Seahawks Lucky Or Good?

john1981cr · Joined: 16 Aug 2006 Posts: 111

By Tim Sullivan
Inspin.com/WagerWeb.com contributing writer

Home-field advantage is good. Talented players and coaches help, as well.
But no matter how skilled a team is -- at this time of year -- everyone can use a little luck here and there.
This week's recipient? The Seattle Seahawks.
Look, who knows what's in store for the defending NFC champions. They play the top-seeded Bears Sunday (Chicago is -9 on WagerWeb.com) in the divisional round at Soldier Field and perhaps they ride the luck train all the way back to the conference title game.
But the opposite is possible as well. The Bears may just squash a team that, quite frankly, might not deserve to still be in the tournament.
"I guess this is a comment to my age," Seattle coach Mike Holmgren said. "You coach long enough, you end up seeing just about everything."
Holmgren, a seasoned, three-time Super Bowl participant, uttered those words late Saturday night in Seattle, after Dallas quarterback Tony Romo mishandled the snap on what would have been likely the game-winning kick by Martin Gramatica in the final minutes. The Seahawks escaped with a 21-20 victory and thanked their lucky stars all the way back to their locker room.
"Some unusual things happened," Holmgren said. "That's the playoffs for you."
But sometimes these things work against you the next week. And other times -- when the fortunate team ends up playing a superior team -- it doesn't even matter. They simply get overwhelmed.
That may be the case with the Seahawks. The Bears, warts and all, will be well rested and raring to go. They've heard all the critics, all the non-believers, and, let's face it, as mediocre as the conference may be, they are still the best of the bunch.
Or so the numbers and seedings say.
"I'm as proud of this team," Holmgren said, "as any team I've ever coached."
We'll see if he's saying the same thing in a week.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BOBBY: The University of Louisville was on the cusp of greatness. Sure, the Cardinals won the Orange Bowl title as well as the Big East Conference this season and figure to finish in the Top 5 when the final polls are released.
But, oh, next year could have been simply special, could have been a national championship season. The Cardinals will get their powerful workhorse running back Michael Bush back next season. Quarterback Brian Brohm, easily an NFL first rounder, was expected to return as well. And many of the Cardinals' tough games next season -- i.e. against Rutgers, the lone team to defeat Louisville this year -- will be at home.
And it doesn't stop there. The Cardinals are set up for 2008 as well, as they received a commitment in August from ballyhooed high school quarterback Matt Simms, the brother of Tampa Bay Buccaneer Chris Simms, and the son of former New York Giant great, Phil Simms.
But everything is on hold now, as Coach Bobby Petrino bolted for the Atlanta Falcons less than a week after that 24-13 victory over Wake Forest in Miami. Forget Brohm and Bush. Petrino now has names like Vick and Dunn to worry about.
Listen, the Cardinals may be able to recover. If everyone stays, if all the commitments arrive, Louisville could again be great, no matter who the next coach is. But the money and the glory of the NFL was too much for Petrino to turn down.
And it's a shame for a rising program in a rising conference -- the Big East went 5-0 in bowls this season -- to have to lose out because of those NFL dollars, all $24 million of them.

EXTRA POINTS: Eagles wide receiver Donte' Stallworth had a decent day in the 23-20 victory over the Giants Sunday. He had three catches for 41 yards and a touchdown. But what was with the Heisman pose in the end zone? Stallworth never came close to that type of hardware when he was a Tennessee Volunteer. The Eagles take on the Saints on Saturday night; Philly is +5 on WagerWeb.com. ... Count Jets rookie running back Leon Washington as one to watch next season. The fourth-rounder from Florida State had 50 yards on 11 carries and 25 yards on four receptions in the 37-16 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.

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