History of the Seattle Seahawks
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This article details the history of the Seattle Seahawks American Football Club.
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[edit] Overview
On June 15, 1972 Seattle Professional Football Inc., a group of Seattle business and community leaders, announced its intention to acquire an NFL franchise for the city of Seattle, WA.[1] Almost 2 years later on June 4, 1974, the NFL awarded the group an expansion franchise. On December 5, 1974, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced the official signing of the franchise agreement by Lloyd W. Nordstrom, representing the Nordstrom family as majority partners for the consortium. Sadly, Lloyd would die of a heart attack on January 20, 1976, just months before the Seahawks played their first game.[2]
On March 5, 1975 John Thompson, a former University of Washington executive, was hired as the general manager of the yet-unnamed team. The name Seattle Seahawks was selected on June 17, 1975 after a public naming contest which drew more than 20,000 entries and over 1,700 different names. Thompson recruited and hired Jack Patera, a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach, to be the first head coach of the new team. Patera was introduced as the new head coach at a press conference on January 3, 1976. The expansion draft was held March 30 through the 31, 1976, with Seattle and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alternating picks for 39 rounds selecting unprotected players from the other 26 teams in the league.[3] The Seahawks were awarded the 2nd overall pick in the 1976 draft, a pick they used on defensive tackle Steve Niehaus. The team took the field for the first time on August 1, 1976 in a pre-season game against the San Francisco 49ers in the then brand new Kingdome.
The Seahawks are the only NFL team to switch conferences twice in the post-merger era. The franchise began play in 1976 in the NFC West division but switched conferences with the Buccaneers after one season and joined the AFC West. This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan, so that both expansion teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons. In 2002, the Seahawks were returned to the NFC West as part of an NFL realignment plan that gave each conference four balanced divisions of four teams each. This realignment restored the AFC West to its initial post-merger roster of original AFL teams Denver, San Diego, Kansas City and Oakland.
Seattle has won five division titles in their franchise history: the 1988 and 1999 AFC West titles, and the 2004, 2005, and 2006 NFC West titles. They have won the NFC Championship Game once in 2005, and lost the AFC Championship Game once in 1983. Prior to 2005 Seattle had the longest drought of playoff victories of any NFL team, dating back to the 1984 season. That drought was ended with a 20-10 win over the Washington Redskins in the 2005 playoffs. The all-time Seahawks playoff record is (6-9).
[edit] The Cinderella years (1976-1979)
The Seahawks had their biggest "win" before ever taking the field for a regular season game. On August 26, 1976 the Seahawks traded an eighth round pick in 1977 to the Houston Oilers for Steve Largent. The franchise's first win came on October 17 when they beat their expansion brethren Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13-10 at Tampa Bay. On November 7 they won their first game at home, 30-13 over the Atlanta Falcons. Those were the lone victories in an inaugural 2-12 season. However, the exciting play of Jim Zorn and Largent served notice of the entertainment to come.
The Seahawks hosted the 1977 Pro Bowl in the Kingdome on January 17, 1977, and a sellout crowd of 63,214 saw the AFC beat the NFC 24-14. It was the first sellout in Pro Bowl history.
In a reversal of the cunning that brought them Largent, the Seahawks traded their first round pick in 1977 to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a first and 3 second round draft picks. Dallas would select Tony Dorsett with the pick obtained from Seattle.
The 1977 season began with four straight losses before Tampa Bay came to town. The Seahawks won "Expansion Bowl II" by a score of 30-23. Two weeks later the season highlight happened on October 30 when quarterback Jim Zorn came back from missing four games with an injury to throw four touchdown passes in a 56-17 win over the Buffalo Bills at the Kingdome. The 1977 Seahawks would finish with a record of 5-9, to establish a then record for wins by a second year franchise.
In 1978, the Seahawks achieved their first winning season with a 9-7 record as WR Steve Largent finished second in the NFL with 1,168 receiving yards, Jack Patera was named NFL Coach of the Year and Jim Zorn was named AFC Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Washington, DC. Season highlights included becoming the first team since 1965 to sweep the Raiders (27-7 win at home and a 17-16 win in Oakland).
In 1979, the Seahawks attracted a national following after their first appearance on Monday Night Football on October 29, 1979. After trailing 14-0 against the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle battled back to win 31-28. A fake field goal pass from Zorn to kicker Effren Herrera led Howard Cosell to exclaim "the Seahawks are giving the nation a lesson in entertaining football!" The good vibe was short-lived, as the next week the Seahawks set an NFL record for the lowest total offense in one game (minus 7 yards) in a 24-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at the Kingdome. The team rebounded from that embarrassment to win 5 of their last 6 games, including a 30-7 victory over the New York Jets on MNF, to finish with a 9-7 record.
[edit] The Dark Ages (1979-1982)
Great hopes after consecutive winning seasons were crushed in 1980. The Seahawks lost their last 9 games to turn a 4-3 record into a 4-12 season. The collapse did enable the Seahawks to select safety Kenny Easley out of UCLA in the first round of the 1981 draft.
In 1981 the Seahawks lost five of their first six games on their way to a 6-10 record. Steve Largent had another stellar season with 1,224 receiving yards. Dave Krieg made his first career start in place of an injured Zorn on December 6, 1981, completing 20 of 26 passes in a 27-23 win over the Jets.
In the strike-shortened season of 1982, the Seahawks fired Patera after losing their first two games. Interim coach Mike McCormack would finish out the rest of the season and the Seahawks compiled a 4-5 record.
[edit] The Chuck Knox Era (1983-1991)
After a disappointing 1982 season (which was shortened because of a players' strike), the Seahawks moved interm coach Mike McCormack back into the front office and hired Chuck Knox as their head coach. In 1983 the Seahawks were battling for a playoff berth with a 6-6 record. Then in week 13, the Seahawks beat the Kansas City Chiefs 51-48 at the Kingdome to start their winning ways. They would win 2 of the next 3 games to earn their first ever playoff berth. In the wild-card playoffs the Seahawks shut down the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback John Elway 31-7. The next week at the Miami Orange Bowl the Seahawks drove 66 yards in 5 plays that ended with a game-winning touchdown for the Seahawks' 27-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins and their rookie quarterback Dan Marino. The Seahawks' miracle season ended in the AFC Championship Game as they lost to the eventual Super Bowl XVIII champion Los Angeles Raiders 30-14. Despite the 1983 season ending on a sour note, it was the first breakthrough season for the Seahawks. Curt Warner rushed for 1449 yards, scored 14 touchdowns, and was named AFC Rookie Of The Year. Chuck Knox was named AFC Coach Of The Year.
The first game of 1984 proved to be expensive, as Curt Warner suffered a season ending knee injury in the 33-0 win over the Cleveland Browns. Without Warner, the "Ground Chuck" offense became "Air Knox". Led by QB Dave Krieg, the Seahawks enjoyed a then franchise record 8 game winning streak and a 12-4 record. The Seahawk defense posts 3 shutouts. One of the shutouts occurred on November 4th where they beat the Chiefs 45-0 in a game highlighted by 4 touchdowns off interception returns (still a NFL record). A season ending 2 game losing streak cost them the division title and forced a wild card game against the Raiders. The Seahawks rode running back Dan Doornink and prevailed 13-7 in the team's last playoff victory for 21 years. The Hawks fell to the Super Bowl bound Miami Dolphins 31-10 in the divisional playoffs. Chuck Knows was named coach of the year a second year in a row.
The 1985 season was one of the most frustrating in the team's history. The team was consistently inconsistent, winning 2 games in a row and then losing 2 games in a row throughout the season. Seahawks Quarterback Dave Krieg passes for 3,602 yards on the season. A final game loss at home to Denver proved to be a microcosm of the season, as the Seahawks squandered an early lead and then had a potentially game-tying field goal attempt hit the upright as time expired.
The 1986 season is generally considered one of the "ones that got away". A 5-2 start was ruined by a 4 game losing streak. Improbably, the team then went on a roll that saw them win their final 5 games in convincing fashion. Included in the run were a 31-14 road victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, a 37-0 shutout of the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football and a season ending 41-16 victory over the Super Bowl bound Denver Broncos. Despite a 10-6 record, the Seahawks failed to qualify for the playoffs due to a tiebreaker. They were the only team to beat both Super Bowl teams (Denver and the New York Giants) in 1986.
1987 began with great expectations and predictions of a Super Bowl berth. The Seahawks had won a lottery for the first pick in a supplemental draft, and they selected Brian Bosworth, the 1985 collegiate Dick Butkus award winner. The 1987 team, like Bosworth, never did live up to expectations. After an early season 24 day labor dispute, the team qualified for the playoffs as a wild card with a 9-6 record. A 23-20 overtime loss to the Houston Oilers in the playoffs was marred by a controversial call nullifying an apparent Fredd Young interception deep in Oilers territory in the sudden-death period.
In 1988, the team won its first AFC West division title, beating the Los Angeles Raiders 43-37 on the road to finish with a 9-7 record. The Seahawks lost 21-13 in the divisional playoffs to the Super Bowl bound Cincinnati Bengals. Also in 1988 Ken Behring purchased the club from the original owners, the Nordstrom Family. A year later he would name former Los Angeles Raiders head coach Tom Flores team president and general manager.
[edit] The lost years (1992-1998)
These years would prove to be the most tumultuous of the franchise's history so far. 1991 would be Chuck Knox's last year as head coach of the Seahawks. After finishing with a 7-9 record, he resigned to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams.
Team President/GM Tom Flores assumed the head coaching duties for the 1992 season. Longtime quarterback Dave Krieg was ousted in 1992 and replaced by three different quarterbacks (first-round pick Dan McGwire, Stan Gelbaugh and Kelly Stouffer). 1992 would also prove to be the Seahawks' worst year ever when they finished 2-14. The Seattle offense proved to be historically inept, and the only bright spot for the 1992 season was defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy being declared NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 1993, the Seahawks drafted Rick Mirer out of the University of Notre Dame with the second pick in the draft, in hopes that he would be able to be the franchise's quarterback of the future. Mirer looked to be on his way to stardom as he shared the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award with former college teammate Jerome Bettis in his first season. The honeymoon soon turned sour as his inconsistent play in the following three seasons led to several benchings and eventually his departure in a trade to the Chicago Bears following the 1996 season.
In 1994, the Seahawks moved to nearby Husky Stadium on the campus of the University of Washington for the preseason and 3 regular season games after an acoustic tile fell inside the Kingdome. Upon returning to the Kingdome, the team finished with a 6-10 record; Tom Flores was replaced as president by David Behring, son of owner Ken Behring, and as head coach by University of Miami coach Dennis Erickson.
In January 1996, Seahawks owner Ken Behring announced that he was moving the franchise to Los Angeles, where the team would play at Anaheim Stadium. Behring claimed safety concerns (specifically the building's structural integrity in the event of an earthquake) as his reason for breaking the team's lease with King County. However, seismologists found Behring's claims to be unproven. Also, the Los Angeles area is even more earthquake-prone than Seattle. Although Behring moved the team's operations to Anaheim, his plans for a full move were scuttled when lawyers discovered that the Seahawks were locked into the Kingdome through 2005. Having seen his effort to permanently relocate the franchise thwarted, Behring decided to sell. A potential buyer was found in Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen who reached an agreement to buy the club but only if a new stadium would be built. After funding a special state-wide election for stadium financing, a new stadium for the Seahawks was passed and Allen purchased the team.
Under the new ownership, Bob Whitsitt was installed as President of the club and big name players such as Chad Brown, Warren Moon, and Ricky Watters were brought in raising hopes in Seattle that a page had been turned. What followed was more mediocrity as the club in 1997 and 1998 failed to get over the .500 mark with consecutive 8-8 marks. This led to head coach Dennis Erickson ultimately being fired at the end of the 1998 season. This period was not without its memorable moments, specifically Vinny Testaverde's "Phantom Touchdown" in a regular season game; a legendary officiating error that became a primary factor in the NFL's reinstatement of instant replay. The officiating error resulted in a 32-31 loss to the New York Jets.
The NFL officially apologized for the officiating error. Instant replay would be reinstated in the NFL the following season. Referee Phil Luckett, who made the touchdown call, was later reassigned at his request to back judge, and is also infamous for another controversial issue during the Thanksgiving game, November 26 involving the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions.
[edit] The Mike Holmgren Era (1999-Present)
[edit] 1999-2001
In 1999, the Seahawks made their biggest coaching hire with the appointment of Green Bay Packer head coach Mike Holmgren. Coming off his success with the Green Bay Packers, Holmgren was given the dual-role of General Manager and Head Coach. The hiring brought instant credibility to the franchise as under Holmgren's guidance, the Seahawks won their second division title and first playoff berth since 1988. That year included a memorable 24-7 win over Holmgren's former team, the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football but despite a strong 8-2 start, the Seahawks lost 5 of their last 6 to close out the regular season. This skid continued on into the playoffs as the Seahawks lost the final game in the Kingdome 20-17 to Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card round. For the 2000-2001 seasons the Seahawks moved to Husky Stadium while their new stadium was being built. The Seahawks drafted RB Shaun Alexander in 2000 draft as their RB of the future. The move to Husky Stadium could not halt the Seahawks' decline, as they finished a disappointing 6-10.
Holmgren then traded for Green Bay Packers backup QB Matt Hasselbeck and made him the starting QB. But Hasselbeck struggled in the first half of the season compiling a 5-7 record. Hasselbeck was replaced by former Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer who steadied the ship and led the Seahawks to a 9-7 finish and a narrow playoff miss in the team's final season in the AFC.
[edit] 2002: Move to the NFC
Big changes were afoot in 2002. When the Seahawks left Husky Stadium at the end of the 2001 season they were part of the AFC West, but when they moved into Seahawks Stadium they were now part of the NFC West. This was because 2002 divisional realignment caused by the addition of the expansion team, the Houston Texans, and to keep traditional divisional rivalries, such as Dallas-Washington despite the Cowboys being further west than St. Louis. The year would prove to be one of ups-and-downs as Dilfer was injured in Week 7 and Hasselbeck became the starting QB. He would end the season on a 3 game winning streak, and Shaun Alexander led the NFC with 18 touchdowns. But the team finished with a 7-9 record and rumblings began over whether Holmgren was up to having dual roles as de facto General Manager and head coach.
[edit] 2003
Before the 2003 season, Holmgren relinquished his general manager duties so that he could concentrate exclusively on coaching the team. This move was especially hard for Holmgren as one of the factors for him leaving Green Bay was to step out of the shadow of long-time Packer-GM Ron Wolf. With their head coach focused solely on the coaching side, the Seahawks made the playoffs as a wild card with a 10-6 record and finished with an impressive 8-0 mark at home. The Seahawks would face Holmgren's former team, the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Seahawks came out strong but blew several opportunities (including a crucial endzone drop by receiver Koren Robinson) and were forced to go to overtime. It was during the coin-flip where quarterback Hasselbeck made the prediction "we want the ball, and we're going to score." Unfortunately for Seattle, an Al Harris interception returned for a TD sealed the Seahawks fate and they were out of the playoffs again.
[edit] 2004
The Seahawks entered the 2004 season with lofty expectations. Publications such as Sports Illustrated predicted that the team would represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIX. The Seahawks started off strongly, going 3-0 including a 34-0 shutout of the lowly San Francisco 49ers at home. The season would take a dramatic turn for the worse, however, when the Seahawks blew a 27-10 lead late in the fourth quarter to their division-rivals, the St. Louis Rams. Trailing 27-10 late in the fourth quarter, the Rams scored to pull within ten with 5:34 remaining on the clock. This was followed by a 41 yard TD pass to Kevin Curtis, making the score 27-24. After the Seahawks failed to convert on a critical third down, leaving 1:14 on the game clock, the Rams tied the game on the ensuing possession, sending the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Rams won the game on a stunning 52 yard touchdown catch by Shaun McDonald. The Seahawks never fully recovered from the shocking loss and went on to win only six of their last twelve games.
The Seahawks had another memorable fourth quarter meltdown against the Cowboys on Monday night football. As Seattle led 39-28 late in the fourth quarter, Testaverde completed a touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson leaving 1:45 on the game clock. Jason Witten recovered the ensuing onside kick, and Julius Jones was heavily featured in the Cowboys' 57 yard drive to win the game. Jones finished with a game-high 198 rushing yards for the night.
The Seahawks would win their first NFC West title with a 28-26 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the final regular season game. The team's celebrations were overshadowed by bickering between Holmgren and RB Shaun Alexander, stemming from Holmgren's decision to bench Alexander for precautionary reasons midway through the team's final game of the season. Alexander would miss the 2004-2005 rushing title by a single yard, with the honor instead going to New York Jets RB Curtis Martin. The Seahawks ended their 2004 season by losing to the Rams 27-20 in the NFC Wild Card game in Seattle, the first playoff game at Qwest Field. The Seahawks lost all three games against divisional rival St. Louis in the 2004 season.
[edit] 2005
The 2005 season saw them advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in the team's history. They were the NFC representative in Super Bowl XL, a game they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Seahawks compiled a 13-3 record in the regular season, easily winning the NFC West and clinching home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. There, they beat the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers to win the George Halas Trophy and advance to the Super Bowl, the first in franchise history. The 2005 team is widely considered the best team in the history of the Seattle Seahawks.
[edit] Super Bowl XL
Seattle fell short in its bid for its first NFL title, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan on February 5, 2006 by a score of 21-10. Although the Seahawks outgained the Steelers, 396 yards to 339, Pittsburgh won on the strength of three big plays converted for touchdowns, including the longest run in Super Bowl history. Seattle, on the other hand, was plagued by penalties, dropped passes, and an interception during a drive deep into Pittsburgh territory.[1]
The controversial penalty calls made during Super Bowl XL were met with criticism from both fans and members of the media, many of whom suggested that the officials had wrongly nullified several key plays made by the Seattle offense. Jason Whitlock encapsulated the views of a few when he wrote the day after the game, "Leavy and his crew ruined Super Bowl XL. Am I the only one who would like to hear them defend their incompetence?" [2] In response to the criticisms, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement, "The game was properly officiated, including, as in most NFL games, some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials." [3] The game ended a playoff season that was plagued by complaints about officiating.[4]
Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren fueled the debate upon returning to Seattle, saying during a Seahawks rally, "We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I didn't know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well." [5] Al Michaels, commented during a Sunday Night Football game a few months later, "The fact that Holmgren was not fined for that statement speaks volumes to me." Michaels explained he was alluding to Holmgren's need to "win the hearts and minds", but also suggested a perceived admission by the NFL that something went wrong in that game. [6]
[edit] 2006
Main Article:2006 Seattle Seahawks season
[edit] References
- ^ Seattle Post Intelligencer Article. Retrieved on 6 February 2006.
- ^ Kansas City Star Article. Retrieved on 6 February 2006.
- ^ Seattle Post Intelligencer Article. Retrieved on 8 February 2006.
- ^ Fox Sports Article. Retrieved on 23 February 2006.
- ^ Seattle Post Intelligencer Article. Retrieved on 8 February 2006.
- ^ Fox Sports Blog. Retrieved on 21 August 2006.
