Back in the Playoffs

• First Seahawks playoff game since 2007 season. Woo hoo! I like the Hawks +10.5. I think they have a chance to win, but it's a long shot. Betting is legal here but i don't think they have football Americano. It's difficult to remember that the 'Hawks used to be in the playoffs every year.
  
  Here's the skinney;

1. RB's Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas are out for NO. This means Reggie One Fraudulent Heisman in Hand is worth two in the Bush and Orange Julius Jones will get most of the work. Jones was cut by the Hawks earlier this year. Jones is a shadow of the back he once was with Dallas. Bush has been hurt, has very few rushing yards, and doesn't respond well to being pounded by defenses. But he is a threat to catch slants and crap like that.
   
2. The Saints are 0-3 all time in Road playoff games. Qwest field is a nasty place to play.
   
3. The Saints have a short week and have to fly 2,097.29 miles. It's the equivalent of a 14:30 start, Central Time.
4. Brees passed for 4,620 yards and had 33 TD's, but also had 22 INT's.
   
5. NO looked awful vs. Tampa in NO, but they really had nothing to play for as Atlanta losing to CAR was improbable. Tampa also crushed Seattle in TB.
   

FOR SEATTLE TO WIN

1. They have to not commit turnovers and force at least 2.
   
2. Forsett is key. He's more mobile at RB. Lynch is the a nice switch as a battering ram
3. I would start Hass and then bring in Whitehurst maybe every third series to keep The NO defense guessing. It's risky, but the Hawks are playing with house money.
4. Knocking Brees out of the game wouldn't hurt.
   

And the answer to Sunday's trivia question, the only team to ever play in the NFC and AFC Championship Games; The Seattle Seahawks: AFC '83 season, NFC 2005 season

Matchup

	NO	SEA
W-L	11-5	7-9
Avg Points	24.0	19.4
Avg Points Allowed	19.2	25.4
Home Record	5-3	5-3
Road Record	6-2	2-6
Division Record	4-2	4-2
Conference Record	9-3	6-6
Complete Standings

Passing Leaders

New Orleans	CMP%	YDS	TD	INT
D. Brees	68.1	4620	33	22
C. Daniel	66.7	16	0	0
Seattle	CMP%	YDS	TD	INT
M. Hasselbeck	59.9	3001	12	17
C. Whitehurst	57.6	507	2	3

Rushing Leaders

New Orleans	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
C. Ivory	137	716	5.2	5
P. Thomas	83	269	3.2	2
Seattle	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Lynch	165	573	3.5	6
J. Forsett	118	523	4.4	2

Receiving Leaders

New Orleans	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Colston	84	1023	12.2	7
L. Moore	66	763	11.6	8
Seattle	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
M. Williams	65	751	11.6	2
B. Obomanu	30	494	16.5	4

Team Averages & NFL Ranks

TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	NOR	373.0
	SEA	298.0
Yards Passing	NOR	277.6
	SEA	208.8
Yards Rushing	NOR	94.9
	SEA	89.0
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	NOR	306.3
	SEA	368.6
Pass Yds Allowed	NOR	193.9
	SEA	249.6
Rush Yds Allowed	NOR	112.3
	SEA	118.9

Head to Head Matchups (Since 2001)

Series tied 2-2
Nov 21, 2010	NOR 34, SEA 19
Oct 14, 2007	NOR 28, @SEA 17
Sep 12, 2004	NOR 7, SEA 21
Sep 7, 2003	NOR 10, @SEA 27