Week 1 - Sunday 10th September 2006

I think it is fair to say that when the Seahawks were trooping off Ford Field, at the end of Superbowl XL, following our bitterest and most controversial defeat in franchise history, no-one expected to be going back there quite so soon.

That the NFL chose to make it our first game of the 2006 season certainly raised some eyebrows at the time but I'm looking on it very much as a chance to exorcise a few demons.

I must admit to not being a student of the Stadiums of the NFL but in the 2 week wait for the Superbowl I sure found out a lot about Ford Field

The above link will give you more details, if you still need them, but in a nutshell the Stadium was opened in 2002 and the Seahawks have never played a fairly officiated game there. OK I figured I'm allowed one reference per season and that was it!

The Seahawks don't have a long history with the Lions but Mike Holmgren will certainly remember them for inflicting a 28-20 defeat at the Kingdome in his first game as coach in 1999.

Since then there has been one other meeting in 2003, also in Seattle, when the Seahawks won relatively easily 35-14 with Matt Hasselbeck opening the scoring (pictured above) with a 4 yard run. The game was also notable for a Bobby Engram 84 yard punt return for a TD. If the Seahawks have returned a punt for 6 points since that game then I don't remember it!

So what can we expect from the Detroit Lions in 2006?

Coming off a 5-11 season in 2005 there have been changes. Coach Steve Mariucci was relieved of his duties in the later part of the season and they also parted company with QB Joey Harrington.

The Head Coach position has been filled by Rod Marinelli who built up the formidable defensive line of the Bucs and latterly also worked as assistant head coach in Tampa. We would do well to expect an improved Lions defense albeit he is no longer working with the likes of Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice.

At QB the Lions had persevered with Joey Harrington for a number of years, and I always had him down as someone who would do better with a decent O-Line, but even if that was true he never quite came close to justifying the faith that the Lions had in him. After 4 years of trying to develop the 3rd pick in the 2002 draft the Lions have gone with a throwback to the 1999 game referred to above.

Of course John Kitna was the Seahawks starting Quarterback 7 years ago and after a spell with the Bengals where he nursed along Carson Palmer he has landed with the Lions and held off former Cardinal Josh McCown to be named starter. I'm thinking solid if unspectacular and hopefully the Seahawks D can give him a lesson or two in how to scramble.

There will be another familiar figure in the Lions offense albeit on the sideline as we renew our rivalry with former Rams coach Mike Martz, now the Lions Offensive co-ordinator. Victory over Martz in any capacity is a thing to be savoured as far as I'm concerned.

So what of the Seahawks? Despite a high profile departure or two the nucleus of the Superbowl team remains very much intact. I guess an optimist says that the additions of Julian Peterson and Nate Burleson are worth more than the losses of over-rated Guard Steve Hutchinson and Joe Jurevicius whilst a pessimist takes the opposite view. Certainly the national media are no longer guilty of showing a lack of respect to the Seahawks with both FOX and ESPN having the Seahawks atop their pre-season power rankings, although, it has to be said on the respect front that, FOX are still using the logo we dropped 4 years ago!

The potential weakness as the season opens is on the WR/TE front with Darrell Jackson not having practised or played in any of the pre-season games, nursing his knee following more off-season surgery and Jerramy Stevens out until October. Also the secondary doesn't look quite as strong as it might although it will be good to see the return of Ken Hamlin at Free Safety. However the Seahawks Defensive line and Linebackers are looking stronger than last season so hopefully the secondary will be able to chat about the weather.

As ever, the game will be followed live in our exclusive Seahawkers UK chat room (no jeans or trainers please) where the properly attired are more than welcome.

Whilst there we like to listen to the radio coverage from the States www.thegamelive.com in the past the top link has been reliable.

Good luck to the Hawks for the 2006 season.

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