Seattle Seahawks

Redskins-Seahawks

His head pounding and his day over, Shaun Alexander walked off the field at halftime and flashed the ``OK'' sign.

He was right.

Despite losing the NFL MVP to an early concussion, the Seattle Seahawks ended their 21-year playoff drought Saturday by beating the Washington Redskins 20-10 behind Matt Hasselbeck and a stout defense.

``I told Matt at halftime that he had to shoulder the load,'' Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. ``We always put a lot on his shoulders, but I told him that now he had to do a little bit more.''

Hasselbeck did.

He threw for a touchdown and ran for another as the Seahawks advanced to the NFC title game next week against the winner of Sunday's game in Chicago between Carolina and the Bears.

Holmgren said he was optimistic that Alexander will be able to play. Alexander, injured in the first 10 1/2 minutes, did not talk to reporters.

The win ended the longest run without a postseason victory by any NFL team - Seattle had been 0-6 since its last playoff win on Dec. 22, 1984. Next week's game will be the second title game in the 30-year franchise history - the Seahawks played for the AFC championship after the 1983 season.

``I don't know if it was me. Those other guys stepped up,'' Hasselbeck said. ``It was really a team win today.''

Alexander, who scored an NFL-record 28 touchdowns this season and led the league with 1,880 yards rushing, lost a fumble without being hit at the Washington 11 on Seattle's opening drive. He was then hurt with 4:29 left in the first quarter and did not return.

Without Alexander, this became Hasselbeck's game.

Not only did he complete 16-of-26 passes for 215 yards and a 29-yard second-quarter touchdown pass to Darrell Jackson, but he scrambled around the right side for a 6-yard TD in the third quarter.

``I think he was awesome,'' said wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, one of the few Seahawks with Super Bowl experience. ``He loses his starting running back and he's able to overcome that with no problem.''

Indeed, Hasselbeck's work helped overcome three costly turnovers - one that kept Seattle from scoring in the first period, a second that led to a Washington field goal and a third in the fourth quarter that the Redskins squandered.

Jackson had nine receptions for 143 yards despite playing with a bad back.

The Seahawks (14-3) stopped Washington's six-game winning streak. The Redskins (11-7) were inept on offense for the second week in a row - they had 140 yards in the first three quarters after getting a total of just 120 in last week's win at Tampa Bay.

``That's my responsibility,'' Washington coach Joe Gibbs said. ``Obviously we wanted to be much more productive than what we were in the playoffs. We have to look to see how we can do a better job offensively.''

Washington's last chance ended in the final minute when Mark Brunell's desperation fourth-down pass for Santana Moss was batted down by safety Michael Boulware in the end zone.

And had it not been for Seattle's mistakes, the Redskins never would have been in the game against a Seattle defense was able to concentrate on stopping Clinton Portis' running because only Moss and tight end Chris Cooley were receiving threats.

``If he's not playing at a Pro Bowl level, their offense struggles,'' Seattle defensive end Bryce Fisher said of Portis, who gained 41 yards on 17 carries.

After Josh Brown's 33-yard field goal gave the Seahawks a 17-3 lead early in the third quarter, the Redskins finally got going. Brunell hit a wide-open Cooley for 52 yards, then completed a 20-yard TD pass to Moss that deflected off the helmet of Seattle's Andre Dyson.

That cut the Seattle lead to a touchdown just 3:01 into the final quarter. Then Josh Scobee fumbled the kickoff and kicker John Hall recovered, but Hall missed a 36-yard field-goal attempt that could have cut it to four.

Brown clinched it with a 31-yard field goal with 2:54 left.

Said Hasselbeck: ``We've got a great feeling in our locker room right now because we did come together. We overcame adversity.''

After that first series when Alexander fumbled, there were nine straight three-and-outs, five by the Redskins and four by the Seahawks. Washington never got beyond its own 22 until the second quarter.

But after Washington's fifth futile series, Jimmy Williams fumbled Derrick Frost's punt at his own 39 and Pierson Prioleau recovered for Washington. From there the Redskins plodded their way to the Seattle 7, setting up Hall's 26-yard field goal that gave them a 3-0 lead.

The Seahawks finally got going after that with Hasselbeck using his legs as well as his arm. He scrambled for 16 yards to help keep the drive moving, then finally hit Jackson, single-covered by safety Ryan Clark, from the Washington 29 to make it 7-3.

Seattle then went 81 yards on 10 plays on their first possession of the second half to make it 14-3 with Hasselbeck scrambling in for the touchdown.




Seahawks-Packers

If Sunday's game was the last of Brett Favre's career, at least he went down slinging.

And, in his first losing season with the Green Bay Packers, at least he went out a winner as they beat the playoff-bound Seattle Seahawks 23-17 Sunday.

``If this were to be his last game, then I'm really glad I was here,'' said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, Favre's former coach in Green Bay. ``He has nothing to prove to anybody.''

Favre threw his first touchdown pass in the past five games, but the game still featured a few more reminders of why Favre is considering retirement. He threw another interception, his career-worst 29th of the season, and played the end of the game with a shoulder injury.

And he was upstaged for a half by Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, who set an NFL record for touchdowns in a season with 28 and surpassed the New York Giants' Tiki Barber for the NFL rushing crown.
Favre, 36, said in recent weeks he is unsure whether he will play next year.
He did not speak to the media after Sunday's game, an unusual move for him. Favre left the field waving to the crowd, surrounded by a swarm of photographers and others.


``I'm going to take some time and get away from the season for a bit and then talk to people here in Green Bay and then we'll see,'' Favre said in comments distributed by the Packers public relations staff.

Packers coach Mike Sherman, whose own future with the team is in doubt, said he expects to visit Favre soon to ``take a ride on his tractor'' and talk about next season.

There is no timeline for Favre's decision, although he has had preliminary talks with Packers general manager Ted Thompson.
``Probably in the next month or so,'' Sherman said. ``I'm not that sure.''

The Seahawks, meanwhile, plan to spend the next month in the playoffs.

``Now our second season starts,'' said Holmgren.

``Fortunately we have a first-round bye, so we can heal up a little bit and get ready to play in the playoffs.''

Alexander scored his record touchdown on a 1-yard run in the second quarter. He piled up 73 yards by halftime, enough to pass Barber for the league rushing lead.

Alexander's only misstep was a lost fumble at the end of the first half, his first this season.

``I'm very happy about that and so was he,'' Holmgren said. ``He was disappointed because he fumbled on the last carry, and he hadn't done it all year where we lost one. He's had a great season.''

Last year, Alexander blamed Holmgren for costing him the NFL rushing title. But despite the Seahawks (13-3) having already clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Holmgren let Alexander run wild in the first half Sunday.
``I was hoping he didn't need as many yards, quite honestly, but then last night Tiki Barber went for a whole bunch,'' Holmgren said. ``We wanted him to have the record, he wanted to have the record, the linemen wanted the record for him.''

Packers fans, meanwhile, made it clear they want Favre to return next season.

Favre gave the Packers (4-12) what might be one last taste of his glory with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Chatman on third-and-goal to put the Packers ahead 20-14 in the third quarter.
Favre hadn't thrown a touchdown pass in the Packers' previous four games, the longest drought of his career.

Favre had been sacked six plays earlier, but a tripping penalty gave the Packers (4-12) a new set of downs. Fans began chanting ``one more year,'' a chant they would repeat several times in the second half.
Favre was 21-of-37 for 259 yards, aiming most of his passes at wide receiver Donald Driver, one of the few familiar faces in the Packers' huddle these days.
Driver, who has become Favre's preferred target in the wake of injuries to wide receiver Javon Walker and tight end Bubba Franks, caught six passes for 118 yards Sunday.
Driver said the team gave Favre a game ball.
``No one knows what the future holds right now,'' Driver said. ``He's a great friend of mine, as well as a player and partner. I'm just hoping that he comes back for another year. If he doesn't, I wish the best for him.''

Favre converted three third-down passes to Driver on the Packers' first drive, and Ryan Longwell kicked a 26-yard field goal to put the Packers ahead 3-0.

Longwell added another field goal to put the Packers ahead 6-0. Alexander's record-setting touchdown gave the Seahawks a 7-6 lead in the second quarter.

The Packers answered with an 11-yard touchdown run by rookie Noah Herron for a 13-7 lead before the half.
Holmgren rested Alexander and starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the second half.

Backup Seneca Wallace threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Joe Jurevicius, the first of Wallace's career, to put the Seahawks ahead 14-13.
Then Al Harris' interception of Wallace's pass set up Favre's touchdown pass to Chatman, which put the Packers ahead 20-14.

Colts-Seahawks

Tony Dungy got three hours of comfort.
Seattle got home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Seahawks' NFL rushing leader Shaun Alexander ran for 139 yards and three touchdowns - including a rare TD receiving - to tie Priest Holmes' NFL record of 27 touchdowns in a season.
That helped the Seahawks clinch NFC home-field advantage Saturday with a 28-13 victory over the injured, resting and reflective Indianapolis Colts.

The Colts (13-2), who already own home field in the AFC playoffs, were without Dungy. Their coach is in Tampa, Fla., where his son died Thursday in an apparent suicide.

Indianapolis players wore decals with black horseshoes on the backs of their helmets. The initials JD were inside, also inscribed in black.
And a capacity crowd of 67,855 observed a moment of silence for the Dungy family before the 11th consecutive win for Seattle (13-2).

When the ceremony concluded, the scene turned into another normal NFL game day. The home crowd heartily booed the visitors.

``Then, it was just a normal game,'' Colts receiver Brandon Stokley said. ``We knew that was the way it was going to be.''

Immediately after it, Dungy called team president Bill Polian.

``It was right away, no sooner than I got in here,'' Polian said inside a Colts locker room that was subdued but not entirely devoid of banter.

Polian said Dungy ``sounded good'' and referred to watching the game as an escape from his tragic week.
``He watched all of it and said it helped him to root the team on,'' Polian said.
``He wanted the players to know how proud he was of their effort.''

Peyton Manning, when asked if there was a difference in the locker room without Dungy, said, ``Not really.''
``I think everyone had Coach Dungy and his family on our minds,'' Manning said. ``Our prayers are with him. But when you are out there playing, then you are out there trying to do your job.''

Colts safety Mike Doss said: ``I'm just glad we could give him some comfort for three hours.''
Polian said one of the first things Dungy told him was, ``Now I understand why you get so frustrated watching.''
``Then he starting talking a bit about some of the officiating calls,'' Polian said, smiling and shaking his head.
But officiating had little to do with this one.

Alexander became the 16th NFL player to eclipse 1,800 yards rushing in a season while leading the Seahawks to their first-ever top seed in a postseason.

``Every flight is going to be at least three hours,'' Alexander said of his playoff foes next month. ``Now every team has to take that trip to us. You don't feel the same after flying on a plane all day.''

The Colts (13-2) were set to be on a plane all night eastbound for Tampa, Fla., to rejoin Dungy for Tuesday's funeral.
Their coach has been there since Thursday, hours after his 18-year-old son James was found dead.
``We're going to come out in force,'' receiver Brandon Stokley said.

First-year assistant head coach Jim Caldwell is filling in for Dungy indefinitely.

When asked how difficult a situation Saturday's game was for him and his team, Caldwell said, ``The focus shouldn't be on me.
I've really got the easy job compared to what our head coach is going through.''

``His job is the one that we need to certainly support and pray about,'' Caldwell added.
The Seahawks dominated a depleted Indianapolis team without Pro Bowlers Marvin Harrison, Cato June and Bob Sanders - and with Manning (9-for-12, 116 yards passing) playing just one quarter.

The Seahawks capitalized to set a franchise record for wins in a season.

``We're all just kind of in the groove,'' Alexander said. ``And no one wants to get off anything right now.''
Alexander's record-tying score was full of theater.

Seattle's Craig Terrill recovered a fumble from Manning's backup, Jim Sorgi, and returned it to the Colts 17 with 5:27 left.
Running backs coach Stump Mitchell had already told Alexander he would be departing the game with about five minutes remaining.
So a giddy Alexander began running onto the field with his offense.
But Mitchell pulled him back.

``We're done. There's no more hits today,'' he told Alexander.
But then backup runner Maurice Morris was stopped just short of the goal line on a 13-yard burst. Mitchell turned to Alexander and said, ``OK, I'm giving you one play to score. But if you get hit, get hurt and go to the hospital, I'm not coming to visit you.''

Alexander plowed into the end zone without the need for medical attention. He hugged the ball in his left arm and pointed to the sky.
Then he walked down the offensive line as it set up for the extra point and shook each one of his blockers' hands.
``His first thing was to come over to the line and kind of thank us. It just shows you how this team is a little different,'' Pro Bowl left guard Steve Hutchinson said.

On Alexander's first touchdown, a 2-yard jog in the first quarter on which he was untouched, Hutchinson blew June's replacement, Gilbert Gardner, 3 yards into the end zone. That gave Seattle a 7-3 lead it never relinquished.

Alexander's second score came on the opening drive of the second half when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck found him ignored as a third receiving option in the flat. Alexander caught his 15th pass in 15 games and easily scored to give Seattle a 21-6 lead.

The Colts couldn't turn Manning's 116 passing yards over the game's first two drives into touchdowns.
They stalled at the Seattle 5 and settled for Mike Vanderjagt's 24-yard field goal.

Manning's second and final drive ended when Vanderjagt had his 31-yard try blocked.