Sequel in Seattle?

As I made clear yesterday, three of the NFC's preseason heavyweights--Carolina, Atlanta, and New York--currently find themselves in the midst of season-killing meltdowns, each seemingly unable to forge a consistent identity. Without a doubt, numerous folks stand to benefit from this plague: division leaders Dallas and New Orleans, who now effectively control their own destinies; 5-6 teams such as the 49ers and Eagles, who now have reason to believe that wild card spots lay within reach; and wanna-be pundits such as myself, who now have a host of targets at which to fire. Who, though, is the biggest potential reward-reaper of all? Answer: the newly healthy (and defending NFC champion) Seattle Seahawks.

Due largely to a slew of key injuries, Mike Holmgren's 7-4 team has practically flown under the mainstream radar. Most NFC-related coverage, for that matter, has focused on the previously mentioned struggling teams; Super Bowl talk, when it does peek its head from beneath the cloud of disappointment, generally centers around either the defense-will-win-it Bears or the newly resurgent Cowboys and their substitute-turned-savior, Tony Romo. Clearly, the quiet, left-coast Seahawks sit in an advantageous position.

First, let's consider their remaining schedule. They still have games left against Arizona, San Francisco, and Tampa Bay, all of whom are inferior opponents. They face the increasingly sexy Chargers on Christmas Eve in Seattle, where the Seahawks have lost only once all season (Week 7 against Minnesota, the game in which Hasselbeck was injured). The only other difficult game that Seattle has left is next week's Sunday-night showdown at Mile High--and a win there isn't unthinkable, considering that the Broncos will be starting Jay Cutler, a rookie, at quarterback. Thus, the Seahawks could realistically finish the year at 11-5, which may well be good enough to earn the NFC's #2 seed. (The Bears, with five should-win's left on their schedule, should retain the #1 seed rather easily, unless they utterly collapse.)

More important than the schedule is the recent return to health of Seattle's two most important players, QB Matt Hasselbeck and reigning NFL MVP Shaun Alexander. Hasselbeck, who admittedly was not playing his best football before getting hurt, nonetheless delivered strong performances in key early-season wins against the Giants and Rams. Having established himself as one of the league's most reliable field generals, his return will certainly catalyse the whole of the Seattle organization.

Similarly, Shaun Alexander's return is a much-welcomed gift for the Seahawks. Although he struggled in the early part of the season, Alexander seemingly discovered his edge on Monday night, carrying the ball 40 times for 201 yards in a win over Green Bay. That being said, his return to the lineup serves as more than a mere statistical jolt. Alexander, much like Hasselbeck, lends the Seattle offense a measure of trust and confidence. He has repeatedly shown his ability to carry the offensive load (20-30 times per game), and everyone around him will surely feel more confident now that they can operate with a renewed sense of balance.

If this all sounds a bit silly to you, you need only step back and look at the overall NFC picture. Assuming (albeit optimistically) that the Bears maintain the #1 seed and the Seahawks earn the #2 spot... who is capable of going to Qwest Field and leaving with a win? The Giants? (Riiight.) The Falcons? (Hardly.) The Saints? (Maybe... if they can manage, for once, to score 35 points and not surrender 42.) The Cowboys? (Yes, they are the red-hot media darlings of the moment, and perhaps deservedly so. But before we crown them champions, let's see Tony Romo go into the hostile environs of Seattle and perform in the clutch.)

Even if the Seahawks are able to jump all these (manageable) hurdles and make it to the NFC title game, presumably in Chicago, they will still have their work cut out for them. Remember, though, that they defeated an incredibly talented Carolina team to reach the Super Bowl last season. Moreover, disrupting Rex Grossman and the frequently invisible Chicago offense appears to be a relatively easy undertaking; 17 points may be enough to beat the Bears.

Obviously, this scenario is by no means a done deal--it's simply one of numerous possibilities in the up-for-grabs NFC. The Panthers could yet turn things around; Eli and his Giants may soon right their ship; perhaps the Bears will prove us all wrong. Until these things happen, though, watch for the Seattle Seahawks to mount another quiet charge.