This Week in Seahawks History: Losses to teams that no longer exist
Are you ready for a weekly blast from the Seahawks teams of the past?
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. Coming at you in this iteration are three straight defeats against teams that technically aren’t around in the NFL today, followed by a palette-cleansing (and soul satisfying) win by the 2013 Seahawks.
40 Years Ago
Sunday, November 13, 1983
Game Log
No, your eyes are not deceiving you, this week’s article kicks off with the Seahawks facing the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Not the baseball team, though maybe Seattle wishes it was considering how the game would play out. I already spoiled the outcome, so I might as well add that you will see three Cardinals players repeated throughout this recap – Roy Green, Neil Lomax and Neil O’Donoghue. That combo struck first as Roy Green caught a 15-yard TD pass from Neil Lomax, with Neil O’Donoghue converting the extra point. Seattle wasted no time pulling even at 7-7 when Zachary Dixon returned the following kickoff 94 yards for a TD. The Cardinals trio of Green, Lomax, and O’Donoghue combined for 21 more points in the 2nd Quarter behind TD passes of 23, 7, and 63 yards. That’s 4 TDs from Lomax to Green if you’re keeping score. Seattle did have TD catches of 15 and 14 yards by Steve Largent on passes from Dave Krieg sprinkled in there to make the score 28-21 at halftime.
After an explosive 1st half, the 3rd Quarter was scoreless. Largent tied the game at 28-28 in the 4th Quarter on a 45-yard TD catch from Dave Krieg. Neil O’Donoghue gave St. Louis the lead at 31-28 with a 33-yard FG. Seattle had a chance, but Krieg was tackled in the end zone by David Galloway for a safety to slam the door in a 33-28 loss.
Dave Krieg was 13/26 for 216 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, and was sacked 6 times. Curt Warner had 23 carries for 83 yards. Steve Largent had a monster game with 8 catches for 155 yards and 3 TDs.
The Seahawks defense got shredded, giving up 130 yards rushing to Ottis Anderson along with 130 yards receiving and 4 TDs to Roy Green. Don Dufek and Bruce Sholtz each had 1.0 sack. Jacob Green and Mark Hicks shared the remaining sack with 0.5 each.
30 Years Ago
Sunday, November 7, 1993
Game Log
The 1983 game featured a city that doesn’t have an NFL team anymore, so why not look at a matchup with a team that eventually became the Tennessee Titans? And it’s a damn shame, because the Houston Oilers name is lightyears better than either the Houston Texans or Tennessee Titans. Tennessee needs to sell the naming rights to Houston and right this wrong, but I digress.
Speaking of awesome names, Webster Slaughter caught the first TD of the game on a 3-yard pass from future Seahawks Legend Warren Moon to put Houston ahead 7-0. Seattle tied the game at 7-7 on a 53-yard TD pass from Rick Mirer to Kelvin Martin. Warren Moon put the Oilers back ahead with a 14-yard TD pass to Ernest Givins, but Al Del Greco missed the extra point to make the score 13-7. Del Greco made up for it with three straight 2nd Quarter FGs from 33, 51, and 39 yards to give Houston a 22-7 halftime lead. The Oilers added on 2 points with a 3rd Quarter safety when Rick Mirer was called for intentional grounding in the end zone. Chris Warren scored a 10-yard rushing TD in the 4th Quarter, but that wasn’t nearly enough as Seattle fell to Houston 24-14.
Rick Mirer was 12/20 for 175 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Chris Warren was the leading rusher for Seattle with 13 carries for 54 yards and 1 TD. Kelvin Martin had 4 catches for 85 yards and 1 TD.
Patrick Hunter and Eugene Robinson each had 1 INT. Michael McCrary and Michael Sinclair each had 1.0 sack. Rafael Robinson and Terry Wooden both got 0.5 sack.
20 Years Ago
Sunday, November 9, 2003
Game Log
Well would you look at that? Another team that doesn’t technically exist in the same form anymore. We’re 3/3 in that category this week. And they’re coached by College Football Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier to boot!
Washington scored first on a 20-yard field goal by John Hall to take the 3-0 lead. Seattle stormed back with Bobby Engram catching a 5-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck to go ahead 7-3. After a Redskins punt, the Seahawks embarked on a 7-minute, 90-yard TD drive finished off by Shaun Alexander taking in a 1-yard TD run for the 14-3 lead. Both teams traded punts and Washington got the ball early in the 2nd Quarter. Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey was intercepted by Damien Robinson, who was on his way to score until WR Laveraneus Coles knocked the ball out into the endzone, where it was recovered for a touchback. Washington used that momentum change to drive all the way down the field where Coles was rewarded with a 15-yard TD catch from Ramsey. Instead of 21-3, it was now 14-10. Seattle got 3 points back on the next drive with a 27-yard FG from Josh Brown to stretch the lead to 17-10. That didn’t last long as Washington scored on a 14-yard TD pass from Ramsey to Rod Gardner to tie the game at 17-17 at halftime.
The Redskins took the 2nd half kickoff and used a 64-yard catch by Laveraneus Coles to drive the ball to the Seattle 6 yard line. Ramsey went to the Coles well again, but Anthony Simmons picked him off. Seattle couldn’t advance the drive and had to punt the ball back to the Redskins who converted a 34-yard FG by John Hall to take the lead at 20-17. The Seahawks looked like they would score on their next drive, but Josh Brown missed a 49-yard FG. Seattle’s defense held firm and got the ball back for their offense. Brown was good from 1 yard closer with a 48-yard FG to tie the score at 20-20 with about 10 minutes left in the game. Both teams traded punts, and the Redskins took over with 7:16 remaining. Over the next 5 minutes, they drove all the way down to the Seahawks 10 yard line. Spurrier reached into his bag of tricks and WR Rod Gardner threw a 10-yard TD pass to Trung Candidate – one of Gardner’s two passing TDs of his career. Seattle had an opportunity and drove to the Redskins 35 yard line with 44 seconds left before Hasselbeck was intercepted by Fred Smoot, ending the Seahawks hopes in a 27-20 loss.
Matt Hasselbeck was 19/29 for 241 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Shaun Alexander had 22 carries for 94 yards and 1 TD against his future team. Koren Robinson led Seattle in receiving with 5 catches for 88 yards. Bobby Engram added 6 catches for 65 yards and 1 TD.
Anthony Simmons and Damien Robinson had 1 INT in a losing effort.
10 Years Ago
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Game Log
A fourth consecutive road game in this week’s article, but at least it’s against a team that’s still in the NFL today. And it’s not a loss either…thanks 2013 Seahawks! Actually, this deserves a bit more background. If you remember, the Seahawks lost a 28-27 heartbreaker to the Falcons in Atlanta during the 2012 playoffs. In hindsight, that game was a turning point as it provided much of the motivation that stoked the fires of the 2013 squad.
Atlanta started off with the ball and went three-and out. Seattle had a good drive going but stalled out and settled for a Stephen Hauschka 39-yard FG and the 3-0 lead. Three consecutive punts later, Seattle had the ball on offense again just after the start of the 2nd Quarter. Again, they drove near the red zone but finished with a 43-yard Hauschka FG to go ahead 6-0. The Falcons made some headroom on their next drive and chipped into the Seahawks lead with a Matt Bryant 53-yard FG to put the score at 6-3. Seattle went explosive on the next drive as Marshawn Lynch rumbled for 37-yards on the first play and Russell Wilson followed that up with a 43-yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse on a flea flicker as Seattle took a 13-3 lead. Seattle’s defense forced a punt on the next drive and the Seahawks offense tacked on another Hauschka FG, this one from 44 yards away to go up 16-3. The Falcons were forced to punt again, and Seattle took over at their own 40 yard line with 1 minute left in the half. Russell Wilson led the Seahawks down to the Atlanta 6 yard line with 8 seconds left. On 3rd and 5, Russ found Golden Tate in the corner of the endzone as he made a beautiful TD catch that was upheld on a challenge to give Seattle the 23-3 halftime lead.
The Seahawks got the ball after halftime and used up nearly half of the 3rd Quarter before Hauschka nailed a 53-yard FG to extend the lead to 26-3. The Falcons clawed back on their next drive with a Matt Ryan 12-yard TD pass to Darius Johnson to cut the lead to 26-10. Seattle took over with 1:07 left in the 3rd Quarter and used up over 7 minutes before Marshawn Lynch plowed in for a TD from 1 yard away to essentially put the dagger in the Falcons. Walter Thurmond forced a fumble on Harry Douglas on Atlanta’s next drive, and it was time for Christine Michael. Seattle punted with less than 2 minutes left, but Atlanta couldn’t score as the Seahawks coasted to a satisfying 33-10 victory.
Russell Wilson was 19/26 for 287 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT. Marshawn Lynch had himself a day with 24 carries for 145 yards and 1 TD. Golden Tate had 6 catches for 106 yards and 1 TD. Jermaine Kearse added 3 catches for 75 yards and 1 TD.
Let’s call out the underrated Walter Thurmond here as he had 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 FF, and 1 FR. The wonderful duo of Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett each had 1.0 sack in the win.
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