On this date: Knox hired
A look the memorable moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 26:
1983: Chuck Knox is named head coach. Knox previously had coached the Rams (1973-77) and Bills (1978-82), guiding seven of his 10 teams to the playoffs and winning six division titles. He would lead the Seahawks to their initial playoff berth, and the AFC Championship game, in his first season.
1999: Mike Reinfeldt is named senior vice president, following executive VP of football operations/general manager and coach Mike Holmgren from Green Bay to Seattle.
On this date: Solari hired
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 25:
2008: Mike Solari is named offensive line coach on Mike Holmgren’s staff, for Holmgren’s final season as coach.
The Hall for Holmgren
The city of Green Bay already has a Holmgren Way, so why not put Mike Holmgren in the Packers’ Hall of Fame?
It will happen this summer, when the coach who led the Packers to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances after the 1996 and 1997 seasons joins an illustrious group. Holmgren left Green Bay in 1999 to become coach of the Seahawks and led them to the most successful five-season stretch in franchise history as they won the NFC Championship and advance to the Super Bowl in 2005, captured four consecutive NFC West titles and advanced to the playoffs five seasons in a row.
Holmgren’s presenter will be Ron Wolf, the team’s former general manager who hired him to coach the Packers in 1992.
“When I asked him, he said, “Don’t expect me to blow a lot of smoke your way,’ ” Holmgren joked during a teleconference this morning with reporters who cover the Packers. “I said, ‘I totally understand, and just keep it short.’ ”
Wolf already is in the Packers’ Hall of Fame, as are Curly Lambeau, Don Hutson, Jim Ringo, Vince Lombardi, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke and Reggie White, among others.
Wednesday cyber surfing: No news is good news
Good morning. Here’s what’s “out there” about the Seahawks for today, Jan. 18:
Danny O’Neil at the Seattle Times wonders what he has missed the past two weeks, and answers his own query: Not much. Offers O’Neil: “For the first time since 2001, Seattle was not either a) in the playoffs, or b) making a significant front-office move. Seriously, go back, look it up. After the 2002 season, Mike Holmgren got defrocked of GM responsibilities. In 2003 through 2007, the Seahawks were in the postseason. After 2008, the Seahawks completed the world’s most ham-handed head-coaching transition from Holmgren to Jim Mora and after the following season, Pete Carroll was brought in as the Seahawks’ effectively hit the reset button. This has been a most uneventful offseason so far.”
Chris Clemons didn’t make Matt Williamson’s list at ESPN.com of the Top 5 pass-rushers in the league, but the Seahawks’ Leo end did get honorable mention.
Bucky Brooks at NFL.com ranks his Top 50 players for the April NFL Draft, including QBs at No. 1 (Andrew Luck) and No. 3 (Robert Griffin III) and a familiar running back at No. 50: “Chris Polk, Washington. Crafty runner with a workmanlike game that is built for the pros. He excels between the tackles, but is an underrated receiver capable of staying on the field as a three-down weapon.”
Also at NFL.com, Jamie Dukes breaks down his needs for each of the 32 teams and has this to say about the Seahawks: “Pied Piper Pete Carroll picked a pair of pickled quarterbacks. Though Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst haven’t been awful, their games have worms. See the above comments on serviceable quarterbacks (Kyle Orton and Matt Cassel are serviceable quarters in KC, but serviceable only wins Super Bowls once a millennium). Jamie’s Judgment: Find a franchise quarterback, wide receiver or cornerback.”
Here at Seahawks.com, we check in with rookies K.J. Wright and Ricardo Lockette, who had some flattering things to say about the 12th MAN crowd at CenturyLink Field after experiencing what they had been told about: “ ‘I loved it,’ Wright said as the players were cleaning out their cubicles in the locker room at Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Jan. 2. ‘Guys had told me about this crowd, but I wasn’t expecting this at all. This crowd has been amazing. It’s a blessing to play for this team because we get to play in front of that crowd.’ ”
There’s also a dandy video of Marshawn Lynch’s greatest hits from the 2011 season, as well as a blog item on the playoff success of the four NFC West teams that might surprise you: “Since 2004, the division the Seahawks share with the 49ers, Cardinals and Rams has won at least one playoff game in each of the eight postseasons – including the Seahawks from 2005-07 and again in 2010. No other division in the NFC can make that claim.”
The division-rival Rams have a new coach – Jeff Fisher – and Mike Sando at ESPN.com offers his first impressions from the introductory news conference including this one on Fisher’s immediate goal: “Fisher pointed to becoming competitive within the NFC West as his top priority. The Rams were 0-6 in the division this season. Fisher said he would field a “disciplined, tough, physical football team” that can win in the division. He wants to field a team that runs the ball, protects the quarterback and forces turnovers.” Welcome to the club, and the division, Jeff.
On this date
A look at the memorable – and not-so-memorable – moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 14:
1999: New head coach Mike Holmgren hires eight assistants from his staff with the Packers to join him with Seahawks: Mike Sherman, offensive coordinator/tight ends; Fritz Shurmur, defensive coordinator; Tom Lovat, offensive line; Larry Brooks, defensive line; Nolan Cromwell, wide receivers; Jim Lind, linebackers; Ken Flajole, defensive backs; and Kent Johnson, strength and conditioning.
2005: Bob Whitsitt is relieved of his duties as president of football operations.
2006: The Seahawks win their first playoff game since 1984 with a 20-10 victory over the Redskins in a wild-card game in Seattle. Darrell Jackson catches nine passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, while Matt Hasselbeck runs for TD.
2007: Robbie Gould kicks a 41-yard field goal to tie the game with 4½ minutes remaining in regulation and then hits a 49-yarder in overtime to give the Bears a 27-24 victory over the Seahawks in a divisional playoff game at Soldier Field. Shaun Alexander runs for 108 yards and two touchdowns, but is stopped for a 2-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 play from the Bears’ 44-yard line with two minutes left in regulation.
On this date
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 13:
2009: Jim Mora is formally announced as head coach of the Seahawks to replace Mike Holmgren. Mora had been the team’s defensive backs coach in 2007-2008 on Holmgren’s staff.
On this date
A look at the memorable – and not-so-memorable – moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 12:
1995: Dennis Erickson, who grew up in Everett, is named head coach of the Seahawks. It is first NFL job, and Erickson comes to his hometown team after compiling a 63-9 record in six seasons at the University of Miami. Erickson also brings six members of the Hurricanes staff with him: Gregg Smith, assistant head coach/tight ends; Greg McMackin, defensive coordinator; Dave Arnold, special teams; Dana LeDuc, strength and condition coach; Rich Olson, quarterbacks; and Willy Robinson, defensive backs.
2000: Steve Sidwell is named defensive coordinator on Mike Holmgren’s staff – replacing Jim Lind, who stepped in for the 1999 season after longtime Holmgren assistant Fritz Shurmur died of cancer.
2008: The Seahawks jump to a 14-0 lead in their divisional playoff game against the Packers at Lambeau Field, as Ryan Grant fumbles twice in Green Bay’s first three plays to set up a touchdown run by Shaun Alexander and Matt Hasselbeck’s TD pass to Bobby Engram. But then the Packers, and the snow, bury the Seahawks in a 42-20 loss in what is Brett Favre’s final victory with Green Bay. Grant bounces back to run for 201 yards and three TDs, while Favre completes 18 of 23 passes and throws for three TDs.
2009: Gus Bradley is named defensive coordinator on Jim Mora’s staff.
On this date
A look at the memorable – and not-so-memorable – moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 8:
1984: The Seahawks take the field at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for the AFC Championship Game against the Raiders to the Pointer Sisters singing the national anthem and a crowd of 88,734 shaking silver-and-black Mylar pom-poms. But this one is over before it’s over, as Dave Krieg (three) and Jim Zorn (two) combine to throw five interceptions and Marcus Allen carries 25 times for 154 yards and also catches seven passes for 62 yards in the Raiders’ 30-14 victory.
1992: Larry Kennan is named offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach on the staff of Tom Flores, who replaces Chuck Knox as head coach. Kennan had been selected coach of the year in the World League of American Football after guiding the London Monarchs to the league title and an 11-1 record.
1999: Mike Holmgren is named executive vice president of football operations/general manager and head coach. Holmgren, who had guided the Packers to two Super Bowls, replaces Dennis Erickson. The Seahawks give up a second-round draft choice to the Packers as compensation for signing Holmgren.
2005: Matt Hasselbeck’s pass on fourth-and-four from the 5-yard line with 27 seconds to play goes off the hands of Bobby Engram in the end zone and the Rams escape with a 27-20 victory in a wild-card playoff game in Seattle. Hasselbeck passes for 341 yards, joining Dan Fouts and the Rams’ Marc Bulger as the only quarterbacks to pass for 300-plus yards in his first two playoff games. Darrell Jackson catches 12 passes for 128 yards and a TD as the Seahawks roll up 413 yards.
2010: Jim Mora is relieved of his duties as head coach after just one season, and a 5-11 record.
2011: The Seahawks stun the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints 41-36 in a very-wild wild-card playoff game in Seattle, as Matt Hasselbeck passes for four touchdowns and Marshawn Lynch ices the victory with an electrifying 67-yard touchdown with 3½ remaining where he breaks eight tackles and the celebration of his effort triggers seismic activity near the stadium.
On this date
A look at a memorable moment in Seahawks history that occurred on Jan. 1:
2006: Shaun Alexander scores his NFL-record 28th touchdown and coach Mike Holmgren then rests the remainder of his starters as the playoff-bound Seahawks fall to the Packers 23-17 at Lambeau Field in their regular-season finale. The loss snaps a club-record 11-game winning streak.
On this date
A look at the memorable – and not-so-memorable – moments in Seahawks history that occurred on Dec. 31:
1983: The Seahawks drive 66 yards in five plays to a touchdown run by Curt Warner in the fourth quarter and Norm Johnson adds a 37-yard field goal as they upset the Dolphins 27-20 in an AFC divisional playoff game at the Orange Bowl – a victory that sends the Seahawks to the AFC Championship game in their first season under Chuck Knox. Warner runs for 113 yards and another TD, while Dave Krieg passes 16 yards to Steve Largent on third-and-2 and then hits him for a 40-yarder to the Dolphins’ 2-yard line on the drive to Warner’s game-winner.
1988: After capturing their first division title, the Seahawks fall to the Bengals 21-13 in a divisional playoff game at Riverfront Stadium. Dave Krieg rallies them from a 21-0 deficit by throwing for one touchdown and running for another in the fourth quarter, while John L. Williams catches 11 passes for 137 yards.
2002: Mike Holmgren relinquishes his role as general manager and fires his defensive coaching staff in the wake of a 7-9 season.
2006: The playoff-bound Seahawks push their regular-season record to 9-7 with a 23-7 victory over the Buccaneers in Tampa as Shaun Alexander runs for 92 yards and a touchdown and Josh Brown kicks three field goals.
