NFL Playoffs: Seattle Seahawks' Road to Super Bowl Opens Up

So what if I suggested that the Seattle Seahawks would win the NFC? If I had not changed the title of my last article from "The Seahawks Will Win" to "Will the Seahawks Win," I might have more credence for this prediction. Yet, as with all crazies who predict that lower seeds in the NFL Playoffs will win, every once in a while, they are right.

The Seattle Seahawks are now into the second round of the NFL Playoffs, and just like in the first game, they could win each of their next games. Just like all the teams that will be left after today.

If you are a doubter, you do not believe that the Seahawks have a chance against either the Chicago Bears or the Atlanta Falcons next week. Yet, for all that hype about these other two teams, and the fans who clog the blogs with their smack-down talk, remember three key facts.

Any given Sunday will come again next week.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has taken the Seahawks to the Super Bowl before.

And the one thing that Pete Carroll can do is get his team to think Super Bowl.

For the first point, just remember that five NFL Wild Card teams have not only made it to the Super Bowl, they have won it all. They are the Oakland Raiders (Super Bowl XV), Denver Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII), the Baltimore Ravens (Super Bowl XXXV), Pittsburgh Steelers (Super Bowl XL) and New York Giants (Super Bowl XLII). Most if not all of these teams had made it to the Super Bowl before.

For the second point, most if not all of these Super Bowl winners had not had a quarterback who was already at a Super Bowl. But Hasselbeck has already been to one. In fact, in 2005 before the remaking of the Seahawks, Hasselbeck had one of the best performances of any quarterback during the season. He was a Pro Bowl selection, NFC champion and had top passer rating in the NFC.

Hasselbeck has been seriously injured since 2005. Despite these injuries, he has kept his statistics up, and in 2006 managed to take top-seeded Chicago to overtime in the game against them in the second round of the playoffs.

Fairly repaired, although still requiring near game-time hip draining due to an injury and undoubtedly playing in pain, Hasselbeck could find himself in Chicago again, assuming that Green Bay beats Philadelphia a possibility that I see as more likely than not.

Memories are often significant in playoff games, and Chicago does not have the same defense they had in 2006. A win there is a distinct possibility.

Finally, we have the Pete Carroll coaching philosophy and express. These have taken teams far in the past. And this one seems destined to do more in part due to the philosophy.

After the game, Carroll and Hasselbeck let us know what this philosophy is:

We have one objective every year. To reach the Super Bowl. And there, if things work out, a championship. There was nothing else this year, and nothing else in practice last week.

It sounds simple enough, yet the key is to have enough coaching talent to make the players believe. Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, does not have anything more.

These are two coaches destined to meet some day, at which time Katy bar the door in terms of the outcome.

Of course, it still seems far-fetched that this will be the season when this happens. Yet, there are no better coaches in either conference, and there is a good argument that they are the best, with the help of their quarterbacks, in each conference.

And in the end, that is all it takes to win any given football game.

Good luck, allowing a team to win on any given Sunday. A very good quarterback. And a top-quality head coach.