DO THE SEAHAWKS REALLY NEED TO PLAY A PERFECT GAME TO BEAT THE BEARS?

ALL THE SEAHAWKS HAVE TO DO IS PLAY THEIR GAME! THEIR GAME IS SOLID EXECUTION ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL. IN WEEK FOUR AGAINST THE BEARS, THE HAWKS JUST PLAYED POORLY AND LOST 37-6. IF THE SEAHAWKS PLAN TO WIN THIS GAME AGAINST THE BEARS THEY MUST LIMIT THERE MISTAKES.

MATT HASSELBACK IN WEEK 4 AGAINST THE BEARS THREW TWO BIG EARLY INTERCEPTIONS TO CORNERBACK RICKY MANNING JR. HASSELBACK MUST MAKE SMART THROWS AND DECISIONS WITH THE FOOTBALL. THROWING THE BALL AWAY AND TUCKING THE BALL IN AND RUNNNING, FAST REACTION DECISIONS ARE A MUST FOR HASSELBACK.

ON OFFENSE THE HAWKS PLAY-MAKERS MUST STEP UP AND MAKE PLAYS. HAWKS RUNNING BACK SHAUN ALEXANDER IS ONE OF THOSE PLAY-MAKERS. SHAUN MUST BE ABLE TO GET POSITIVE YARDS AGAINST A TOUGH BEARS DEFENSE. SEAHAWKS WIDE-OUTS AND TIGHT-ENDS CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE MANY DROPS. BRANCH, ENGRAM, HACKETT, STEVENS, AND IF HE PLAYS, JACKSON ALL MUST STEP-UP AND MAKE PLAYS. THE HAWKS OFFENSIVE LINE MUST PROTECT AND CONTAIN THE BEARS HEAVY RUSH. THAT HEAVY BEARS RUSH IS LEAD BY THE HEART OF THEIR DEFENSE, LINEBACKER #54 BRIAN URLACHER.
URLACHER WHO HAS 3 INTERCEPTIONS AND 142 TACKLES IS ONE OF THE BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE. HE'S FAST TO THE BALL AND CAUSES A LOT OF TURNOVERS DESPITE HAVING NO SACKS THIS YEAR. THE OTHER BEARS LINEBACKER, #55 LANCE BRIGGS IS NO BUM WITH 134 TACKLES AND 2 INTERCEPTIONS. BRIGGS IS ALSO A BIG PLAY-MAKER ON THE BEARS DEFENSE.

UP FRONT ON DEFENSE FOR THE BEARS THEIR BIG SURPRISE HAS BEEN A ROOKIE FROM ALABAMA DEFENSIVE END, #97 MARK ANDERSON WHO HAS 12 SACKS. ANDERSON, ALONG WITH #93 ADEWALE OGUNLEGE, AND #99 TANK JOHNSON WILL BRING THE PRESSURE TO MATT HASSELBACK. CORNERBACKS OF THE BEARS #24 RICKY MANNING JR. AND CHARLES TILLMAN LEAD THE BEARS WITH 5 INTERCEPTIONS.

THE SEAHAWKS DEFENSE MUST STOP THE RUN IF THEY PLAN ON BEATING THE BEARS. THE BEARS IN WEEK FOUR RUSHED FOR OVER 143 YARDS. BEARS RUNNING BACK #20 THOMAS JONES LEAD THEM IN WEEK FOUR AGAINST THE HAWKS, AND THE BEARS FOR YEAR WITH 1,210 YDS AND 6 TDS. THE WIDE-OUTS FOR THE BEARS ARE GOOD WITH #87 MUHSIN MUHAMMAD [60 REC. 863YDS. 6TDS] AND THE FAST #80 BEIRNARD BERRIAN [ 51 REC.-775YDS-6TDS]. THE BEARS QUARTERBACK REX GROSSMAN LIKES TO CHECK DOWN AND THROW TO HIS TIGHT-END #88 DESMOND CLARK [45 REC. -626YDS.-6TDS.]

BEARS QUARTERBACK #8 GROSSMAN WILL DETERMINE IF THE BEARS WIN WITH HIS PLAY. GROSSMAN [3,193 YDS.- 54.6% COMP. 23 TDS. 20 INTS.] HAS PLAYED VERY POOR AS OF LATE, AND THE SEAHAWKS HOPE HE WILL CONTINUE THAT THIS SUNDAY. WHEN IN TROUBLE, GROSSMAN LIKES TO FORCE THE BALL [INTS.] IN TRAFFIC AND THROW OFF HIS BACK FOOT. THE HAWKS DEFENSIVE FRONT FOUR MUST BRING THE PRESSURE TO REX GROSSMAN AND DISRUPT HIS TIMMING. HAWKS CORNERBACKS #27 BABINEAUX AND #21 JENNINGS PLAYED BIG LAST WEEK AGAINST THE COWBOYS. THEY BOTH MUST CONTINUE THEIR GREAT PLAY AGAINST THE BEARS AND KEEP BEAR WIDE-OUTS IN FRONT OF THEM WITH THE COVER TWO DEFENSE [ZONE].

SPECIAL TEAMS WILL BE BIG IN THIS GAME. FIELD POSITION WILL PLAY BIG IN THIS GAME. THE BEARS HAVE THE BEST PUNT AND KICK OFF RETURNER IN THE NFL IN #23 DEVIN HESTER. HESTER HAS 3 PUNT RETURNS FOR TDS, AND 2 KICK-OFFS FOR TDS AND HE'S FAST AND EXPLOSIVE. THE HAWKS KICKING AND PUNTING WILL PLAY A BIG PART IN THIS GAME. BACKING THE BEARS UP AND HAVING REX GROSSMAN THROWING ON THIRD AND LONGS WILL PLAY IN THE HAWKS FAVOR.

DRE206 BREAKDOWN:

SEAHAWK COACH MIKE HOLMGREN CANNOT CALL A CONSERVATIVE GAME ON OFFENSE FOR THE HAWKS. IF SEATTLE PLAYS A PREVENT OFFENSE AGAIN AND ALLOWS A TEAM LIKE THE BEARS TO STAY IN THE GAME, OR STAY AHEAD THEY WILL LOSE. SEATTLE MUST FORCE THE ISSUE AGAINST THE BEARS BY SCORING FIRST AND TAKING THE CROWD OUT EARLY. SCORING TOUCHDOWNS INSTEAD OF FIELD GOALS IN THE RED-ZONE WILL FORCE THE BEARS OFFENSE TO PANIC TO MAKE PLAYS WITH REX GROSSMAN. SEATLLE MUST TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL [NO TURNOVERS, NO SACKS]. SEATTLE MUST LIMIT THEIR PENALTIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE RED-ZONE.THE HAWKS MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES [GOOD FIELD POSITION].

SEATTLE MUST RUN THE FOOTBALL, PROTECT MATT HASSELBACK, STAY OUT OF THIRD AND LONGS, STOP THE BEARS RUN, PUT PRESSURE ON REX GROSSMAN, AND PREVENT DEVIN HESTER IN BEING A FACTOR.

SOUNDS LIKE SEATTLE MUST PLAY A PERFECT GAME?
...NO THEY JUST NEED TO PLAY THEIR GAME".

CAN THE SEAHAWKS PLAY THE "WILD CARD" AND FLUSH THE COWBOYS DOWN ROYALLY?

THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS MUST PLAY THEIR CARDS RIGHT AND NOT FOLD AGAINST THE COWBOYS. BOTH THE HAWKS AND THE COWBOYS HAVE BACK-DOORED THEIR WAY INTO THE PLAYOFFS. BOTH TEAMS HAVE LOST THERE LAST 3 OUT OF 4 GAMES OF THE REGULAR SEASON, BOTH ARE 9-7, AND BOTH TEAMS HAVE UNDER-ACHIEVED THE ENTIRE REGULAR SEASON. IF THE SEAHAWKS EXPECT TO WIN THIS PLAYOFF WILD GAME AGAINST THE COWBOYS THEY MUST DO ALOT OF THINGS RIGHT.

FIRST THE HAWKS ON OFFENSE MUST SET A TONE AND ESTABLISH A STEADY FLOWING TYPE OF OFFENSE. FLOWING BY POUNDING THE COWBOYS WITH THE RUN. ALEXANDER HAS ONLY AVG. 3.6 YARDS A CARRY ALL YEAR. THE SEAHAWKS OFFENSIVE-LINE MUST OPEN HOLES SO THAT ALEXANDER DOES NOT HAVE TO CUT BACK AGAINST THE GRAIN AT A REGULAR PACE. THE SEAHAWKS WIDE-OUTS MUST HOLD ON, AND CATCH THE BALL WHEN IT COMES THEIR WAY. DROPS WILL GIVE THE COWBOYS MOMENTUM AND THE BALL ON OFFENSE.

LONG DRIVES BY THE HAWKS OFFENSE WILL KEEP THE EXPLOSIVE COWBOYS OFFENSE OFF THE FIELD. SEATTLE QUARTERBACK MATT HASSELBACK MUST PLAY SMART. HASSELBACK CANNOT TURN THE BALL OVER WITH PICKS AND FUMBLES, AND MUST THROW THE BALL AWAY WHEN HE FILLS THE PRESSURE. THE SEAHAWKS OFFENSE MUST GET TOUCHDOWNS INSTEAD OF FIELD GOALS WHEN THEY GET INTO THE RED ZONE. IF THE HAWKS EXPECT TO HAVE A FIELD GOAL PARTY AGAINST THE COWBOYS EXSPLOSIVE OFFENSE, EXPECT A LOSS. SEATTLE MUST TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL AND NOT HAVE "SARAH LEE TURNOVERS" WITH THE FOOTBALL. THE HAWKS KNOW THE COWBOYS HAVE ALOT OF PLAY-MAKERS ON DEFENSE.

THE PLAY-MAKERS ON THE COWBOYS DEFENSE THAT LEAD THE CHARGE IS LINEBACKER #94 DEMARCUS WARE. WARE WHO HAS 11.5 SACKS THIS YEAR IS ALWAYS AROUND THE FOOTBALL AND MAKES ALOT OF BIG PLAYS FOR THE COWBOYS DEFENSE. THE OTHERS ARE THE HARD HITTING COWBOYS SAFETY # 31 ROY WILLIAMS WHO LEADS THE DALLAS WITH 5 INT. COWBOYS CORNERBACK #41 TERRENCE NEWMAN IS SOLID IN COVERING AND TACKELING.

THE HAWKS DEFENSE WILL BE TESTED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE GAME. THE COWBOYS ON OFFENSE HAVE MANY WEAPONS THAT THEY CAN GO TO AS WELL. COWBOYS QUARTERBACK #9 TONY ROMO WILL BE MAKING HIS PLAYOFF DEBUT. ROMO HAS STRUGGLED IN THE PAST FIVE GAMES WITH 8 INT. AND A HAND FULL OF FUMBLES. IF ROMO HAS TIME TO THROW HE WILL MAKE A LOT OF PLAYS DOWN THE FIELD WITH HIS ARM AND FEET. THE COWBOYS HAVE TWO WIDE-OUTS THAT HAVE OVER 1,000 YARD IN RECIEVING IN #81 TERRELL OWENS AND #83 TERRY GLENN. IT DOES NOT EVEN DROP OFF WITH THE COWBOYS TIGHT-END #82 JASON WITTIEN WHO HAS 64 REC. FOR 754 YDS. , AND THIRD WIDE-OUT #84 PATRICK CRAYTON WITH 36 RECEPTIONS, 516 YDS. AND 4TDS. SEAHAWKS CORNERBACKS #27 JORDAN BABINEAUX AND #21 KELLY JENNINGS WILL HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL WITH JUST OWENS AND GLENN. INJURED STARTING SEAHAWKS CORNERS MARCUS TRU-BURNT AND KELLY HERDON WHERE GETTING BURNT ALL YEAR LONG ON BIG PASS PLAYS BEFORE THEY BOTH GOT HURT. THE HAWKS SECONDARY WILL HAVE TO PLAY A LOT OF ZONE ON DEFENSE TOO TAKE AWAY OF A LOT OF THE BIG PLAYS. KEEPING EVERYTHING IN FRONT OF THEM WILL LIMIT THE COWBOY WIDE-OUTS GETTING PAST THEM FOR THE HAWKS DEFENSE.

THE COWBOYS LIKE TO KEEP A SOLID BALANCE ON OFFENSE BY RUNNING THE FOOTBALL WITH JONES AND BARBER. #21 RUNNING BACK JULIUS JONES HAS RUN FOR 1,084 YARDS AND 4TDS, WHILE THEIR OTHER EXPLOSIVE BACK, #24 MARION BARBER HAS RUN FOR 654 YARDS AND 14 TDS. BOTH JONES AND BARBER ARE SOLID RECIEVERS OUT THE BACK-FIELD AS WELL. SEATTLE'S DEFENSE WILL BE PICKING A LOT OF POISON WITH ALL THOSE WEAPONS ON THE COWBOYS OFFENSE. SEATTLE'S DEFENSE FIRST MUST FOCUS ON PUTTING PRESSURE ON COWBOYS QUARTERBACK TONY ROMO. PRESSURE, SACKS AND FORCING TURNOVERS WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN IF THE HAWKS EXPECT TO WIN THIS GAME.
SPECIAL TEAMS OF THE HAWKS CAN PLAY A BIG PART IN TRYING TO GET A WIN AGAINST THE COWBOYS. SEATTLE'S PUNTER RYAN PLACKEMIER CAN HELP THE HAWKS DEFENSE BY BACKING UP THE COWBOYS OFFENSE INSIDE THIER TWENTY YARD-LINE WITH SOLID PUNTS.
THE HAWKS OFFENSE MUST STAY POISED AND LIMIT THEIR PENALTIES [HOLDING, FALSE STARTS, DELAY OF GAME]. SEATTLE'S DEFENSE MUST PLAY AS A COHESIVE UNIT AND TRY TO CONTAIN THE COWBOYS OFFENSE.

"KNOW WHEN TO HOLD THEM AND KNOW WHEN TO FOLD THEM".
PLAYING THEIR CARDS RIGHT WILL GIVE THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS A VICTORY AGAINST THE TEXAS TWO-STEPPING COWBOYS!

-Dre206, Jan 6/07, 7:00am