Seahawks Crush Saints, Clinch Playoff Spot
By Todd Pheifer
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
The Seattle Seahawks took care of business against the New Orleans Saints, dominating Drew Brees and company by a decisive score of 34-7. For Seattle fans the game was a lot of fun, but in terms of a competitive contest, the matchup did not exactly live up to the hype.
Russell Wilson was sharp, the offensive line provided great protection and the defense was truly dominant. Wilson hit nine different receivers, threw three touchdowns and had no picks. A truly decisive win.
Leading into this game, there was some concern about the loss of Walter Thurmond to a four-game suspension. It is fair to suggest that the rest of the secondary picked up the slack as they limited Brees to 147 yards through the air.
The Seahawks also became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot in 2013, and they took one more step towards home field advantage during the postseason. Life is good at CenturyLink Field.
Oh, and the fans set the Guinness World Record for crowd noise (again). Maybe fans of the Kansas City Chiefs can take it up another (decibel) level in the future.
This had all the makings of a high-scoring shootout, and the Seahawks certainly provided their share of offense (429 yards). As talented as the Saints are, they could not get into an offensive rhythm against the relentless Seahawks defense. The Legion of Boom was definitively in the house.
There is one small critique of this team, though it is not a major issue. This defense does commit the occasional penalty that could seemingly be avoided. When you are as physical and aggressive as the Seahawks are, there is the risk that the defense will get flagged for extra pass interference or roughing the passer calls.
In the playoffs, a crucial mistake could make the difference between getting a stop and letting a drive continue. You don’t want the ‘Hawks to lower the energy, but the defense does need to use their heads.
Right now, 11-1 feels very good. Bring on the San Francisco 49ers.