FOXBORO, Mass. – In a part of the country where a disappointing baseball team has led the hometown fans to adopt the mantra, “At least we’ve still got the Patriots,” the local football team has forced Seattle sports enthusiasts to create a new slogan of their own.
At least we’ve still got … the Storm?
OK, maybe it’s not quite that bad. But a second consecutive loss Sunday left Seattle Seahawks fans wondering whatever happened to their little gridiron juggernaut.
Well, they’re not dead yet.
Although the Seahawks dropped into a first-place tie in the NFC West following a 30-20 loss to New England on Sunday, they showed in the process that they have what it takes to compete with the best.
The Seahawks (3-2) rallied from a huge first-half deficit to get within striking distance in the fourth quarter. But the Patriots – imagine this, Seahawks fans – hung on in the end to win their 20th consecutive game.
“They have been in more situations like this, and they are more experienced than we are,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said afterward. “They are a very veteran and smart team, and that is our goal: to get there.”
The win gave New England (5-0) its 17th regular season win in a row, which tied an NFL record held by the 1933-34 Chicago Bears. The Patriots have not lost since Sept. 2003, with three postseason wins that don’t officially count in the 17-game streak.
More often than not, the Patriots’ string of victories has included games that looked just like the one at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. New England rarely blows teams out, yet always seems to find a way to come out on top.
“They just know how to win,” Seahawks linebacker Orlando Huff said. “They don’t win big, they don’t win pretty, but they win.”
The Seahawks found themselves within striking distance – trailing 23-17 with four minutes to go and staring at a first down at the New England 10-yard line – but failed to get into the end zone because of a myriad of mistakes. They settled for a field goal, then watched the Patriots go 63 yards in five plays to put the game away on Corey Dillon’s second touchdown of the afternoon.
That Seattle was even within striking distance was a minor miracle considering the way the day started.
The Seahawks, who entered the game without having allowed a single point in the first quarter all season, fell behind 10-0 through no fault of the defense. Matt Hasselbeck threw interceptions on each of Seattle’s first two drives to help New England build a 10-0 lead.
That margin grew to 20-6 at halftime, as the Patriots scored on each of their first four possessions. The only time New England didn’t put points on the board during the first half was on the final drive, which included a single play in which quarterback Tom Brady knelt down to run out the clock.
After allowing just 13 points over the first three games combined, the Seahawks found themselves in a stretch in which they had given up 46 points in 39 minutes. Most of that came during the St. Louis Rams’ comeback the previous week.
“We almost did the opposite of last week,” Seattle offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson said. “This time we started out (poorly), and then played the rest of the game.”
Despite the Pats’ comfortable lead, the Seahawks showed no signs of giving up. Seattle drove 73 yards in 11 plays on its opening drive of the second half, then settled for a field goal to cut the deficit to 20-9. New England, meanwhile, failed to score on its first four possessions after halftime.
A diving interception by Seattle rookie safety Michael Boulware ended a Patriots drive early in the fourth quarter, then Shaun Alexander scored from 9 yards out to pull the Seahawks within five points. Jerramy Stevens converted the two-point conversion with a catch in the end zone, and suddenly Seattle found itself within 20-17 with 11:05 remaining.
New England went 68 yards on the next drive, but had to settle for a field goal and a 23-17 lead with 6:43 to go. The Seahawks responded with a long drive of their own, setting up the first down at New England’s 13 with 3:57 left in the game.
An intentional grounding call on Hasselbeck forced Seattle into a third-and-22 at the 25, and eventually the Seahawks had to settle for Brown’s field goal.
After the Patriots extended their lead to 30-20 on Dillon’s 9-yard run, Seattle took a final drive all the way to the New England 1 before fullback Mack Strong was stopped at the goal line on the final play.
Afterward, the Seahawks were disappointed yet confident that they could compete with the best.
“We know we’re good,” wide receiver Koren Robinson said. “If we played them again next week, it would be a different game.”
The Seahawks could fall a half game behind the St. Louis Rams in the NFC West, depending on the outcome of tonight’s game. But with upcoming contests against three opponents with a combined 3-13 record, Seattle fans have reason to stay optimistic about their football team.
“We were hanging with the Super Bowl champs,” Boulware said. “They have a great team and a great streak going on, and to be able to hang with them was a positive.”
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