This Week in Seahawks History: A Christmas Eve present for Seahawks fans

This Week in Seahawks History: A Christmas Eve present for Seahawks fans

This will be a weekly article series throughout the season looking back on what happened for the Seattle Seahawks 40, 30, 20, and 10 years ago this week. The big story this week is the first playoff victory EVER for the Seattle Seahawks, which happened on Christmas Eve no less. That’s followed by three straight games against the Cardinals which oddly enough has something different about the franchise for each one – you’ll see what I mean when you get there.

40 Years Ago

Saturday, December 24, 1983

Game Log

What better gift for a Seahawks fan on Christmas Eve than the first playoff win in franchise history? Before Santa Claus could make his way down the chimney, the Seahawks took the field against the Denver Broncos for the 3rd time in the 1983 season.

The Seahawks struck first on a 17-yard TD pass from Dave Krieg to Steve Largent to give them a 7-0 lead. The Broncos evened things up at 7-7 when Steve DeBerg threw a 13-yard TD to Jesse Myles. After that, the Seahawks scored 24 consecutive points to put the Broncos away. Norm Johnson kicked off the Seattle scoring run with a 37-yard FG to make the score a respectable 10-7 at halftime.

Then, the flood gates opened in the 2nd half. Pete Metzelaars caught a 5-yard TD pass from Krieg in the 3rd Quarter to extend the Seahawks lead to 17-7. Seattle put their foot on the gas in the 4th Quarter with a Paul Johns 18-yard TD catch from Krieg and a 2-yard rushing TD by David Hughes as the Seahawks ran away with the game 31-7. I bet the Seahawks and their fans really enjoyed the holiday festivities that year!

Dave Krieg was 12/13 for 200 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT for a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Curt Warner had 23 carries for 99 yards. David Hughes added 16 yards and 1 TD on 3 carries. Steve Largent had 4 catches for 76 yards and 1 TD. Paul Johns and Pete Metzelaars each had 1 receiving TD.

Gregg Johnson and Kerry Justin each had 1 INT. Sam Clancy and Kenny Easley had 1.0 sack. Paul Moyer picked up 1 FR.

30 Years Ago

Sunday, December 19, 1993

Game Log

Remember the short-lived “Phoenix Cardinals”? This was the last year before they changed the name to the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe it was too confusing to have two bird names together?

Seattle got going in the 1st Quarter, scoring the first 10 points behind a 45-yard TD run by Chris Warren and a 37-yard FG from John Kasay. Phoenix pulled within 10-7 with a 58-yard TD pass from Steve Beuerlein to Randal Hill. Seattle added 10 more points in the 2nd Quarter on a 47-yard FG from Kasay and a 1-yard TD pass from Rick Mirer to Ferrell Edmunds giving the Seahawks a comfortable 20-7 lead at halftime.

In the 2nd half, the lead became a lot less comfortable as the Cardinals scored 17 straight points to take a 24-20 lead. Beuerlein threw 2 TD passes, a 20-yarder to Gary Clark and a 16-yarder to Larry Centers. Greg Davis followed that up with a 50-yard FG. The Seahawks regained the lead at 27-24 on a Rick Mirer 1-yard TD run with 1:25 remaining in the game and it looked like they would escape with a victory until they didn’t. The Cardinals managed to overcome multiple penalties on their next drive and Greg Davis Nailed a 55-yard FG to send the game to overtime at 27-27. Phoenix got the ball in overtime and drove right down the field, sending Seattle to a 30-27 loss with a Greg Davis 41-yard game-winning FG.

Rick Mirer was 15/30 for 165 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT. He also had 5 carries for 18 yards and 1 TD. Chris Warren had 27 carries for 168 yards and 1 TD. Kelvin Martin led the Seahawks in receiving with 4 catches for 74 yards.

Robert Blackmon and Eugene Robinson each had 1 INT. Carlton Gray, Cortez Kennedy, and Michael McCrary each had 1.0 sack in the tough loss.

20 Years Ago

Sunday, December 21, 2003

Game Log

Hey look, it’s the Arizona Cardinals making their way to Seahawks Stadium in 2003! 10 years later and a different name, but they still have small beaks.

Oh, and a young Josh McCown was the starting QB for the Cardinals that day…along with an old Emmitt Smith at RB!

Seattle got the ball first and wasted no time driving right down the field with Shaun Alexander running in a 9-yard TD for the 7-0 lead. After a Cardinals punt, the Seahawks were on the move again and got down to the Arizona 1 yard line before Shaun Alexander fumbled the ball over to the Cardinals. Seattle’s defense forced a punt again and their offense got the ball back around midfield. They used that field position to their advantage and found the end zone again when Matt Hasselbeck threw a 4-yard TD pass to Maurice Morris for the 14-0 lead. Arizona answered back on their next drive with a Neil Rackers 49-yard FG to put the Cardinals on the board. Seattle marched right down the field again as Shaun Alexander scored on a 44-yard TD run to extend their lead to 21-3. After three straight punts, Seattle took over on offense. Hasselbeck injured his shoulder and had to briefly leave the game, meaning that Trent Dilfer was in at QB for Seattle. He fumbled the handoff attempt on the first play. Seattle’s defense held though, and Neil Rackers shanked the 38-yard FG attempt. On the very next play, Dilfer was still in the Christmas gift-giving mood and threw an interception. Once again, Seattle’s defense held and Neil Rackers missed another chip-shot FG, this one from 33 yards. Hasselbeck came back in to kneel the ball to send the team to the locker rooms. Good thing too because Dilfer might have given the ball away again.

The 2nd half started off with three straight punts and Seattle took over on offense. They drove near midfield, but Hasselbeck was in the giving mood this time and threw an interception. Arizona drove down to the Seattle 15 yard line and then Brandon Mitchell got a strip-sack on Josh McCown with John Randle recovering the ball. Seattle had to punt the ball back to Arizona and they made them pay with a 60-yard TD pass from McCown to Anquan Boldin to put the score at 21-10. Matt Hasselbeck was sacked on third down the next drive and injured his ankle. Seattle punted back to Arizona. The Seahawks defense stepped up and shut down McCown on 3rd and 4th down runs needing only one yard. Seattle’s offense finally woke back up with Dilfer chewing up nearly 5 minutes of clock and finding Bobby Engram for a 3-yard TD and the 28-10 lead. Arizona drove to the Seattle 22, but Lamar King ended the game with a sack. That 28-10 victory meant Seattle went 8-0 at home for the first time in franchise history.

Matt Hasselbeck was 17/24 for 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Trent Dilfer was 2/3 for 11 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, and 1 fumble. Shaun Alexander had 21 carries for 135 yards and 2 TD. Itula Mili had 6 catches for 70 yards. Bobby Engram and Maurice Morris each had 1 receiving TD.

Seattle’s defense had 8 (!!!!!!!!) sacks. Chike Okeafor and Lamar King both had 2.0 sacks each. The following players tallied 1.0 sack: Anthony Simmons, Brandon Mitchell, Rocky Bernard, and John Randle.

10 Years Ago

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Game Log

Wait, what in tarnation? The Cardinals again?? At home??? Three home games against the same team three decades in a row…that’s a very strange coincidence. In 2003, the name change was the big difference. Here, it’s the updated logo. The tiny beak carried over, thankfully.

Arizona got the ball first and drove down to the Seattle 5 yard line before Kam Chancellor picked off a Carson Palmer pass in the end zone to quell the scoring threat. Three straight punts followed, and the Cardinals took over on offense near midfield. They picked up a quick first down, but Carson Palmer threw his 2nd interception a few plays later – this one snatched out of the air by Richard Sherman. Seattle’s offense finally got going, but stalled out in the red zone and Stephen Hauschka nailed a 27-yard FG early in the 2nd Quarter for a 3-0 lead. After two punts, Arizona got the ball again on their own 4 and drove all the way to the Seattle 21 before Jay Feely tied it up at 3-3 with a 39-yard FG. Seattle punted on their next drive, but their defense gave the ball back to the offense a few plays later when Malcom Smith got in on the Palmer interception party and returned the ball to the Arizona 3. The Seahawks had 42 seconds left before halftime and two timeouts. So, naturally, they would fail to get a TD and Hauschka missed a 24-yard FG to keep the game tied at 3-3.

The 2nd half started with seven straight punts until Arizona finally broke the streak with a 46-yard FG by Feely to put the Cardinals up 6-3. The following kickoff was fumbled by Robert Turbin and recovered by Arizona. The Seahawks defense stepped up and picked off Palmer again with Sherman getting his 2nd interception of the game. Seattle had to punt it back to Arizona and they drove to the Seattle red zone before settling once again for a FG from Feely who was true from 26 yards away to extend the Cardinals lead to 9-3. Seattle’s offense finally came out of hibernation to drive all the way down the field with Russell Wilson throwing an 11-yard TD pass to Zach Miller. Hauschka missed the extra point, but there was an Arizona penalty, so he got a do-over and made it count to give Seattle the 10-9 lead halfway through the 4th Quarter. The Seahawks defense finally faltered and Carson Palmer made them pay with a 31-yard TD to Michael Floyd. They converted the two point attempt to take the 17-10 lead with 2:20 left in the game. Seattle had a chance, but Russ was intercepted on the first play to put coal in everyone’s stocking as the Seahawks lost a tough one 17-10. Good news, though…that’s the last time I’ll have to write a disappointing blurb for the 2013 Seahawks.

Russell Wilson was 11/27 for 108 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Marshawn Lynch had 18 carries for 71 yards. Jermaine Kearse led the Seahawks with 38 receiving yards on 3 catches.

Richard Sherman had 2 INT, giving him 4 in the last two games. Kam Chancellor and Malcolm Smith each had 1 INT. Bobby Wagner and Red Bryant picked up 1.0 sack apiece.