Seahawks go to their first Super Bowl!

[Timberwolf]

I hope people and the national media are impressed with the Seahawks. I hope they start knowing about them a bit. They showed that they take a backseat to no one. That's a very darn good team. They are a complete team like the Steelers. They played a very good game today. They got plays from the QB, RB, and the defense. Just a fantastic performance. Hopefully, lot of people will take note about the Seahawks. They did not win games this season for nothing. They were pretty darn good this season to win these games.

Matt Hasselbeck was simply phenomenal. He made some great throws. Made big-time plays when he had to. He just toyed with Carolina's defense today.

How about Holmgren using Seneca Wallace as a receiver as Hasselbeck threw him a TD?

Shaun Alexander recovered well from that injury he had last week. He did a great job getting the big yards and down. He is quite a player. You have to figure Seahawks will resign him. It's not just this year that he became good.

Seahawks defense was fantastic. They were very physical all game long unlike the Bears last week. They made Delhomme look like an bad QB today which is hard to do. They made the immortal Steve Smith disappear. I don't even think Smith was a factor. Their defense is very underrated. I am suprised the media does not hype their D much.

Mike Holmgren and his staff did a great job preparing his team for this game and it showed. Maybe now people will realize Seattle is a very good team. Of course, we will probably hear Steelers next week on media day and such.

Congrats to the Seahawks and thier fans (especially to my good friend, duckboy) for their first SB appearance. Well-deserved!

[Baseball Guru]

:thumbsup:

Well deserved indeed... Happy for them and their fans..

Hopefully this will be a great SB!

[Spitball67]

First of all, congrats to the Seahawks on making it to their first Super Bowl.

Second I'd like to take this chance to defend Shaun Alexander and some of the criticism he has taken recently. That he's soft, his success is the result of his line and he's not really that good, etc. Nobody gains the amount of yards or scores the number of TDs he has over the past few years without being a talented, tough RB. RB is one of if not the toughest position to play in the NFL. Those guys take a beating. Alexander has run for 7504 yards and scored 89 rushing TDs - in 5 years! It takes more than just a great offensive line to get those kinds of numbers. Alexander is as good as they come.

They used to say the same things about Emmitt Smith. In the end, he proved the haters wrong. Good to see Alexander getting a chance to get respect as well.



btw - Go Steelers!

[Tigers#1]

This should be a great game. Although I wish they were playing this week with how hot both teams are playing. And both teams are playing with a chip on their shoulder being felt disrespect by many people (R). Seattle just ran over one of the best defences in the league, and Pittsburgh beat the #1, 2, and 3 teams in the AFC, on the road. :thumbsup:

[Chisox73]

I'd like to know how and why the Seahawks are 4 point dogs to the Steelers.:confused:

[Timberwolf]

Eric: My reaction would be whatever. I am shocked they weren't 10 point underdogs considering how no one has any clue about the Seahawks. Watch Vegas makers make it a 1 point god by Friday of next week. I think Seattle will find a way to beat Pittsburgh in OT.

Kyle: I never was a fan of a bye week heading to the Super Bowl. I think they should play next week and just get it over with. I am not crazy about waiting and such.

[duckboy]

The game against Carolina was a blast. The last time I've seen Seattle this jazzed was when the Mariners beat the Yankees in the playoffs in 95. I love how a championship game brings the community together.

I was at the game on Sunday. I'm just now getting my voice back. That was an amazing experience to witness. After being a fan for so long, it's just amazing to see them advance this far.

My thoughts on the game against Pittsburgh. I don't see them shutting them down like they did against Carolina. Pittsburgh has too many facets to their offense. I see this being a game where the offenses are too strong on both sides. My prediction: Seattle 31, Pittsburgh 27.

GO HAWKS!!!!!

[Royce]

Alexander is going to run all over the Steelers. I say the Seahawks win by a touchdown or two.

[imgreat95]

royce, I realize that you dont like the Steelers, but do you realize that you just claimed that the Seahawks and Alexander are going to do something that no team has done all season long with the exception of one?? And that one team was destroyed by the Steelers two weeks ago.

[PissedPrincess]

The game against Carolina was a blast. The last time I've seen Seattle this jazzed was when the Mariners beat the Yankees in the playoffs in 95. I love how a championship game brings the community together.

I was at the game on Sunday. I'm just now getting my voice back. That was an amazing experience to witness. After being a fan for so long, it's just amazing to see them advance this far.

My thoughts on the game against Pittsburgh. I don't see them shutting them down like they did against Carolina. Pittsburgh has too many facets to their offense. I see this being a game where the offenses are too strong on both sides. My prediction: Seattle 31, Pittsburgh 27.

GO HAWKS!!!!!

That is so cool you were there. I am so PSYCHED for you Duck!!!!!!!! YOU truly deserve this.:thumbsup: BEST OF LUCK!:banana:

[rockin500]

I'd like to know how and why the Seahawks are 4 point dogs to the Steelers.:confused:
could it be because they have already beat the three other best teams in the NFL?

[Royce]

royce, I realize that you dont like the Steelers, but do you realize that you just claimed that the Seahawks and Alexander are going to do something that no team has done all season long with the exception of one?? And that one team was destroyed by the Steelers two weeks ago.


Shaun Alexander is the MVP of the league. He is nearly impossible to shut down no matter how good your defense is. He's the rushing champ, the MVP, the TD champ, and arguably the best runningback in the game. I don't care who you play, but if you're as good as him, it doesn't matter, he can tear up any defense in a matter of time. He may not have an absolute monster game but slowly, he'll amass over 100 yards in the game. He tore up Carolina's above average defense and I'm not sure he won't do the same against Pittsburgh. And with being as effective as he is he'll open up PA passes and the long ball with the safeties trying to cheat up and stop the run.

I don't really hate the Steelers at all, I just don't like them. Why would a Dolphins/Giants fan hate the Steelers, they're not exactly rivals.

And if one team can do it, why can't another.

[rockin500]

he didnt tear up washington's defense. they tore him up. :)

[Durango53]

Shaun Alexander is the MVP of the league. He is nearly impossible to shut down no matter how good your defense is.

78 yards vs the Jags
61 yards vs the Cowboys
49 yards vs the eagels


Any player can be shutdown in the NFL. That is called making the other players on the team beat you. It is up to the Steelers on how they are going to play the Seahawks. If the want they can shut down Alexander and force the throwing game to beat them.

It is all the kind of game plan a team wants to put together.

[Royce]

Oh my god, wow, three times he got contained? 78 yards is not a bad day either, I'm sure he had a TD or two to go with it. And did his teams win those games? All but one, if those 78 yards are actually referring to the 73 yards that he really did have vs. Jacksonville, in the first week of the season. The game he had 49 yards is when the Seahawks won 42-0!!! Why would he need to be in the game and risk getting him injured, it makes no sense. When he had 61 yards, guess what, they STILL won.

You make it sound like teams just choose not to try and stop him. That's absolute crap. Everyone that plays Seattle schemes their defense around stopping Shaun. Why would you not? It is a priority of every team to essentially stop the run, because if the running game is going, the passing game usually opens up.

If you're going to go by 3 games, then he doesn't have a great game 19% of all of his games, not including the playoffs.

[imgreat95]

My biggest question still remains, though... how do you figure the Seahawks are going to be able to do something that no team has done all season long and beat the Steelers by 2 touchdowns?

[Royce]

I figure that because Shaun Alexander is the BEST RUNNING BACK IN THE LEAGUE. Put whoever you want on Michael Jordan, he's still gonna score.

I guess it's herecy to imply that the Steelers might lose. I'm sorry.

[Royce]

The Seahawks have the second best offense in the league, by YGP. They average 153.6 rushing yards a game. The Steelers allow 85.5. Based on averages, the Seahawks will have 120ish yards on the ground.

[imgreat95]

dude, I have never said that the Seahawks couldnt win. I think they have a chance. What I am trying to figure out though is how you figure the Seahawks are such an amazing team that everyone has noticed can do what NO team has done all season long? The Steelers went against a former MVP this season... they went against a pretty damn good running back each of the past 3 weeks... The Broncos two headed attack is actually the best running back in the league, and we shut them down. WHat makes you think that they can not do the same to Alexander?

Your law of averages logic is so freaking faulty it is not even funny. By your logic, lets see.. the Steelers are running for 138 per game... the Seahawks are giving up 94 per game... so the Steelers should run for about 116. WHich completely cancels out the 120 gained by the Hawks. Is that how things work now? Damn.. I better get to seeing who is going to pass for more yards since we all got the memo this week stating that the winner of the game was going to be determined based on who gains the most yards. I better call Coach Cowher and make sure he is aware of that in case no one has told him yet.

[Royce]

I never said anything about the Steelers offense, I was talking only about Alexander vs. their defense.

Guess what, your guess is as good as mine as to what will happen come gameday. All I did is make a prediction...sheesh..

[Royce]

HAHAHA @ Bell and Anderson being the best runningback/running game in the league. I find that hillarious. I guess the Dolphins should be in the Superbowl then because they shut them down.

BTW, I don't if you realized, but it's not usually effective running the ball when your down by 3 TD's in the first half.

[imgreat95]

im talking about if you stack the numbers up, then yes... They ARE the best "running back" this season. They combined for just short of 2000 yards taking turns running the ball.

I realize that you were not talking about the Steelers offense, but that does not mean i cant bring it up, because I believe that it refutes your "2 or more TDs because Alexander will run for 120 yards" theory. If the Steelers are running the ball just as well as the Seahawks are, doesnt that make the score a tie?? WHat it then comes down to is who throws the ball better and a special teams game.

I will be honest, I have no seen enough Seahawks games t his s eason to really know what they are all about. Later in the week, I am getting 4 of their games sent to me in the mail so i can sit down and see what they have. I HAVE, however, seen enough Steelers games to know what they do and do not do well. One thing that they do GREAT is stop the run. The Seahawks are going to have to be able to throw the ball in order to open up the running game. I am not sure that they can do that.

You dont make it to the SuperBowl by accidently going 14-2. The Seahawks are a good team, and they may very well be able to pull out a win. HOWEVER, I will eat my shorts if they win by 2 TDs or more.

[Durango53]

Royce teams do game plan around him. It comes down to making the passing game beat them. So that is why the Seahawks have done so well this year. There passing game has been very solid. Last few years the Seahawks passing game has been very bad. So teams just stop Shawn. I think Shawn is one of the best in the game and is a FA this year and hope like hell the Vikings make a run at him.
Now this year same thing. Teams gear up to stop Shawn. But this year the passing game comes together for the Seahawks. So the Seahawks start to pass and pass well. So that makes the team back up the Linebackers and safties to help stop the passing game which then gives more room for the running game.

[Royce]

I said a TD or 2, not more then two. I think it should be a close game. I just think the Seahawks win.

And no, if you go by the stats, the best running game belongs to the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos had 82 more yards then the Seahawks, on 23 more carries. They're about even, in terms of YPC.

[Durango53]

The Seahawks are going to have to be able to throw the ball in order to open up the running game. I am not sure that they can do that.

That right there Royce is what we are saying.....

Kind of like in high school. Our coach said NO one is going to run on us. We put everyone in the box and our fastest guys out on the WR just to keep up and knock down balls.

No one did run on us. Even the state record holder for most yards. But damm we won about 5 games in my 3 years and that was because teams did pass on us and our coach was just stuck on stopping the run.

[Royce]

Royce teams do game plan around him.


Now this year same thing. Teams gear up to stop Shawn. But this year the passing game comes together for the Seahawks. So the Seahawks start to pass and pass well. So that makes the team back up the Linebackers and safties to help stop the passing game which then gives more room for the running game.


That makes no sense. Stopping Shaun Alexander is your first key to success in beating the Seattle Seahawks.

[imgreat95]

i was not talking about the top running GAME... I was referring to the top running BACK.

[Royce]

Do you understand how different the High School game of football is different then the NFL?

The Seahawks are primarily a running team. They always establish it. Then they can pass when they have proven they can run the ball.

[Royce]

Two people don't count as a runningback, so that's a worthless stat.

Thats like saying that Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer are more valuable then Steve Smith because they have more receiving yards (just an example, I don't know if it's true).

[imgreat95]

That makes no sense. Stopping Shaun Alexander is your first key to success in beating the Seattle Seahawks.

That makes PERFECT sense. That is how football works... Teams use the run to bring the safeties up into the box... and then pass on them... They also use the pass to drop the safeties back so that they can run. It goes back and forth like that several times throughout a game. Its called football. That is the way it is played.

Often times in the past, the Steelers would come out r unning the ball... it would appear t hat they were having little to no success because they were not moving the ball, but then the safeties would start to cheat up to stop the run since teams K NEW we were going to run the ball. That is when you pass.. then we would s uddenly be finishing the game with 170 yards on the ground because the safeties and linebackers were playing further off of the line in order to protect against the pass. Its Basic Football 101.

[imgreat95]

Two people don't count as a runningback, so that's a worthless stat.

Thats like saying that Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer are more valuable then Steve Smith because they have more receiving yards (just an example, I don't know if it's true).

Not even close. Toomer and Burress are on the field at the same time. Anderson and Bell are not. It would be comparable to saying that a team has the best closer if they have one guy with 32 saves and another guy with 29. They are playing the same position, but are never on the field at the same time. If not for the presence of Bell, Anderson would have had nearly twice as many carries and most likely nearly twice as many yards. Theirs is a unique situation. It is not e ven CLOSE to being two wide receivers who play opposite of each other.

[Royce]

Oh sorry, lmao, I know that's how football works, but the Seahawks use the run to set up the pass, IMO. I totally read the second part of Durango's post wrong. Sorry. Forget what I said to that.

[Royce]

Yeah...but I'm saying, doesn't it make sense for 2 guys to have more rushing yards then one guy? Assuming that they don't absolutely suck.

[Maldonado]

"The last time I've seen Seattle this jazzed was when the Mariners beat the Yankees in the playoffs in 95. "

I lived in Seattle at the time and have been a Mariners fan since. I wish I could be there to take in the atmosphere for the Seahawks. I think it will be a close game but the 'Hawks are a better team and will win.

[imgreat95]

I understand what you are thinking... .and yeah... but I dont think that you understand what I am saying. Anderson and Bell were two part time players who fulfilled the same position. Lets say that Alexander was to carry the ball 30 times in a game for 120 yards. Pretty good day for your top running back.
Lets then say that Anderson carries the ball 20 times for 90 yards... and Bell carries it 10 times for 50 yards. You have the same 30 carries, but many more yards. That is what Denver was doing to teams this season. I then consider Bell and Anderson to be a two headed running back because they are carrying the same load that a single back on another team does. You get what I am saying?

[Royce]

Yes, I understand. But I still don't think they add up to the potential force that Alexander presents. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have to stop Bell/Anderson then Shaun, jmo.

[imgreat95]

i would rather not have to stop any of them. haha... .I am definitely not syaing that either of them single and by themselves is a bigger force than what Alexander is. I was simply using that as a way of pointing out how misleading numbers can be and how your law of averages comparison doesnt really work.

[Durango53]

That makes no sense. Stopping Shaun Alexander is your first key to success in beating the Seattle Seahawks.
Royce take a deep breath......

I did say that. I did say that teams gear up to stop Alexander.

But the Seahawks have had a great year passing the ball and that is what lead to them being where they are and Shawn having a good year.