Story Published:
Dec 18, 2005 at 8:04 PM PDT
Story Updated:
Aug 20, 2006 at 10:48 PM PDT
- By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Seattle Seahawks don't want to worry
about what any other team in the NFL is doing.
With each victory, they are closer to making that reality.
Matt Hasselbeck threw three touchdown passes, including a
2-yarder to Darrell Jackson in the fourth quarter, and the Seahawks
rallied for a 28-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday
that clinched a first-round bye for the NFC West champions.
Seattle (12-2) won its 10th straight for the first time in team
history and also matched the 1984 squad for most victories in a
season.
The Seahawks had a chance to wrap up home-field advantage in the
playoffs - another club first - on Sunday night, but NFC
North-leading Chicago beat Atlanta in the late game to improve to
10-4.
"Our goal right now is to get the first-round bye," Hasselbeck
said. "We got it. Our next goal is to play at home. If Chicago
takes care of business, great. If they don't, that's fine too. ...
Instead of rooting for teams, it's been nice not to have to worry
about teams."
The Seahawks planned to watch the Atlanta-Chicago game via
satellite on their flight home to Seattle on a jet from chairman
Paul Allen. Coach Mike Holmgren planned to enjoy this victory
before worrying about Saturday's game with Indianapolis.
"This might be the only time I ever root for the Falcons,"
Holmgren said.
Hasselbeck finished with 285 yards as the Seahawks beat the
Titans (4-10) for the fifth straight time in their first meeting
since 1998.
Shaun Alexander also ran for a touchdown, giving him an NFL-best
24, and the league's best rusher coming into the weekend became
only the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 1,600 yards in
consecutive seasons. He finished with 26 carries for 172 yards.
"It's great to know I'm going to be in the second round of the
playoffs," Alexander said. "This is a new door for us, but it's
something we've been preparing for for a long time, so we're really
excited."
The Titans weren't happy with coming up close. They have lost
five games by eight points or less this season.
"I'm not going to sit here and say we're four points behind a
team that's got the best record in the NFC," Titans coach Jeff
Fisher said. "I can tell you this. I'm proud of the fight and
proud of everything I got out of our football team."
The Seahawks had to work a little harder in this game after
blowing out Philadelphia and San Francisco the previous two weeks.
Steve McNair, playing perhaps his final game in The Coliseum
with a $50 million bonus due in the offseason, chewed up one of the
NFL's better defenses by attacking a secondary missing three
defensive backs to injury.
He led the Titans to 24 straight points and a 24-14 lead midway
through the third quarter. He threw for 310 yards and two
touchdowns, and Jarrett Payton also ran for a TD.
The Titans had a chance to pad their lead at the beginning of
the fourth quarter, after keeping the drive alive with a fake punt
for a 26-yard completion. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Seattle 6,
Chris Brown tried to run right and was stopped for a 1-yard loss.
Hasselbeck responded with a 13-play, 93-yard drive that ended
when Jackson scored the go-ahead touchdown with 8:59 to go. Jackson
was playing and starting for the first time since Seattle started
this winning streak on Oct. 2 after missing time with a knee
injury.
That left the Titans plenty of time, but McNair threw incomplete
on a pass on fourth-and-2 at the Seattle 34.
"Teams like us, who haven't had as many wins, we kind of
stumble a little bit to try to make some plays instead of keeping
our composure as well," Titans tight end Ben Troupe said.
Seattle started the game where it left off after winning by a
combined score of 83-3 in the previous two games. The Seahawks
outgained Tennessee 195-24 on offense with Alexander rushing for 87
yards on his first eight carries.
Then Tennessee's Antwan Odom sliced through the line and blocked
a 36-yard field goal attempt by Josh Brown early in the second.
McNair moved the Titans on three straight drives of at least 78
yards that gave them a 21-14 lead early in the third.
Notes: Hasselbeck hasn't been intercepted in six road games this
season, a stretch of 177 passing attempts. ... Jackson finished
with six catches for 72 yards. ... McNair's second TD pass put him
over 3,000 yards passing for the fifth time in his career and
fourth in the past five seasons. The quarterback also wished his
wife, Mechelle, a happy birthday on the Jumbotron.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)