Wild Card Weekend - Saturday 6th January 2007

They'll be hundreds of previews out there about this one so I'll just go on a short unwinding ramble.

For me it's impossible to even think about this match up without bringing to mind the games in the previous two seasons as they almost defined what it's like to be a fan of any pro sports but maybe especially the NFL.

In 2004 the Seahawks 39-43 loss on Monday night football was the ultimate mixture of highs and lows and I still really do not know how we lost the game. I do know we scored 3 TD's in the 4th quarter and then contrived to allow the Cowboys to score 2 themselves in the final two minutes. I can still remember how bad I felt when waking up the following morning. Mike Holmgren said he thought about quitting the game, I knew how he felt.

One of the reasons that we put up with the lows though is to experience the highs and the 2005 game again at Qwest Field made you realise why you bother. It was by no means a rollercoaster like the previous year, in fact with 2 minutes remaining it was 10-3 to the Cowboys and the game had been a monumental struggle in the rain. From somewhere Hasselbeck chiselled out a drive and found Rian Hannam in the endzone to level it. Parcells then went chasing the win and with 14 seconds remaining Jordan Babineaux intercepted Bledsoe and returned it to leave Josh Brown (pictured above) a 50 yard field goal to win it. Steve Raible's commentary still sends a shiver down the spine with his dramatic pause on the S of is 'The kick is up and it isssssssssssss - GOOD - THE KICK IS GOOD!!!

Thinking about it both of the above games lasted getting on for 4 hours, so with the game kicking off at 1am Sunday morning UK time then don't make any plans for Sunday.

I guess that the Seahawks will start as slight favourites given the way that Tony Romo has performed since he met Jessica Simpson with 6 TD's and 8 interceptions in December. The problem for the Seahawks is the injuries in the secondary with rookie Kelly Jennings and Safety Babineaux lining up against T.O. and Terry Glenn. There is no way we are going to be as dominant on defense as we were in last years play offs so it could be a case of keeping up with the Cowboys who tend to score plenty of points.

As well as DJ Hackett has played at WR in the absence of Darrell Jackson I'm hoping that Jackson will be fit to go against a Cowboys secondary that has hardly covered itself in glory this season. Jackson is currently listed as questionable with a fitness test scheduled for Thursday and Hackett himself also holds the same status after picking up a hip injury against Tampa. If Hackett is ready to go though there will be no worries because all he has done all season long is to catch the ball.

On the plus side for the Seahawks is the fact that Alexander and Hasselbeck have been steadily improving on their way back from injury and if we are to go any distance in the play offs we will need them both to be at or near their best.

I've always thought that Dallas RB Julius Jones has plenty of promise but he has had only a moderate season and Marion Barber might be more of a threat to break the type of big run we have given up for most of the season.

The other factor very much in the Seahawks favour is the home crowd at Qwest Field that rendered the Redskins and Panthers impotent in the 2005 play offs. I still recall the look of utter confusion on the face of the Panthers experienced QB Jake Delhomme and it will be interesting to see how the inexperienced Romo handles it. He'd better expect it to be noisy.

Other Seahawks on the injury list are Chris Gray, Leroy Hill, and Floyd Womack who are listed as questionable whilst Rocky Bernard and Nate Burleson are probable.

Marcus Trufant was listed as doubtful but Mike Holmgren confirmed on Wednesday that he will not play so it could be time for Kelly Jennings to make a name for himself.

I don't tend to go in for predicting victories in my previews and I wont start now especially as I wouldn't be surprised by any score for either team. If one thing characterises thee Seahawks and the Cowboys it has been just that "life is like a box of chocolates" unpredictability.

Of course the Seahawks hadn't even won a play off game for over 20 years prior to last season but lets hope that come the early hors of Sunday morning we are adding another W in the play off section of Seahawks history.

HawksHead

3/1/07

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