The Seattle Seahawks have had many successes for being such a young team, having completed their 40th season as of the end of 2015. The Seahawks have 19 winning seasons, 17 losing seasons and 4 seasons with even records of 8 wins and 8 losses. In 2010, they became the first team in NFL history (during a non-strike season) to end the regular season with a losing record of 7-9 and still earn a spot in the playoffs. They did this by winning their division, the NFC West. They went on to defeat the reigning Super Bowl champion, the New Orleans Saints, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Even though they were called the worst playoff team ever because of their regular season record, they obviously weren’t so bad, becoming the first team ever to win a playoff game with a losing record and beating the former title holder. The Seahawks are also the only team in the NFL to never have tied a game with another team.
At the end of their 40th season, the Seahawks finally turned their overall franchise record into a winning one with 330 wins, 327 losses, and a .502 winning percentage. This is another first for the Seahawks in their history, having both a winning regular season and postseason record. Although they just turned their overall record around, they have appeared in the playoffs 15 times. They have won their division championship nine times, twice in the AFC and seven times in the NFC. The Seahawks are also the only team to have played in both AFC and NFC Championship Games. They have won three conference championships, sending them to three Super Bowls, but they were only able to win one NFL Title.
The Seahawks are the only post-merger expansion team to play in consecutive Super Bowls in 2014 and 2015. In their first Super Bowl appearance in 2006, they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this game because numerous calls made by the officiating crew impacted the outcome. The Seahawks’ head coach at the time, Mike Holmgren, who is also their most successful coach with 86 wins, was quite unhappy with the role the officials played. Strangely, the NFL justified the calls made during the game to the public. However, their unspoken admission of the calls being questionable is clear because they didn’t fine Holmgren for criticizing the officials when he commented that his team wasn’t only playing against the Steelers, but “the guys in the striped shirts” too. In 2014, the Seahawks were victorious against the Denver Broncos, but the following year they lost to the New England Patriots.
The Seahawks have had many talented players over the years. Matt Hasselbeck is their all-time passing leader with 29,434 yards. Their all-time rushing leader is Shaun Alexander with 9,429 yards. He won the NFL’s MVP award for offensive player of the year in 2005. Steve Largent is their all-time receiving leader with 13,089 yards. He is also considered be some to be the franchise’s most valuable player of all time. Other great players who played for the Seahawks include Walter Jones, Jr., Cortez Kennedy, Dave Krieg, Warren Moon, and Curt Warner. Current players of note include Marshawn Lynch, Russell Wilson, and Tarvaris Jackson.
By: Erin Irish