Could it possibly be? Can
our Seahawks be imitating Lazarus and be returning from the dead? It sure looked
like it Sunday in Minnesota against a pretty good Vikings team that few people
actually gave us a chance to beat. We could have rolled over when we went down
10 early. But no, we scratched and clawed our way back and stood toe to toe
with the Vikings.
We proved for one week
anyway that we still have a pulse.
We could have rolled over
when we didn’t try to kick a 51 yard field goal choosing instead to punt
the ball into the end zone which allowed the Vikings to quickly grab the momentum
back. But no, one of our good young rookies, Niko Koutouvides busted through
the line which caused the back to hesitate which helped cause the fumble which
lead to the eventual final score.
We still had a pulse.
We could have rolled over
when the Vikings were driving the ball right down our throats in the final 3
minutes to take a lead and probably win the game but no, our fantastic rookie
Michael Boulware came out of nowhere and snagged an interception.
We still had a pulse.
We could have done what
we normally do in a tight game with under 2 minutes left and desperately needing
a first down to solidify a victory, and get ultra-conservative and just pound
the ball up the middle for a yard but no, coach Holmgren actually made a gutsy
call and Matt Hasselbeck put the ball right on the money to a streaking Darrell
Jackson for a huge gain and much better field position.
We still had a pulse.
And lastly, we could have
rolled over when Minnesota made their final drive with just seconds to play
and only 25 yards away from victory but no, Antonio Cochran came up huge with
a sack, (which wasn’t called) and Marcus Trufant deflected the final desperation
pass to ensure a victory that few people gave any chance of having.
There’s that pulse
thing again.
So what does all of this
mean? Is everything all peachy keen again?
Personally, this victory
gave me a jolt of hope and excitement for the last 3 games of the season. If
we play with the kind of passion and determination that we did against the Vikings
then we’ll be just fine. We can’t afford any slip-ups along the
way so keeping this momentum is crucial to our playoff hopes.
Some “Extra Points”
from the Vikings game:
Matt Hasselbeck seems to
be back. The guy has played very well for the past two weeks and appears to
have regained his confidence again. It couldn’t have come at a better
time for our Seahawks. We need his leadership and ability if we’re going
to reach the playoffs.
I think that Darrell Jackson
deserves some special accolades for the game he played under such incredibly
tough circumstances. To be that focused and determined with all that he and
his family had just gone through says a lot about the man. He played with great
courage and was instrumental in this victory.
Shaun Alexander continues
to have a terrific season. He’s still running harder than he’s ever
run before and is even fighting for extra yardage. He’s having a Pro Bowl
season.
Thank God we drafted Michael
Boulware. Everyone scoffed at the notion of making this college linebacker a
safety in the NFL but he’s made the transition quite easily and has saved
3 games for us with interceptions (Minnesota, Miami, and Tampa Bay). He’s
earned the right to be the starter and our defense played much better with him
in there. In my biased opinion, he’s the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Injuries continue to bite
us. We’ve lost Grant Wistrom again. I do think however, that aside from
his non-stop motor, we have guys who can just about replace his productivity.
It’s a big loss, but I don’t think it’s catastrophic. We’ll
see.
On a positive note, we
are expected to get both Chad Brown and Tracy White back this upcoming week
which will really help our defense. Having that kind of speed at the linebacker
position can do wonders for us.
How about the jobs that
Pork Chop Womack and Jerry Wunsch did for us Sunday. Both of these guys stepped
up big time and filled in very nicely when we needed them the most. It’s
great to have some solid depth for a change.
And lastly, kudos to Josh
Brown who bounced back immediately after missing what would have been a team
record 17th straight field goal and hitting 2 in a row after that. He showed
a lot of mental toughness in getting the job done.
Okay, so it’s great
to be all excited about a big win, but we still can’t lose sight of the
big picture. We still have three tough games remaining and need to win at least
2 of them, if not all of them, to guarantee a trip to the playoffs. Can we do
it? If you would have asked me this question a week ago I would have answered
‘I doubt it’. But after watching the gutsy display against the Vikings,
I would answer “I think so”. At least we still have a pulse and
as long as we’re breathing we appear to be willing to fight.
And that, my friends, is a major step in the right direction.
It’s a great time
to be a Seahawks fan. Always has been, always will be.
Micky James writes weekly for Seahawks.NET. You can reach him at teamjames4@yahoo.com.