Author: Jason A. Martin Word Count: 694

Last season was a breakthrough for the Seattle Seahawks. They went all the way to the Super Bowl—still getting little respect. In the Super Bowl, they lost to the officials who had little help from a team called the Steelers. The gross display of "officiating" was well documented. As usual, nothing was done about it and the game goes on. Still stinging from the rookie officiating mistakes, the Seahawks gear up for a new season.

Quarterback

What's not to love about Matt Hasselbeck. Coach Mike Holmgren said he was special when he brought him over from Green Bay. There were ups and downs, but now Hasselbeck is a tier one QB. The backups in Seattle leave a little to be desired, but Hasselbeck has proven he's a winner—even when his star RB gets knocked out of a playoff game.

Running Back

Two words—Shaun Alexander. He's the best running back in the NFL today. Arguments can be made otherwise, but the stats don't lie. He's also a TD machine. Last season he was unstoppable. In the offseason, he was rewarded with a lucrative contract that will keep him in Seattle through his prime. He's another valuable player in this high-powered offense. He helps keep defenses honest, and he gives Matt Hasselbeck some help since defenses can't sit back and play pass.

Wide Receivers

The receiving unit is good, but not superstar quality. That really doesn't matter. The Seahawks have not had a superstar in some time, because they don't need one. Last season they proved that all they need are guys that can run good routes and catch the ball. This offense is humming along. This season they bring in Nate Burleson from Minnesota to give them a speed threat. He will be opposite Darrell Jackson. DJ is scaring fans a bit with his injury problems.

Defense and Special Teams

The defense had a great year last season, and this year will be more of the same, but better. The Seahawks defense will be faster, leaner and better this season. Already in preseason they are showing they will be the best at swarming to the ball. The defense made some key additions which included defensive back Mike Green from Chicago, linebacker Julian Peterson from San Francisco, defensive tackle Russell Davis from Arizona, defensive end Kemp Rasmussen from Carolina and defensive back Oliver Celestin from the NY Jets. The special teams unit is just above the average line as well.

2006 Prediction

The Seattle Seahawks are poised to break the Super Bowl loser slump streak. You would be hard pressed to find one true analyst that says otherwise. The Seahawks didn't sit on their team after the Super Bowl loss, they went out and made it better. Others in the NFL see the Seahawks as finishing no worse than 11-5 this season, which means another trip to the Super Bowl. It's going to take an act of God to keep them out of the playoffs.

They are primed for another Super Bowl run and the NFC, especially the West, is somewhat weak. The Seahawks are poised to be 13-3 or better this season. Their home games are must softer overall. Their tougher road games include Chicago, Kansas City, Denver and Tampa Bay. Their first real test comes in week 3 at home when they host the NY Giants. The first two weeks could be troublesome if they get caught looking ahead. In week 1, they face the Lions in Detroit and come home in week 2 to face the Arizona Cardinals.

It comes down to home field advantage. If the Seahawks get it again, they will go to the Super Bowl. Most analysts are predicting Carolina to beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and go to the Super Bowl—just like they did last season. Bottom line, Carolina or any other team needs to prove they can win in the Emerald city before they even begin to think about Super Bowl appearances.

Jason A. Martin is a journalist and copywriter for various websites. You can view more of his articles by visiting his Sports Journalist website at SportsJournalist.org. � Market Junction LLC.

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