The Seahawks will need better production out of the QBs in 2011 if they want to repeat as the NFC West Champions.  35-year old Matt Hasselbeck really played well during the playoffs but he wasn’t too good during the regular season.  Hasselbeck played in 14 games for the Seahawks last season and he completed 266 of 444 passes (59.9%) for 3,001 yards with 12 TD passes and 17 INTs (73.2 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 23 times for 60 yards (2.6 ypc) with 3 TD carries last season.  He has now played in 170 games in his NFL career and he has completed 2,572 of 4,279 passes (60.1%) for 29,579 yards with 176 TD passes and 128 INTs (82.2 QB Rating).  He has also carried the ball 306 times for 1,139 yards (3.7 ypc) with 8 TD runs so far in his NFL career.  Hasselbeck is now a free agent but he wants to return for 2011.  The ball is in the Seahawks’ court right now.

28-year old Charlie Whitehurst did not play as well as the Seahawks hoped he would have in 2010.  He played in 5 games for the Seahawks last season and he completed 57 of 99 passes (57.6%) for 507 yards with 2 TD passes and 3 INTs (65.5 QB Rating).  Those were the first pass attempts of Whitehurst’s NFL career.  He also carried the ball 20 times for 43 yards (2.2 ypc) with 1 TD run last season.  He has now carried the ball 22 times for 56 yards (2.5 ypc) with 2 TD runs so far in his career.

VERDICT:  The Seahawks probably aren’t too confident in Charlie Whitehurst.  So, look for them to either re-sign Matt Hasselbeck or get a different veteran QB to start in 2011 via free agent signing or trade.

The Seahawks were down 35-10 in this game with 4:40 left in the 4th quarter so the final score is a tad misleading as the Seahawks were never really in this game.  Matt Hasselbeck completed 26 of 46 passes for 258 yards with 3 TD passes and 0 INTs yesterday.  Rookie WR Golden Tate led the way for the Seahawks on the ground with 13 yards rushing on 1 carry.  Justin Forsett pitched in with 9 yards rushing on 4 carries (2.3 ypc) and he also caught 3 passes for 25 yards (8.3 avg).  Marshawn Lynch had a game to forget as he finished up with 2 yards rushing on only 4 carries (0.5 ypc).  WRs Brandon Stokley (8 rec, 85 yards, TD), Ben Obomanu (4 rec, 68 yards) and Mike Williams (4 rec, 15 yards, 2 TDs) led the way for the Seahawks in the passing game yesterday.  The Seahawks finished up with 34 yards rushing on 12 carries (2.8 ypc) and they also completed 26 of 46 passes for 242 yards as they only had the ball 22:50 in this game.

The Seahawks got pushed around defensively in this game as they were absolutely no match for the Bears’ offense.  LB David Hawthorne (9 tackles), safety Lawyer Milloy (7 tackles) and LB Lofa Tatupu (7 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 sack and 1 QB hit) led the way for the Seahawks on D in this game.  The Bears finished up with 176 yards rushing on 45 carries (3.9 ypc) and they also completed 15 of 29 passes for 261 yards.  The Seahawks season is over but they went further than most people thought possible.

The Seahawks beat the Bears 20-17 at Soldier Field back on October 17th of this year.  But, it’s going to be really cold this Sunday afternoon as the high is only expected to be 22 degrees.  The Bears are also rested, so they have had two weeks to prepare for this game.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks ran the ball well last week and they somehow rushed for 111 yards in the first meeting with the Bears this year.  They are going to need another big effort out of Marshawn Lynch this Sunday if they are going to pull another upset.  The O-Line is going to have to get after Bears’ LBs Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs because if those guys are clean to chase Marshawn Lynch, he’s going to have a long day.  The Bears don’t blitz a lot as they rely on their DEs (Israel Idonije & Julius Peppers) so if OTs Russell Okung & Sean Locklear can handle them, Matt Hasselbeck is going to have a lot of time to throw the football.  The Bears have a solid secondary but Mike Williams caught 10 passes for 123 yards against them in the first meeting between these teams.  The Seahawks will have a good chance for an upset if Williams has another big game on Sunday.

When the Bears have the ball:  Matt Forte only rushed for 11 yards in the first meeting of the year with the Seahawks.  The front seven will key on him and make Jay Cutler have to beat them with his arm.  The Seahawks will have to get after Jay Cutler because if he has time to throw the ball he’s going to make some plays against a somewhat porous secondary.  Rookie safety Earl Thomas is a playmaker so he will likely be trying to read Jay Cutler’s eyes so he can pick off a pass or two.  Johnny Knox will be taking on Earl Thomas deep a few times this Sunday as he is the Bears’ best deep threat.  TE Greg Olsen has also been used a lot more than anyone thought he would be this year so the safeties have to be ready to deal with him.

PREDICTION:  BEARS 24, SEAHAWKS 13

The Seattle Seahawks have signed 23-year old QB Nate Davis.  Davis is a big guy at 6’2″, 226 pounds and he has a big time arm but no regular season appearances in games.  He was a 5th round pick in 2009 out of Ball State by the San Francisco 49ers.  He played well in the pre-season for the Niners but he was always in the Dog House for not learning the playbook.  Davis will be an insurance policy behind Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst in case of injury.

The Seahawks shocked the world last night in sending the defending Super Bowl Champions home.  Matt Hasselbeck saved his best game of the year for the playoffs.  He completed 22 of 35 passes for 272 yards with 4 TD passes and 1 INT as he was outstanding yesterday.  Marshawn Lynch also had by far his best game in a Seahawks’ uniform yesterday as he carried the ball 19 times for 131 yards (6.9 ypc) with a key 67-yard TD run late in the 4th quarter to put the Seahawks up 11 points (41-30).  Justin Forsett pitched in with 20 yards rushing on 4 carries (5.0 ypc) and he also caught 2 passes for 12 yards (6.0 avg).  Brandon Stokley (4 rec, 73 yards,  TD), Mike Williams (5 rec, 68 yards, TD) and John Carlson (3 rec, 17 yards, 2 TDs) led the way for the Seahawks in the passing game yesterday.  The Seahawks finished up with 149 yards rushing on 25 carries (6.0 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 35 passes for 266 yards.

The defense played well against the run but the Saints torched them through the air in this game.  LB David Hawthorne (9 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 fumble recovery) led the way for the Seahawks on D in this game.  Safety Earl Thomas (8 tackles, 1 pass defensed) and CB Keith Jennings (8 tackles) also had decent games for the Seahawks yesterday.  The Saints finished up with 77 yards rushing on 22 carries (3.5 ypc) and they also completed 39 of 60 passes for 397 yards.  The Seahawks will move on to the second round of the NFL Playoffs and they will go to Atlanta if the Eagles win today.  If the Packers win today, the Seahawks are going to Chicago.

Sure, the Seahawks might not deserve to be hosting a playoff game tomorrow, but I think they are going to bring it!  The Seahawks are 5-3 at home this year and I think the 12th man is going to give them some extra juice tomorrow.  The Saints beat the Seahawks 34-19 seven weeks ago in New Orleans.  If the Saints are over confident the Seahawks will have a really decent chance of an upset tomorrow.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to likely come out running the ball against a Saints’ D that gave up 112.3 yards rushing per game and 4.3 yards per carry.  Marshawn Lynch will likely get most of the carries with crumbs from the table falling to Justin Forsett and Leon Washington.  If the Seahawks can get to the second level and get a hat on Jonathan Vilma, they should have a lot of success running the ball tomorrow.  If the Seahawks can keep DEs Alex Brown & Will Smith out of the backfield, Matt Hasselbeck could have some success throwing the ball.  Mike Williams & John Carlson will likely get most of the targets on the short passes with Ben Obomanu going up top on the deeper throws.

When the Saints have the ball:  The Seahawks need to get a good pass rush on Drew Brees or he’s going to likely shred up the secondary.  That’s because Brees moves the ball around to all of his WRs and TEs making it nearly impossible to double anyone.  The Seahawks really should consider playing at least a nickel defense most of this game because Reggie Bush & Julius Jones don’t scare the front seven one bit.

PREDICTION:  SAINTS 24, SEAHAWKS 17

The Seattle Seahawks have placed TE Chris Baker, OG Chester Pitts and RB Chris Henry on I.R. ending their seasons.  31-year old Chris Baker has a hip injury that will cause him to miss the playoffs.  He played in all 16 games for the Seahawks this year and he has caught 9 passes for 116 yards (12.9 avg) with 1 TD grab.  31-year old Chester Pitts will miss the playoffs due to a concussion.  Pitts played in 7 games (5 starts) for the Seahawks this year.  25-year old RB Chris Henry will miss the playoffs due to a leg injury.  He played in 1 game and he didn’t touch the ball while making 1 tackle.  None of these guys are key players so the Seahawks should be o.k. without them.

The Seahawks dominated this game defensively and it was the biggest reason for the win last night.  DE Raheem Brock turned back the clock and he had a great game.  Brock finished up with 5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass defensed and 4 QB hits last night.  LBs David Hawthorne (7 tackles) and Will Herring (5 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception) also had solid games last night.  The Rams finished up with 47 yards rushing on 15 carries (3.1 ypc) and they also completed 19 of 36 passes for 137 yards.

Charlie Whitehurst saved his best for last with the Seahawks.  Whitehurst completed 22 of 36 passes for 192 yards with 1 TD pass and 0 INTs.  He also carried the ball 8 times for 30 yards (3.8 ypc) in this game.  Marshawn Lynch led the way on the ground for the Seahawks in this game with 75 yards rushing on 20 carries (3.8 ypc).  Justin Forsett pitched in with 3 carries for 28 yards (9.3 ypc) and 3 catches for 22 yards (7.3 avg) in this game.  Leon Washington only rushed for 4  yards on 1 carry in this game but he also caught 3 passes for 24 yards (8.0 avg).  WRs Ruvell Martin (3 rec, 85 yards), Ben Obomanu (5 rec, 39 yards) and Mike Williams (3 rec, 16 yards, TD) led the way for the Seahawks in the passing game last night.  The Seahawks finished up with 141 yards rushing on 35 carries (4.0 ypc) and they also completed 22 of 36 passes for 192 yards in this game.  The Seahawks tied the Rams with a 7-9 record but they won the NFC West because of the tiebreakers.  They will host the New Orleans Saints this weekend in the NFL Playoffs.

This is a winner take it all game.  The winner will be the NFC West Champion earning a home game against either the New Orleans Saints or Atlanta Hawks next weekend.  The Seahawks are 4-3 at home this year while the Rams are only 2-5 on the road.  So the Seahawks hope that Qwest Field will be really loud tomorrow night and act as the 12th man.  The Rams won the first meeting between these teams 20-3 in St. Louis earlier this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Seahawks have the ball:  No matter which QB starts this game (Matt Hasselbeck or Charlie Whitehurst) the Seahawks are going to try to run the ball more than usual.  The Rams are giving up 111.3 yards rushing per game and 4.5 yards per carry so Marshawn Lynch and Justin Forsett should have some success.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see some Wildcat Formation with Michael Robinson running it either.  The Seahawks’ O-Line will have to step up in this game as the Rams have 43 sacks so far this year.  If Hasselbeck or Whitehurst have time to throw the ball, there are plays to be made as the Rams are giving up 225.7 yards passing per game.

When the Rams have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to have to focus on stopping Steven Jackson in this game.  That will be easier said than done as he is a very solid back who likes to run downhill.  The Seahawks need to get to Sam Bradford in this game to protect the secondary as the Seahawks are giving up 257.1 yards passing per game this year. 

PREDICTION:  SEAHAWKS 23, RAMS 20

29-year old DE Chris Clemons was pretty much an afterthought in a deal with the Eagles over the summer.  But, he has turned into one of the best players on the Seahawks’ D this year.  Clemons has played in 15 games for the Seahawks so far this year and he has 47 tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 4 passes defensed, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.  Clemons has now played in 83 games in his first six years in the NFL and he has 109 tackles, 30.5 sacks, 9 passes defensed and 6 forced fumbles.  Clemons is a late bloomer and the Seahawks are a tad lucky to have him.