is still the only major American sport to crown its champion without the use of a postseason tournament.  Some excuses include: 48% of its teams participate in postseason play, a heightened importance of regular season contests, coaches granted two to five extra weeks to work with their players, as well as how universities use bowls as a rallying point for their fans.  Buried at the bottom of the sixth paragraph is this sentence, “…class schedules (though touted by playoff proponents as everybody's concern because it's an easy target, is one of the lesser reasons).”  

One of the lesser reasons?  For years, all we have ever heard from coaches and administration supporting the bowl system is that a playoff would be too much of a burden on hard-working student-athletes who would be faced with the difficulty of juggling postseason play during a time when most colleges are conducting final examinations.

If academics were a truly paramount concern for the NCAA, why then, on a website meant to promote the bowl system, do they fully admit that class schedules is one of the lesser reasons why a playoff wouldn’t work?  Perhaps because four paragraphs earlier they trumpet the fact that coaches do not lesson the load on the football field in order to advocate a healthy concentration of academic pursuits. 

Every year the NCAA requires that each Division IA school limit their football scholarship total to 85, making the total number of college football players under scholarship each year 9,945.  Including practice squads, the NFL employs approximately 1,856 professional football players, give or take, depending on who is being paid while on injured reserve.  In the 2004 NFL draft, 255 college players were selected. 

9,945 college football players.  1,856 professional football players.  It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the overwhelming majority of college football players will never find employment in the NFL.

With that in mind, shouldn’t more attention be given to academics throughout college football?  Or, at the very least, more emphasis placed than to set a 50% graduation rate as the acceptable mark for schools to avoid repercussion from the NCAA?

Even more reprehensible is the fact that two-thirds of bowl-bound schools graduate less than half of their African-American football players.  One of the most positive attributes of college football is that it is one of the few American institutions that grants underprivileged youth, predominantly African-American, an opportunity to benefit from higher education without the expenses they otherwise may not be able to afford on their own.

With only 33% of major college programs graduating more than half of its African-American student-athletes, it could be argued that instead of offering a conduit to personal achievement for African-Americans, the NCAA is exploiting the talents of the majority of black athletes in order to profit in all of the ways universities do from big-time college football.

The hypocritical nature of college athletics, especially football, is becoming a glaring problem in American culture.  Not only does the NCAA cheat their fans every year with a plethora of underwhelming postseason contests, but they manipulate the primetime match-ups that should ultimately be determined on the field and turn the profits back to the schools who consistently neglect the true purpose of student-athletes, the student part.

This season when the Trojans and Longhorns meet in early January to determine a “national champion,” the working class fan that organizations like the FBA claim to fight in the best interest of, will not even be able to afford a seat.  At last check, tickets for the Rose Bowl were being sold for $2,500 apiece. 

How college football still hides behind the fabrication that they are an amateur act is beyond me.  Every year, the BCS fists out millions upon millions of dollars to every one involved with college football except for the stars of the show – the kids on the field.

It is the NCAA’s obligation to see to it that the minimum amount of student-athletes that graduate is 100 percent, and nothing less.  Otherwise, they are simply lining their pockets off the sweat and blood of young men and women and offering next to nothing in return. 

It’s not right, and it needs to be fixed.

Dear Mr. Mortensen,

Mike & Mike in the Morning, while technically a radio show, is also broadcast optically to the world via ESPN News.  It would probably be in your best interest not to forget your blush and mascara the next time you fill in for Mike Golic. The only thing more washed-out than your fatigued visage early Tuesday morning was your classification of the Seattle Seahawks as merely a “good” team after the record-setting beat-down they put on the Eagles during Monday Night Football.

Your compliment, begrudgingly afforded with the genuinely optimistic enthusiasm of George Carlin on a bender, was instantly eradicated by the ensuing statements revealing your predisposition towards the Panthers, Giants and Buccaneers as true NFC contenders.

The Seahawks are 10 – 2 sir, 10 – 2.  Incomprehensibly though, many east-coast pundits like yourself, still embittered by Jay Feely’s failure in Seattle, simply refuse to give the Seahawks any credit for having the best record in the NFC.  Predictably, you were quick to point out the Seahawks' narrow victory over the Giants to support your theory that Seattle will ultimately fail.  I find it a bit less than ironic that you forget without the help of an inept officiating crew, Jay Feely wouldn’t have been in a position to win the game in the first place.  See: Jeremy Shockey's left foot.

Granted, the Seahawks' shortcomings in geography and history are well-documented.  And as a result, the disparaging remarks that downplay their success continue to flow in weekly from your “expert” brethren even now after they have pulled off 8 wins in a row, the last of which just happened to single-handedly dethrone Philadelphia from NFC supremacy as well as set a new standard for Monday Night massacres. 

The 8-game winning streak is equaled only by Chicago in the NFC.  Every week, national audiences are inundated with a ground-swell of media support lauding the Bears’ efforts despite that team’s glaring weakness on the offensive side of the ball.  A far more balanced Seahawks squad, meanwhile, is chastised for close victories over San Francisco and New York, and treated as if the scoreboard is merely an aberration, betraying the true nature of Seattle’s performance on the field. 

Seth Wickersham of ESPN.com went so far as to label Seattle the “luckiest 9 - 2 team of all time” after they beat New York.  With such insightful and objective analysis, aptly characterized by the final syllable of his surname, perhaps Wickersham should be labeled the “luckiest man to ever secure a national writing gig.”

Here’s a tip for all of you east-coast know-it-alls, do your homework before you spout off. 

While it can be justifiably argued that Seattle plays in the weakest division in the NFL, they have, in fact, dominated that division and with a win this Sunday over San Francisco, will have swept the NFC West.  Seattle is often said to “play down to the level of the competition,” but that point would be rendered moot by a 6 – 0 record in divisional play. 

The Forty-Niners of the 80’s and early 90’s played in equally sub-par surroundings, rarely contested amongst their divisional peers.  The easy wins they compiled served to help in attaining home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the most important factor in any postseason play.  The one thing those wins didn’t do was weaken their strength and execution when it came time to defeat equally powerful conference foes in the playoffs.  After four Super Bowl wins, nobody has ever questioned whether or not playing in the NFC West was a hindrance to San Francisco and neither should it now be with Seattle.

Of the four NFC division leaders through week 13, Seattle is the only team to have played a first-place schedule.  Considering the combined record of the other three 2004 division winners is an awe-inspiring 14 – 22, there is no merit in knocking the strength of Seattle’s schedule.  

Had it not been for a Josh Brown kick that met the left upright at Washington in week 4, Seattle would have swept through the NFC East, the division every NFL analyst has time and again labeled the toughest in the league.

In fact, had it not been for that errant kick, Seattle would currently be on an 11 game winning streak.  Since you love to point out unsuccessful field goal attempts as a valid excuse for cast away victories, you would be best served to include every missed kick, not just those that conveniently support your inherent personal biases.

Seattle’s two losses have come at the hands of 9 – 3 Jacksonville and 6 – 6 Washington.  Carolina has losses to 3 – 9 New Orleans and 5 – 7 Miami.  Tampa Bay accounts for half of the win total of two of the league’s worst franchises, the Forty-Niners and Jets.

While the Giants have managed to lose to winning clubs in San Diego, Dallas, Minnesota as well as the Seahawks, they too have been the benefactor of an opposition’s missed field goal attempt during a nail-biting home victory.

After New York rallied to beat Denver at home in week 7, Eli Manning was heralded as the second coming of John Elway, a gritty signal-caller with the intestinal fortitude to overcome any late game deficit.  Nary was a comment uttered around Bristol that had it not been for Jason Elam’s missed field goal with 5:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, Manning’s “heroics” would have been for naught.

The fact of the matter is this isn’t college football.  None of the watered-down opinions passed around the east-coast media like a stripper at a bachelor party amount to anything in the big scheme of things.  Your thoughts don’t count because thankfully, in professional football, they have no power over which teams will meet in the Super Bowl. 

The only thing that does count in the NFL is the scoreboard and the win/loss column.  Like it or not, Seattle sits atop that column in the NFC and for the first time in franchise history, they control their own destiny.  So spit your verbal venom and hurl your pointless pontification, Mr. Mortensen, come February, your attempts will prove as successful as a wobbling Jay Feely field goal attempt.

Yours very truly,

Brandon Petersen

Even way out here on the West Coast, if the wind catches it just right, you can make out the faint rumble of a St. Helens-sized eruption exploding from the belly of the great beast known as the New York sports media.

It’s just a guess, but the next week for Jay Feely might be a tumultuous one. 

Right about the time my girlfriend was scouring the closet for a defibrillator she purchased last month after I busted through my latest pair of relaxed-fit trousers, Feely had already embarked on his journey into a realm where every NFL kicker dare not tread.

Not only did the Giants’ place-kicker miss a game-winning field goal attempt as time expired in regulation during Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks, but he managed to repeat the nightmare scenario twice in overtime.  Witness protection has been notified.

"People are going to say it's a team game and they're going to say the right things. But the fact of the matter is that you've got to come through when you have one opportunity -- much less two good opportunities."  Feely bemused following his tragic trifecta.

During overtime, as I hovered precariously somewhere between the here and now and the great beyond, I was afforded ample time to ponder the great mysteries of life.  What I discovered, as Feely flat-lined and resuscitated me twice over with his errant boots, is that sometimes in life and the NFL, what goes around comes around.

“That was something, wasn’t it?” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “In some ways we were fortunate to win.”

They say it’s better to be lucky than good. 

As the Seahawks moved to 9 – 2 Sunday, the best mark in Holmgren’s tenure as head coach, no one in Seattle can, or would even bother to argue with that.

But this unlikely win, assured to be met with skepticism throughout the national media as a victory based primarily on good fortune, had a mystic quality to it, a quality that could easily be described in Seahawks circles as “retribution.”

Nobody succeeds in the NFL without a few breaks - those moments in a game when the action on the field is so hard to decipher that often times the team that comes out ahead is the beneficiary of fortunate happenstance. 

On Sunday, as Feely missed kick after kick, it was never more apparent that luck was smiling down and shining brightly along the Seattle sideline. Certainly though, if you have followed the Seahawks for any substantial amount of time, it’s easy to understand that luck is a commodity not often awarded to Seattle’s football team and, without question, the advantageous consequence of Feely’s futility was long overdue.

December 6, 1998

It was the play that brought back instant replay to the NFL.  With 27 seconds remaining, and the Seahawks clinging to a 31 – 26 lead over the Jets at the Meadowlands, Vinny Testaverde called a timeout and trotted to the sidelines to discuss the options with Jets’ head coach Bill Parcells.

The situation was a fourth down on the 5 yard line.  Testaverde suggested to Parcells that the offense spread the field and either try to find Keyshawn Johnson on a slant, or, failing that, the quarterback would attempt a sneak though the middle of Seattle’s defense.  Parcells gave the green light and set in motion a series of events that would result in one of the most egregious officiating errors in the history of the NFL.

Testaverde took the snap and barreled forward through a surprised Seattle defensive front. With Cortez Kennedy hanging on a leg and Jay Bellamy pounding the quarterback to the turf, the crown of Testaverde’s helmet had successfully crossed the goal line, however, the football in his grasp had failed to come within even a foot of the end zone.

Line judge Earnie Frantz, perhaps swept away by Jets players raising their arms and 72 thousand fans screaming their approval, signaled the touchdown.  Moments later, referee Phil Luckett, who weeks earlier had blown a simple overtime coin toss in Detroit sparking another controversy and off-season rule change, followed suit, handing the Jets a victory they had failed to produce on the field.

The error was life-changing for more than one person on the field that day.  The set-back gave the Seahawks their seventh loss of the season and ended their hopes of a playoff birth.  It also meant the end of Dennis Erickson’s run as the head coach of the franchise and, with the sweeping change brought about by Mike Holmgren’s hiring, ended the Seattle careers for a number of Seahawks.  It also meant the end of Phil Luckett as a referee, as he was later reassigned to back judge.

After the game, Parcells could only explain the victory as a result of a helping hand from above, “God’s playing in some of these games.  He was on our side today.”

The next day, Dennis Erickson sought out a mortal explanation from NFL director of officiating, Jerry Seeman.

After apologizing to Erickson and admitting that the officials had made a mistake, Seeman explained that Frantz “saw the helmet go across the line and thought it was the ball.”

Ironically, Phil Luckett was working the game Sunday and was amongst the masses at Qwest Field who witnessed Feely’s kick at the end of regulation sail wide left of the goalpost. 

In explaining the inexplicable, perhaps Luckett’s presence provided enough karmic influence to gently coax Feely’s attempt wide of its intended target.

November 23, 2003

With a minute left to play and the Seahawks leading the Ravens 41 – 38, Shaun Alexander ran the ball three yards to the Baltimore 33-yard line.  Prior to the second-down run, the Seahawks had sent reserve tackle Floyd Womack into the game as an additional blocker.  The move required Womack to report as an eligible receiver, which he did, as was evidenced by the fact that referee Tom White announced it prior to the play over his microphone.

Following the Alexander run, head linesman Ed Camp threw a flag penalizing the Seahawks for an illegal substitution despite the White announcement of Womack as eligible.  The errant penalty stopped the clock with 58 seconds to play.  After the play, the Ravens called their final timeout, trying to stop the clock before third down.  However, Baltimore was not charged the timeout because, according to an NFL statement, “the administrative stoppage of the clock for the penalty flag supersedes a request for a timeout.”

After the flag was thrown, the officiating crew convened and decided that Womack had properly declared his eligibility before the play and decided to wave off the penalty for illegal substitution.  At that point, by NFL rule, White should have reset the play clock to 40 seconds and started the game clock, forcing the Ravens to burn their final timeout.

White failed to do so and the Seahawks had to huddle and run their third-down play without the benefit of a diminishing play clock.  When Alexander was stopped on third down, the Ravens then called their final timeout, creating a fourth down situation with well over a half-minute left to play.

On fourth down, Matt Hasselbeck was stopped with 39 seconds left to play.  Had the officials followed the rules as they are set forth by the league, the Ravens would have taken over possession with approximately 10 seconds remaining on the game clock.

But with 39 seconds left, the Ravens had more than ample time to push the ball down field to the Seahawks 16 yard line where they kicked the game-tying field goal.  They won the contest in overtime.

Once again, the league offered an olive branch to the disenchanted Seahawks in the form of an apology, this time from the league’s new director of officiating, Mike Pereira.  Pereira described the error as “an administrative error from the officiating crew.”

Fortunately for the Seahawks, the error did not cost the team a playoff birth, but it was the second time in four years that incompetent officiating had cleared the way for an opposition’s victory.

December 6, 2004

With 2 minutes remaining and Seattle leading Dallas by 10 in front of a raucous Monday night crowd at Qwest field, the fates once again aligned against the Seahawks.

Earlier, on fourth down and 2:53 remaining on the clock, Shaun Alexander blasted through the Cowboys’ defense for 32 yards and a touchdown that put the Seahawks ahead by 10.  Mike Holmgren, weary from a manic-depressive season that would have sent Bill Walsh to the madhouse, exploded along the Seahawks sideline in a rare display of overwhelming emotion.

As Qwest Field preemptively erupted, along the Dallas sideline a familiar duo, Bill Parcels and Vinny Testaverde, were already forming a strategy to counter Seattle’s late game heroics. 

No one could have guessed that six years after Phil Luckett awarded Testaverde a touchdown he didn’t deserve, the very component those circumstances helped to resurrect, instant replay, would this time work against the Seahawks on yet another phantom Testaverde score.

1:54 remained on the game clock and Dallas had driven the ball to the Seattle 34-yard line.  On first down, Testaverde dropped back to pass to another former Jet, Keyshawn Johnson.  As Testaverde’s ball sailed into the frigid Seattle air, Johnson raced to the back of the end zone, preparing himself to pull the football down out of the night sky.

Johnson left his feet in order to catch the football over Seattle strong safety Terreal Bierria. When he clutched the ball and began to descend perpendicularly to the painted turf, one foot touched in bounds, however, before the other foot could drop, his right forearm landed out of bounds.  With only one foot in play before he contacted the rear perimeter of the end zone, Johnson had not made a legal reception.

But with the predictable ineptitude that typifies NFL officiating at times, the back judge declared that indeed Johnson had hauled in the catch legitimately for a touchdown. 

While no one in Seattle was surprised at the bad call, the true shock came after numerous replays had clearly depicted the official’s mistake and yet, with less than two minutes left to play, no review was requested from the booth official overseeing the action from his perch high atop Qwest Field.

After the Cowboys scored the touchdown, they managed to recover an onside kick and then finished off the hapless ‘Hawks on a Julius Jones touchdown run with thirty seconds remaining.

While the Seahawks themselves shouldered the majority of blame for this fourth quarter collapse, as they should have, the NFL once again took the opportunity to apologize to the organization for blowing another opportunity to treat the critical, game-changing moment of the contest with the proper diligence it warranted.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello explained publicly that while booth official Bobby Skelton could have called for a review of the play, he had agreed with the officials on the field.

Behind closed doors, however, NFL officials fruitlessly placated Mike Holmgren by explaining that the issue was more than whether or not the play could have been reviewed, but that, in fact, the play should have been reviewed by Skelton.

Three game-changing breaks awarded.

Three game-clinching kicks missed.

While it will never be questioned that the Seahawks had luck on their side Sunday when Jay Feely repeatedly blundered his way into New York infamy, neither will any coach, player or fan of the Seahawks apologize for the good fortune that had finally smiled upon the Seattle franchise.

In today’s NFL, no team makes it to the Super Bowl without a few positive breaks bouncing their way.  After a season like 2004 and the recent history of Seattle’s struggles with NFL officiating, it appears that 2005 is playing out differently.  Suddenly the Seahawks are receiving the fortunate breaks and are finding ways to pull out victory from the clutches of defeat.  For too long in Pacific Northwest, the opposite was not only the trend, but the truth.

Earlier in the season, after Mack Strong was called for a questionable tripping penalty against the Atlanta Falcons, he took the time to explain why Seattle has long suffered from an officiating jinx.

“I (had to) realize the deal a long time ago. Until you start winning big, you’re not going to get the calls. You’re going to get phantom calls, crazy calls, and you scratch your head and wonder how they made that call. We’ve been going through that here for years. It’s ironic, the good teams that play well and win games, just don’t get those calls like we do. Those things miraculously get eliminated for them. But it doesn’t matter, because we can’t change the way it is. We just have to battle through that, and once we establish ourselves as one of the elite teams, some of that stuff will go away.”

On Sunday, Seattle solidified itself as the elite team in the NFC, not only because of their record, but also because of the breaks.

While Jay Feely will undoubtedly be lambasted in New York, those with the benefit of Seattle’s perspective can attribute each of Feely’s failed field goal attempts as bit of karmic vengeance.

As each kick fell harmlessly to the turf or sailed wide of its mark, so too did they manage exorcise the demons of seasons past and declare to the football universe that Seattle is no longer the red-headed step-child of the NFL.

At 9 – 2 and comfortably planted in the driver’s seat to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Seahawks are finally becoming a force, ethereal or otherwise, to be reckoned with.

“You know what? I know you guys, you guys are my friends and I don’t want to leave.”

When Robbie Tobeck heard those words from the man who has spent the past six seasons attached to his right hip, he was relieved. After all, the San Francisco 49ers had expended a lot of effort into luring Chris Gray away from the Seahawks this past off season. Ultimately though, no amount of breezy, sunshine-filled days or Ghiradelli hot fudge sundaes could lure the 35 year old right guard from his home, or his teammates.

“I’m just glad to be back here, working with the same guys on the offensive line,” Gray said. “It’s important to me and I realized it more when I thought about leaving. It’s been more than a few years here. The longer you play together as an offensive line, the better you are. We have a lot of confidence together and care about each other.”

During a week in which Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid was ripped from the practice field and ordered to waste 14 hours in court with Terrell Owens and his WD-40 drenched spokesman, Drew Rosenhaus, the words of Gray seem about as ####-hum and yawn-inspiring as a Matlock marathon.

Nevertheless, those words go a long way in explaining why at this point in the season the Seahawks boast an 8 – 2 record. And oh, by the way, they also manage to conveniently delineate why Philadelphia has slipped from perennial Super Bowl contender to a milquetoast menagerie on the field that resembles the Young and the Restless off of it.

“It’s what being on the line together is all about. We sit around and give each other a hard time, tell the same stories year after year and enjoy them just as much as we did the first time. That’s why it’s been fun for a number of years.” Tobeck explained to Mike Kahn for the team’s website.

No one has benefited more from the Seahawks offensive line than Shaun Alexander. Last week, as the NFL Network and Hall-of-Famer Marcus Allen hyped their way into town to profile Alexander for NFL Total Access, nearly half a million Pro-Bowl ballots had been cast requesting the half-back’s services in Honolulu early next year.

Through 10 games Alexander has racked up 1,229 yards and 19 touchdowns. With a few more performances topping the century mark like he had Sunday against San Francisco, Alexander can start to look toward the most hallowed of running achievements – entry into the 2,000 yard club.

Alexander is without a doubt one of the most shifty, hard-to-tackle backs in football today, but without Walter Jones, Steve Hutchinson, Robbie Tobeck, Chris Gray and Sean Locklear, he would find the sledding decidedly more difficult.

“They’re not even offensive lineman anymore,” Matt Hasselbeck sarcastically chided after the Seahawks’ sweep-wielding win over St. Louis. “They’re superstars, rock stars. Spoiled media darlings. They are so big-time, they probably get manicures.”

It would be hard to argue with the quarterback’s words, especially considering Alexander had to split air-time with Hutchinson and Jones for the NFL Network piece. But as with most offensive lineman, a humble nature and willingness to deflect the spotlight defines Seattle’s front five.

“They’re a different breed of guy,” offensive line coach Bill Laveroni said. “They don’t care about being recognized. The recognition they want is from their teammates. They know their teammates respect how they play. The quarterback and running backs know how hard they play and how important they are to every play. And what matters to them most if you watch them interact is the camaraderie.”

It’s that type of close-knit nature that factored in Chris Gray’s thinking when he decided to return for his 8th season with the Seahawks. Continuity is hard to find in today’s salary-capped NFL, however, the majority of Seattle’s line has been working side-by-side for five straight seasons. The production of the Seahawks league-leading offense is the result of a cohesive front that has seen it all and done it all together.

“Unless you play or have played offensive line, you can’t appreciate the difficulty and the necessity for five guys to jell as a unit,” Hutchinson explained. “You really need five guys to be on the same page. We’re responsible for getting the play off the ground.”

While quarterbacks shoulder most of the blame or praise and the receivers and running backs spend their down time in front of the mirror perfecting their latest end zone pantomime, what really separates the have’s and have-not’s in the NFL are the five nameless men up front.

The line is a different machine altogether; it’s the engine of the offense, a complicated collaboration of parts that work together to get the truck moving forward. Fortunately for Seattle fans, the Seahawks boast a Hemi.

You know all of the stats – Alexander’s yards, Hasselbeck’s passer rating and Joe Jurevicious’ touchdowns. These are the type of numbers that allow the networks to send camera crews and the talk-show hosts to decipher the good, the bad and the St. Louis throughout the league.

But when you sit down and try to quantify the production of an offensive line, it’s simply not that easy. After all, NFL.com has no stats for how many pancake blocks Walter Jones has racked up, or how many times Chris Gray has pulled to a kick-out block that allowed clear passage for Mack Strong and Shaun Alexander.

Instead of looking at offensive stats to tell the tale of a line’s success or failure, it would be more prudent to look at the opposition’s defensive numbers.

Every defense has three levels - the defensive line, line backing corps and defensive backfield. By looking at who makes the majority of tackles, and where they make them, you can easily explain whether or not an offensive line has had a productive Sunday afternoon.

If the defensive line is making tackles in the backfield or accumulating sacks, you are probably the Houston Texans or Arizona Cardinals. If the linebackers are making tackles you are probably in the majority of the NFL, you have a decent line, and the people who are supposed to be getting tackles against you are doing just that. But if the defensive backfield has the majority of tackles, you’ve got something special, and those hog-mollies up front are really earning their paychecks. After all, if a defensive back is making a tackle, the chances are he is making that tackle at least 5 yards or further beyond the line of scrimmage.

So if you really want to know why Shaun Alexander seemingly breaks a new NFL record each week, and why Matt Hasselbeck is enjoying his most efficient year behind center, you should take a look at which opposing defenders are wrapping up Seahawk ball-carriers.

In the first week of the season, the Seahawks lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Florida. It was a sweltering Sunday, and Jack Del Rio got cute and decided to outfit the Seahawks in their home blues. Matt Hasselbeck had a terrible day, throwing more picks than Danny Fortson on a pig-tailed hair day. Afterward, the Seahawks limped back home across the country with their first season-opening loss in four years.

However, if you take a look at the Jaguars defensive stats, beyond all the turnovers, the Seahawks offensive line had set a precedent for a season-long trend that would vault their unit beyond every other offense in the league.

Not only was the leading tackler for the Jaguars cornerback Kenny Wright, but the top three tacklers were all defensive backs. Mike Peterson, Jacksonville’s middle linebacker, collected a paltry 4 tackles on the day. In Jacksonville’s next eight games, Peterson led the team in tackles four times, and averaged just under 9 tackles a game.

Against Seattle, Jacksonville’s defensive backfield accounted for 50% of the total tackles made that day. The linebackers managed 26%, leaving 24% mopped up by the defensive line. To contrast, over the Jag’s next eight games, the linebackers averaged 34%, the DB’s moved down to 33%, and the D-line upped their mark to 27%.

Jacksonville met Indianapolis in week two. Against what many regard the best team in football, Mike Peterson totaled 13 tackles and John Henderson, who tackled 3 Seahawks, dominated the Colts for 11 stops. Rounding out the top three was another linebacker, Akin Ayodele with 7 tackles. Overall, the linebackers led the team with 35% of all tackles made, as was the trend for the Jaguars’ subsequent outings.

So what does all this mean? Basically that the Seahawks offensive line dominated the first two levels of the Jaguars’ defense, leaving the third level, the defensive backfield, the area where the majority of Seattle ball-carriers met the turf.

In week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, Fox analyst Brian Baldinger treated the entire contest as a grudge match between Walter Jones and Falcon’s defensive end Patrick Kearny. Baldinger constantly went back to the match-up and the Fox cameras caught Jones embarrassing Kearny play after humiliating play. By the end, Kearny had accounted for two assisted tackles and could easily be labeled Jones’ rag-doll. Big Walt may as well have picked up poor Patrick and stuck him in his back pocket – it was just that bad.

Kearny’s fellow defensive lineman Rod Coleman, heralded as one of the NFL’s best, was also shut-down against by the Seahawks front five. On the day, Coleman picked up one measly tackle and a whole lot of respect for boys in blue. You see, both Coleman and Kearny are not used to this type of futility. If you add up the week before the Seahawks game against Philly, and the two games after Seattle against Buffalo and Minnesota, Kearny and Coleman had 20 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 3 forced fumbles, numbers those two are far more accustomed to.

Speaking of defensive futility and embarrassing performances, the Arizona Cardinals rolled into Seattle in week 3. They Rolled out of Seattle with cornerback Antrel Rolle leading the team with 11 tackles and the defensive backs having accounted for 47% of the total tackles.

The numbers improved slightly for the preseason media NFC West champs, where in week 8 the defensive backs “only” piled up 42% of the tackles. Of course, the excitement was slightly subdued in Phoenix as that number was altered drastically by the fact that an incredible 12% of total tackles were made by offensive players, a new high for the low-flying Cardinals.

Bertrand Berry, who, after the week 8 blow-out loss, insisted throughout the Arizona media that, “Everybody knows Seattle is not that much better than us,” totaled 4 tackles and 2 assists combined in both contests against the Seahawks. He averaged 4.5 tackles and 1 sack against everyone else he faced on the year.

The trend continued in Washington where Redskin DB’s produced 42% of all tackles, and again in St. Louis where free safety Mike Furrey led the team in stops, and along with the rest of the defensive backfield meant 44% of Ram tackles.

In week 6 against the Houston Texans, Seattle’s line finally seemed to meet its match. Texan linebackers were the first group other than defensive backs to lead an opposing team in tackles. 42% came from the linebackers, a baffling stat considering Seattle had two 100-yard rushers, totaled 320 yards on the ground and had an astonishing five players with runs over 10 yards. Even Matt Hasselbeck had the longest run of his career, on a Vick-like romp in slow-motion that meant 23 yards for the Seahawks.

Week 7 was not only the worst outing for the Seahawks offense, but also the most important win in Mike Holmgren’s tenure as head coach. Although it took the Seahawks every second to pull out a 13 – 10 win and the Cowboys’ defense seemingly dominated Seattle’s offense, the majority of Dallas tackles once again came from the backfield, just barely though - 34%.

Leonard Little has a reputation as one of the best defensive ends in the league. In two games against the Seahawks he has 3 tackles, 3 assists and half a sack, very Little production indeed, that is, of course, unless you count providing highlight material for the ESPN Monday Night Countdown segment “Jacked Up” as productive. Although Pisa Tinoisamoa led the team in tackles (and un-called pass interference), the Rams linebackers only managed 19% of tackles in week 10; once again, the DB’s lead the way with 36%.

On Sunday, the Seahawks walked away with another win, topping the scrappy 49ers by the skin of their teeth. Although it wasn’t their best performance of 2005, the offensive line once again managed to control the first two levels of the Niners defense. San Francisco relied heavily on their defensive backfield as they accounted for 46% of the team’s tackles.

“No kid grows up dreaming of playing offensive line in the NFL, we all had other dreams.” Tobeck said. “But here we are and I’m convinced that there’s nothing more special than playing offensive line because you end up spending so much time with your buddies. We pull it all together. We’re kind of a team within a team. There (are) so many things that go on during the course of a day, training camp, all the hitting we do; it creates a bond between guys.”

That bond has led Seattle’s front five to consistently dominate on the football field. Not only do the Seahawks have the best line in the NFL, but they also have a sixth lineman, Pork Chop Womack, who could start on any other line in the league. When he was hurt in training camp, it opened up an opportunity for 2nd year player Sean Locklear to step in at the right tackle position. Locklear has performed so well in Womack’s absence that even when ‘Chop returned, the team was hesitant to remove Locklear from the starting line-up. Yet another testament to the priority placed on continuity.

The offensive line is without question the most under-appreciated commodity on the football field in many fans’ eyes. But simply put, without the work they put in, the T.O.’s of the world would have no ground to stand on when it comes time for the super-agents to demand their lofty salaries. When asked to confront these charges, Drew Rosenhaus predictably requested the “next question.”

When it comes down to wins and losses, it is the guys in the trenches who do not have the luxury of taking plays off. These iron-men have to consistently produce the same amount of effort every time the ball is snapped. And as the numbers reveal, week in and week out, nobody does it better than the five men that line up in front of Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander.

“They’re consummate professionals,” Laveroni said. “That’s why they’ve been in the league as long as they have. When you look at their work habits and how consistent they play, you understand how important they are to our football team. They prepare, they plan, and they do all their homework off the field they need to do. That makes them better players on the field, and makes the guys around them better too.”

So the next time Alexander breaks a record, or Hasselbeck leads a thrilling 90-yard drive with two minutes left, don’t forget the guys that make it all possible, Seattle’s unsung supermen - Jones, Hutchinson, Tobeck, Gray and Locklear - the offensive line.

With a bullet pass that slipped through the usually sticky fingers of Bobby Engram, the 2004 season ended as one of the most bizarre and gruesomely disappointing campaigns in Seattle Seahawks history. With sixteen free agents left dangling at the power-hungry whim of an egomaniacal General Manager, and a Head Coach’s boiling frustration bubbling doubts of his future at the helm, the Seahawks entered the off-season with too many questions, and very few answers.

How could a team with so much talent consistently underwhelm in the most over-the-top fashion week after week? The 2004 Seahawks started the year as a media darling, pegged to play in the Super Bowl for the right to be called the NFL’s best. But after Engram dropped the last pass of the season and Matt Hasselbeck angrily buried his head in disgust, the Seahawks had once again provided the media pundits with enough material to fill out a Friar’s Club Roast.

Something had to change, and it had to come from the top. Fourteen days into the new year, Paul Allen finally signed the divorce papers that ended one of the most bitter General Manager/Head Coach marriages Seattle has ever seen, rebuffing Bob Whitsitt and sticking with Mike Holmgren, who he brought in six years earlier to finally slay the franchise’s melancholy moniker: “Same Old Seahawks.”

When it was announced that the Seahawks had found their new Team President in Tim Ruskell, many fans were left wondering just who he was, and what, if anything, he could bring to the table, especially so late in the off-season process. The hiring came after the NFL combine had already began, and Ruskell was saddled with an exhaustive list of housekeeping projects that required his immediate attention.

Sitting in front of a packed room of strangers thirsty for their first taste of Allen’s new right-hand man, Ruskell assured the media and the city that he had already begun focusing his energy toward fixing the underlying problems that haunted the Seahawks during Whitsitt’s reign.

“I believe one of the keys that doesn't get talked about enough is unifying. People working together where there are no walls, where there are no agendas, where everybody has a common focus on the goal, and that's winning.”

With that simple statement, delivered with the confidence of a man who had been there and done that, Ruskell brought to the forefront the heart of the issue.

In this new NFL, where parity sets the game apart from all other major professional sports, an emphasis on organizational chemistry had suddenly become an integral aspect of a team’s success or failure.

At midseason, the Seahawks are well into Ruskell’s tenure as the head of the franchise, and so far they have impressed. At 6 – 2, first place in the NFC West, and a win away from a stranglehold on the team’s third playoff appearance in as many years, the Seahawks have once again set the table for a promising campaign. Skeptics maintain, however, that the team’s early season success on the field is nothing new, and that how they finish is where Ruskell will truly earn his stripes.

In 1999 Holmgren’s squad started off 8 – 2, only to limp to the finish line and flame out with an embarrassing loss to Miami in the first round of the playoffs. In 2004, the collapses came a game at a time, as strong performances in opening quarters more often than not led to colossal failures in the latter stages of the more than one contest.

The question then remains, how will Ruskell’s version of the Seahawks compete in the second half of the season? Will they squander another healthy divisional lead, only to succumb to the Rams as the postseason nears? Or will this team start to exhibit the characteristics o####roup that knows how to finish, and consistently perform to expectations?

Early returns have been positive, with blow-out wins over inferior competition, and a never-say-die attitude that vaulted them over the Cowboys in a week 7 game they had no business winning.

We have been fooled before, but then again, this is the first year under the “Ruskell Plan.” In order to decipher whether or not this team is a legitimate contender or another disappointing pretender, perhaps a closer look at the inner-workings of Ruskell’s philosophies, and how they have translated on the field thus far, will help to reveal the bigger picture, and what it means for the season’s second half.

The Ruskell Plan

“We need players; coaches; administrators and support staff personnel who love the game of football and who are committed to working toward a common goal, which is winning the Super Bowl.” (Ruskell)

In parting ways with Bob Whitsitt, Paul Allen took the initial step in making this a reality. Stories of Whitsitt’s tyranny spread through the Seattle media like wildfire after he was dismissed. One Seattle Times article quoted an unnamed source within the front office lambasting Whitsitt’s regime as the “worst-run office for marketing I’ve ever seen,” and one that created an “us vs. them mentality.” The source went on to say, “Everything was hard there. Life was just hard.”

Although Mike Holmgren would never admit it publicly, his caustic relationship with Whitsitt had clearly worn on him, and had it not been for Allen’s decision, 2004 could have been Holmgren’s last in the NFL altogether.

After a particularly deflating defeat to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night football, Holmgren was beginning to show the wear.

“This one's hard. I'll be honest with you guys. And I've told you, the longer I'm at this, the harder it is.”

A decidedly different tone emanated from Holmgren’s lips a year later after defeating the Cowboys in a similar come-from-behind fashion that cost them a win a year ago.

“I am happy for everybody that they can get excited about what is happening.”

The good vibes trickling down from the top has had an effect on the players as well. In one of Mack Strong’s weekly reports from the team’s website he explained the difference in this team from a year ago.

“Going through the off-season, I thought a lot about what the difference was between us and the teams that have been competing in the Super Bowl. Athletically, we’re no different. Scheme-wise, we’re no different. So, that means the missing ingredient, for the most part, has to be mental.”

From day one, Ruskell has filled Seahawks headquarters with personnel that reflect his values as Team President. The focus, as Allen explained in introducing Ruskell, had to be brought back to the game of football.

“We believe Tim will solidify the football culture of the Seahawks."

In Ruskell, Allen found his “football guy,” and ever since, from coaches to players, all the distractions have been eliminated, leaving nothing left but a concentrated effort to win football games.

"I know Coach Holmgren has been wanting to find this for a long time," Linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski explained during training camp. "Him having Tim Ruskell here, he finally has the right mix of front office people who know the kind of players you have to have to bring a championship ... not necessarily the most talented guys, but guys willing to sell out for the team."

“We will look at the character of this team. We want players who are not only good team players; but good citizens. We will concentrate on bringing in high character players whether it is through free agency or the draft. Leaders have to emerge to help guide this team on a sure and steady march to greatness. We will build this team around players who want to be here and who want to win... no matter what it takes.” (Ruskell)

After Koren Robinson was suspended last season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, Holmgren stood beside the troubled receiver.

“The football environment in many cases is the healthiest environment for the player,” Holmgren said. “I’m glad we can keep him around.”

Despite Robinson’s repeated failures both on the field and off, Holmgren remained steadfast.

“You know what? I love the guy. I guess I have a weakness for him or something.”

Holmgren continuously went to bat for Robinson, but that fact remained that dealing with all the off-the-field issues began to take an effect on both the team and Robinson himself.

In 2004, Robinson started 8 games, catching 31 passes for 495 yards and a miniscule 2 touchdowns. His tendency to drop balls not only affected his performance, but Matt Hasselbeck’s as well.

In the off-season, Tim Ruskell brought in Joe Jurevicious. In only 5 starts, the lanky receiver has hauled in 29 catches for 354 yards. More impressively, Jurevicious has accounted for 5 touchdowns.

While Robinson was known for his ability to spread the field with his speed and rack up big yards with every catch, it is Jurevicious who has produced large amounts of yards at key moments.

In a pivotal game against the St. Louis Rams earlier this season, Jurevicious caught a pass and lumbered for a 52 yard gain. Robinson’s longest catch of 2004 only amounted to 33 yards.

In half a season, Jurevicious has caught 5 passes for 20 yards or more. Even more importantly, he has brought a veteran leadership to a receiving corps that was constantly berated for its inability to simply catch the ball, much less provide Hasselbeck with the weapons needed to successfully run the complicated West Coast offense.

Jurevicious has displayed the characteristics that Tim Ruskell covets. He is a high-character guy who has already played in two Super Bowls, winning one.

Deciphering the dichotomy between a player like Robinson, and one like Jurevicious, is exactly the realm where Ruskell excels. He values football players as people rather than commodities, and so far Jurevicious’ production has proven vital, especially considering the injury problems currently plaguing the team’s starting wide-outs.

“Defense is about the attitude. That's a big part of what we're trying to do, bring some guys in that have that attitude, have that character about them. That will improve the defense, even though it might not be a marquee guy that you're bringing in.” (Ruskell)

Defense. A word that Tim Ruskell is abundantly familiar with after helping to create one of the most dominant defensive units in NFL history at Tampa Bay in 2002. Last season, his first with Atlanta, he and General Manager Rich McKay constructed a defense that lead the Falcons all the way to the NFC championship.

Upon his arrival in the Emerald City, McKay was quick to point out Ruskell’s ability to find great players.

"If there are 50 great evaluators of talent in the NFL, I believe Tim is in the top five," McKay said.

In an interview with NFL Network during training camp, Ruskell explained how he has become so successful at evaluating talent.

“We will look at every film, every practice, every game situation in terms of the series, and give all these guys that are working so hard a fair shot to make this roster.”

During training camp Ruskell was present at every practice. He then reviewed film of every play, and related his findings to the coaching staff. He has continued his tireless research throughout the season, not hesitating to pick up free agents when they are needed. Every week the team holds tryouts for perspective players. He is always cognizant of who is available and brings them in to see what they can do in person.

“You want to see how people are working, how their communicating at their various positions. Obviously, when you get a drill that’s live, (you want to see) how they measure up, and then do that day after day after day, you get some kind of feel for just where their going in terms of making this team,” Ruskell said during camp.

That type of support is something that Holmgren was devoid of during Whitsitt’s tenure, and proved to be highly successful when he was teamed with General Manager Ron Wolf in Green Bay.

Ruskell’s ability to successfully tinker with the roster not only allows the team to be at optimum depth, but also serves positively with locker-room chemistry. Ruskell quickly dispatched with a number of Seattle mainstays in the off-season, and again in the preseason.

While critics bemoaned the departure of players like Anthony Simmons, Rashad Moore and Antonio Chochran, getting rid of guys with negative attitudes has helped in developing a winning culture.

“The feeling I get in that locker-room is different, on the airplane it is different, they are having fun. The cynics aren’t around anymore. The guy in the locker-room that says don’t listen, that is just the coach talking. Or the guy telling guys he is getting screwed on his contract,” Holmgren explained earlier in the year.

“Philosophically; regarding the build and makeup of our defense; we have quality young players in our secondary, but we really have to start paying more attention to our front seven. We have to solidify our front and get more pressure on the quarterback. When you get that taken care of, everyone behind them gets better. We will continue to strengthen our team, particularly the cornerback and linebacker position, through free agency and the draft. There are several quality free agents available, and this year's draft will present young, fast, and quality talent. We're not going to be void at either position.” (Ruskell)

Following the draft, John Clayton of ESPN offered some insight into the Seahawks war room strategy, “The Seahawks had the 23rd pick. They offered packages including third and fourth-round choices. Washington wouldn't give up the ninth pick unless Seattle kicked up its offer to include a second-rounder. The Seahawks refused."

When the Seahawks moved up in the second round to select linebacker Lofa Tatupu, the pick was instantly labeled a “reach” by the talking heads. However, the selection was the first indication that Tim Ruskell was putting his philosophy into action.

By not giving up their second round pick to Washington and then moving up during the round, it became obvious that Tatupu was the player the Seahawks had hand-picked to lead their defense in the future.

“The first time I met him, I had already studied him on film,” Holmgren admitted during a press conference, “You'd look at the film and you'd go, 'He's really good. I would like him on my team.'”

After Holmgren had a chance to watch Tatupu in mini-camps he lavished praise on the rookie, something he has been hesitant to do in the past.

“He is really a heads up player. What it takes away a little bit from is how good he is physically. I think we really got one there. I do.”

Tatupu is the centerpiece of Ruskell’s new defense. He is the walking embodiment of “young, fast, quality talent.” As a rookie he leads the team in tackles with 52, an honor Marcus Trufant, a cornerback, boasted a year ago.

Seattle has a long past of rotating middle linebackers. By drafting Tatupu, a player who has a reputation of winning at the highest levels in college, Ruskell and the Seahawks had instantly remedied a nagging shortcoming that had haunted them for the entirety of the Holmgren regime.

But to truly get a sense of what Ruskell has done with the Seahawks defense, you have to look at the numbers. They tell an impressive story, especially for a team that has struggled for so long at stopping opposing offenses.

Ruskell made it a point to explain that in order for the defense as a whole to get better, improvements had to be made in the front seven.

At the midway point of the season, the Seahawks are second in the NFL with 27 sacks, one behind league leader Indianapolis. You’ve heard of John Abraham, Dwight Freeney, Bertrand Berry, Simeon Rice and Michael Strahan. But one of Ruskell’s initial free agent additions, Bryce Fisher, tops all of those big-name sack artists and is tied for 4th in the league with 7 sacks. Of the 27 sacks the team has produced, 18.5 (69%), have come from Ruskell additions.

In fact, Ruskell’s additions have accounted for 60% of the team’s tackles, and 37% of the team’s interceptions. The success of this year’s defensive additions becomes increasingly impressive when they are compared to the 2004 cast-offs, and what they are accomplishing elsewhere.

Bryce Fisher, brought in to replace Chike Okeafor, has 30 tackles, 7 sacks, and 3 passes defended. Okeafor, now with the 2 – 6 Arizona Cardinals has amassed 30 tackles, but only 3.5 sacks, and no passes knocked down.

Kelly Herndon and Andre Dyson were brought in after Carolina lured Ken Lucas away with an astronomical amount of money, well over-paying for his services based on his production during his initial years in the league with Seattle.

Herndon is out-producing Lucas all by himself, but since Seattle paid for both defensive backs with what Lucas would have cost, combining their numbers seems appropriate. Together, Herndon and Dyson have compiled 54 tackles, 11 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. Lucas has 28 tackles, 7 passes defended, and two picks.

Although Lofa Tatupu is not technically a free agent addition, he was brought in to replace a void created when Orlando Huff sought out greener pastures in Arizona with Okeafor. While Tatupu has racked up 52 tackles, 2 sacks and an interception, Huff has only managed 27 tackles and just one sack.

The numbers speak for themselves.

“I am excited about the next 30 days as we work together to upgrade our team. This is a good team that can play better! We all need to raise our standards and expectations to a higher level and losing has got to be unacceptable. My 20 years in football have taught me many things, and I promise you this...we'll get after it...on and off the field!” (Ruskell)

Since Tim Ruskell has joined the Seahawks as its President, he has set forth a plan, and has followed it word for word. His impact in the front office, the locker-room, and on the field has paid dividends so far, and represents a certain amount of hope that the team’s early season success will in fact translate to the second half.

Perhaps Mack Strong sums up Ruskell’s vision for the Seattle Seahawks the best.

“I believe we’ve grown to the point where we expect to win, and I can’t say we’ve had that attitude on this team for a while. A big part of success is being in tight games in the