Seattle Seahawks Hard To Take Seriously as a Playoff Team

Is this really a playoff team?

After watching this game, forget about the Seahawks making the playoffs.

This stinker of a performance revealed all the team's flaws. Forget Matt Hasselbeck's absence for a second. This was more about the team's defense, offensive line and lack of a running game.

No one expected a victory against the Giants. It was hard to win when Hasselbeck was out with a concussion, and it's unrealistic for Charlie Whitehurst to provide a spark at quarterback.

Still, there was no excuse to put on such a poor display yesterday afternoon. It should never happen at home.

It's time for this team to do some soul-searching. They have to ask themselves if they are good enough to win the division.

From watching this game, I find it hard to believe this team will make a run when Hasselbeck comes back. They have been exposed in the last two weeks.

Teams salivate going up against the Seahawks defense. In the last two games, quarterbacks and running backs have feasted on that defense.

Last week, the Raiders' Darren McFadden had his way with the Seahawks.  They never bothered to go out and tackle the guy. As good as he is, there's no reason for him to have it that easy.

Yesterday, the Giants ran for 197 yards, with Ahmad Bradshaw rushing for two touchdowns.

Eli Manning threw for 232 yards and three touchdowns. What was galling was he had all day to go out and throw. He had all the time he needed to pinpoint his receivers well.

What it came down to was the Giants setting the tempo of this game. There is no way a road team should be doing that at Qwest Field. Not when the stadium is known as a place where opposing teams have a hard time playing.

This was dominance from a visiting team. It's unheard of. One wonders how tough the Hawks defense is.

As for the offense, it isn't any better. The offensive line looks like a mess all around—some of them can't get to the quarterback, and some of them can't block.

They did not make Whitehurst's job easy. He was skittish all day. He ran for his life rather than find his receivers.

That line is one of the reasons Hasselbeck had that concussion. With the Giants defensive line going up against the Seahawks offensive line, it was a smart move not to play Hasselbeck. He would have been out for the year had he played Sunday, especially when looking at how the Giants defense knocks out quarterbacks.

Even if Hasselbeck comes back, there's no guarantee he won't get another concussion. Defenses will come up with a plan to go after him.

This game was over within 30 minutes. The Giants scored 21 points in the first quarter, and from there, Seattle fans were just numb. Hard to be loud when it's the other team doing all the scoring.

For all the talk about the 12th man, they were not going to have any impact. Not with a team like this.

This game being over early says something about this team. They are a soft football team. They can't win on the road, either.

One wonders if this team will make the playoffs.

Despite the Cardinals' struggles, they are in this race. The Rams may be a young team, but in this division, they're good enough to go to the playoffs. They have a defense and a quarterback who can do good things.

Who knows what to make of the Seahawks at this point? The schedule gets tougher. They play four more games on the road, with two of them taking place down South.

The Cardinals, Saints, Chiefs, Falcons, Buccaneers and Rams will not make it easy for the Hawks, and those are the games they need to win if they are to make the playoffs. Right now, those teams are superior to the Hawks.

There are also injuries the Hawks need to deal with. Losing Hasselbeck, Russell Okung, Golden Tate, Brandon Mebane, Colin Cole, Tyler Polumbus, Michael Robinson and Frank Okam does not help this team's cause. Who knows when they will come back? And if they do come back, can they be productive?

It's hard to believe things are going to get better all of a sudden. When a team is bad, that's just the way it is. After two months, this is what this team is all about.

Even if they win four games, it does not guarantee them a playoff spot. The Rams will likely make a run to the NFC West. They have the pieces to get it done.

Right now, the Rams are the favorite. That's the best team in the division. They have the defense and the offense. They are getting better, and that's good enough to win the division.

Sunday's Hawks performance against the Giants should give everyone pause. This was not one of those days. This was something that has been festering for a while.

No one can poo-poo this one.