Saturday, January 08, 2005
WILD-CARD PLAYOFF: RAMS/SEAHAWKS
Here's what I have for today's game.
Will there ever be precipitation at a home game for the Seahawks? Incredible.
Jeremy, it looks like you didn't get the Seahawks winning the opening coin flip like you wanted.
1ST QUARTER
>> 1st Saint Louis possession (STL 25)
14:49 Bulger pressured, right flat dumpoff to Faulk for no gain
14:20 Bulger over middle to Faulk for 12 and a first down (STL 37)
13:36 I HATE MYSELF. Bulger home-run ball left sideline to Holt for 52 yards and a first down (SEA 11). Every f$&%ing time. I'm f*$#ing tired of it.
13:07 Saint Louis timeout (1st)
13:03 Okeafor SACKS Bulger from the right side...EAT IT, BULGER!!! Loss of 5 (SEA 16)
12:29 draw to Jackson right side for 6 (3rd/9, SEA 10)
12:08 Kacyvenski down on the field, ABC takes a commercial break
11:51 FALSE START Saint Louis (Orlando Pace)...WAY TO GO, 12TH MAN!! (3rd/14, SEA 15)
11:36 Saint Louis timeout (2nd)...YEAH, FANS!!
***11:33 Bulger over the middle to Holt, diving catch TOUCHDOWN...Holmgren RED FLAG (I think it'll stand but this is a nice debate between Theismann and Maguire), and the result -- IT STANDS. I'm used to it by now (STL 7-0)
Come on, Seattle! As soon as Bulger put up that pass to Holt, my heart jumped into my throat. That's the feeling I'll get every time he goes deep today. It's nice to see that the crowd is into it, and I hope they can answer the Rams back right away. Yes, that was a third-down conversion on the touchdown. For the record, the play was 75 yards on 6 plays, and they ran the ball once (got sacked one of the other times).
>> 1st Seattle possession (SEA 30)
###11:20 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side for first down yardage BOBBLED and PICKED out of the air by Jerametrius Butler
STORY OF MY F$*%ING LIFE.
>> 2nd Saint Louis possession (SEA 44)
11:13 Jackson bounces left, runs outside for 9
###10:32 Bulger home-run ball left sideline to Holt PICKED BY KEN HAMLIN
Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory. Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory. Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory. Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory.
>> 2nd Seattle possession (SEA 4)
10:26 Hasselbeck short pass right side Jackson for 6 (SEA 10)
10:00 Alexander left side for 2 (3rd/2, Alexander off field for 3rd down)
9:26 Jackson from Hasselbeck miscommunication or something on the right side, incomplete
Three and f$&%ing out. Guess you should have run Shaun on third down, huh? RUN SHAUN RUN, DAMMIT!!
>> 3rd Saint Louis possession (STL 40, no gain on return)
9:06 Jackson left side for 2
8:26 Bulger right side to Bruce ALMOST PICKED by Trufant, as Bruce slips on the turf (3rd/8)
8:23 Bulger left side to Curtis, who wasn't even looking...BULLCRAP HOLDING PENALTY, first down (STL 47)
8:18 Chad Brown sniffs out the end-around on Bruce, gain of 1
7:37 Faulk right side for 5 (3rd/4)
6:56 Bulger SACKED!!! EAT IT!!!! Rocky Bernard gets him!! Loss of 2! They're not in field goal range!! (SEA 49)
The Seahawks dodged a huge bullet there. They finally dug themselves out of the hole from the first pass play of the game. They stopped the Rams with a short field. It's a start, but they need seven on this drive.
>> 3rd Seattle possession (SEA 25)
6:30 Alexander through the right side for 5
5:54 Alexander nearly stopped left side in backfield, finds some room right side and gets 4 yards (3rd/inches)
5:27 Alexander through the left side for a first down...DEFENSIVE HOLDING penalty from the end of the run, FIRST DOWN!! (SEA 42)
5:06 Alexander through the left side for 3
4:24 Hasselbeck nowhere to throw, finds room through the middle and runs for 17 yards and a FIRST DOWN (STL 38)...ABC crew grilling Darrell Jackson for not looking back at the quarterback
3:47 Alexander right side for 1
3:12 Seattle false start...come on, guys
2:43 Hasselbeck nowhere to throw, moves around, finds Jackson right side, who stiff arms and runs out of bounds for 13 (3rd/1)
2:08 Hasselbeck to Mili right side, ball batted and almost picked
***2:05 Brown from 47 (STL 7-3)
They got points. It's a start. They slowed down the game a bit, which I think is good. I thought they might be able to get another first down thanks to that pass to Jackson that got the 3rd-and-1, but it wasn't to be. But they got some points out of it. Let's hold on to what we've got here. Baby steps.
>> 4th Seattle possession (STL 25)
1:54 Jackson through middle for 3
1:14 Jackson left side for 4 (3rd/3)
0:28 Bulger right side for Holt for first-down yardage (13) AGAIN ...STL 45
It's sad, but the solace here is that it could have been a whole lot worse. Granted, the Rams have the ball right now near midfield again with a new set of downs, but we could easily be looking at a 14-0 ballgame here, and possibly worse if the Rams get anywhere on this drive.
Why would someone in their right mind watch According to Jim? Are these comedies as cheesy as the original TGIF lineup? These comedies won't have a special appearance by the Beach Boys with John Stamos in the backing band.
2ND QUARTER
14:54 Bulger home-run ball down the middle to Curtis for FIFTY DAMN YARDS (SEA 5). Why do I even bother? (1st/G)
14:11 Faulk right side for 4
***13:32 Faulk right side untouched for a TOUCHDOWN (STL 14-3)
Absolutely sickening. I thought Michael Boulware would be a factor in this game, but definitely not like this. Absolutely sickening. Naturally the Rams' special teams suck, and they suck against the run, but I'm used to ABSOLUTELY NONE of those things showing up when they're facing one of MY teams. God, I hate this.
Since I'm tired of hearing the ABC crew kissing the Rams' asses, I've flipped over to the grandpa station on the radio.
>> 4th Seattle possession (SEA 16 after a block in the back)
13:23 Hasselbeck over the middle to Engram, slightly behind him, incomplete...Hasselbeck plowed on the play
13:16 Hasselbeck to Mili over the middle for their first FIRST DOWN of the game (17 yd, SEA 33)
12:38 Hasselbeck forever to throw, gets Jackson on the left side for 15 and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 48)
12:04 pitchback to Alexander right side for 4
11:24 Hasselbeck right side to Jackson just short of the chains (5 yd, 3rd/1)...Alexander getting checked on sideline. I have a sick feeling the entire country is laughing at him right now, and that's sad.
10:46 handoff Morris up middle for 5 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 38)
10:08 pitch Morris outside left, FLAGS for HOLDING on Jerramy Stevens (STL 48)
9:50 Hasselbeck to Engram just short of the chains (2nd/17)
9:05 Hasselbeck over middle to Koren Robinson for 11, nearly fumbles on the way down, but recovers (3rd/6)
8:48 Seattle timeout, Hasselbeck jaws at the ref because they didn't set the ball down in time...Alexander has a left wrist sprain, Steven Jackson has some bruised ribs. SEATTLE GETS THE TIMEOUT BACK. Wow, a call went in the Seahawks' favor. Amazing.
8:26 Hasselbeck to Morris over middle, MORRIS ALMOST HAS HIS HEAD TAKEN OFF on facemask, ball intercepted, but FLAGS FLY while ball is in the air, and therefore BEFORE the pick...FIRST DOWN, ball on STL 19
***8:18 Alexander back on the field, Hasselbeck to Engram left side TOUCHDOWN!!! (STL 14-10)
An eighty-four yard drive, and a couple of breaks going the Seahawks' way, with the timeout and the blatant facemask penalty. They've cashed in, they're within four points, and as I've said, this could be considerably worse. But now they're back within reach. Doesn't the game feel so much better when the Seattle defense isn't on the field? Too bad the Seahawks have to kick it away now.
>> 5th Saint Louis possession (STL 17)
8:08 Bulger over middle to Curtis for 13 and a first down, nice open-field tackle by Koutouvides (STL 31)
7:25 Bulger right side to Bruce, off his fingertips, NEARLY PICKED, incomplete
7:17 Bulger pressured, mutliple flags on play...chop block on offense and illegal contact on Seattle; it's a good thing because illegal contact is usually an automatic first down, but the penalties offset here
7:12 Bulger left side to Jackson, who bobbles, and it's NEARLY PICKED again by Kacyvenski (3rd/10)
7:06 Bulger over the middle AGAIN to Bruce for 21 and a first down (SEA 48)...they're picking ob Jordan Babineaux
6:25 Bulger nowhere to throw, pressured out and eventually SACKED for a loss of 1 (SEA 49)
5:48 pocket collapses on Bulger, throws out of bounds left side (3rd/11)
5:39 Bulger to Holt over middle, who breaks back but gets to the chains after Kris Richard misses a tackle...DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!! (SEA 38)
5:11 Faulk right side for only 1
4:28 Bulger to Goodspeed left side, ball bounces on ground incomplete (3rd/9)
4:23 Bulger to Bruce right side BALL SLAPPED AWAY, IT'S A THIRD-DOWN STOP!!! THE RAMS HAVE TO PUNT!!
I was afraid the Rams would be putting some more points on the board again, but the Seahawks finally made a good third-down stop. Finally.
>> 5th Seattle possession (SEA 15)
4:12 Alexander right side with some room for 9
3:41 Alexander through the left side for 5 and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 29), now Morris comes in
3:05 Hasselbeck to Morris left side, but incomplete...probably saw the linebacker barreling toward him
2:59 Hasselbeck to Robinson right side for 8...two decent catches by Koren (SEA 37, 3rd/2)...Alexander off the field again
2:15 Hasselbeck to Mili right side batted away by Archuleta...not like running the ball with Alexander would have made any sense.
It's too bad the Rams had to get the ball again. It would have been really nice to see the Seahawks drive down the field with the two-minute warning and two timeouts remaining and get within one point or, God forbid, take the lead going into the locker room. But since I've come to the conclusion over the season that Mike Holmgren hates Shaun Alexander but won't tell anyone that, Alexander's not getting the ball on 3rd-and-2.
>> 6th Saint Louis possession (STL 22, Ken Walter somehow with two decent punts in this game)
1:58 Bulger to McDonald left side NEARLY PICKED by Hamlin
1:53 pitch left side Faulk for 3, runs out of bounds (3rd/7)
1:49 CHIKE!! Bulger SACKED, but flags down for HANDS TO THE FACE on Ken Lucas. AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! DAMMIT!!!! (STL 30)
1:40 Bulger deep ball to Curtis, ball overthrown, Marquand Manuel on coverage
1:38 FALSE START Saint Louis (Kevin Curtis, 2nd/15)
1:35 Faulk left side for 2, nowhere to go (3rd/13)
1:32 Seattle timeout (2nd)
1:23 Bulger pressured, runs downfield, but well short of the chains (4 yd, STL 31)
1:17 Seattle timeout (3rd, final)
Well, it's another third-down stop, so that's a good thing. It always is.
>> 6th Seattle possession (SEA 27)
1:02 Hasselbeck over the middle to Mili (SEA 44) for a first down
0:40 Hasselbeck nowhere to throw, avoids sack and runs left side for 9
0:29 spike (3rd/1)
0:26 Morris left side for 4 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 43)
0:19 spike
0:14 Hasselbeck pressured, Raible says that Koren broke the route off at the 20 but the ball went to the end zone (3rd/10)
0:09 Hasselbeck incomplete to Engram right side incomplete into triple coverage
###0:01 Hasselbeck scrambles around a bit, eventually is "sacked" for a loss of 1
KNOCK IT DOWN!!
>> 7th Saint Louis possession (STL 44)
0:00 ball down left sideline to Curtis batted away by Ken Lucas
Okay, I was afraid of an all-out collapse when Darrell Jackson bobbled the ball on the first Seahawk play from scrimmage. That was incredibly infuriating. But Ken Lucas picked the ball and helped the Seahawks start the process of digging themselves out of the hole. Keep in mind that if that first replay call goes Seattle's way, the score would probably be tied at 10-10 right now. The Seahawk defense looked extremely porous in the beginning, but the Seahawks have amazingly managed to get some pressure on Marc Bulger and even sacks by Rocky Bernard and Chike Okeafor (and another sack wiped away by the Lucas penalty, which wasn't an impeding penalty according to Paul Moyer). Amazingly still, Ken Walter's punts haven't horribly sucked in this game and have actually been pretty good.
Halftime stats...
Saint Louis
Marc Bulger 9-for-19 for 187 yards with a touchdown and a pick; Steven Jackson 5 carries for 24 yards; Marshall Faulk 6 carries for 16 yards and a touchdown; Torry Holt 4 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown; Kevin Curtis 2 catches for 63 yards; Isaac Bruce only 1 catch for 21 yards
Seattle
Matt Hasselbeck 10-for-20 for 114 yards with a touchdown and a pick, along with 2 rushes for 26 yards; Shaun Alexander 9 carries for 36 yards; Darrell Jackson 4 catches for 39 yards; Itula Mili 2 catches for 34 yards; Bobby Engram 2 catches for 22 yards and a touchdown; Koren Robinson 2 catches for 19 yards
Both teams have 11 first downs. The Rams are 4-for-7 on third down, while the Seahawks are 3-for-7. The Seahawks, supposedly the least-penalized team in the NFL, have been penalized 6 times for 45 yards (Rams have been flagged four times for 30). The Rams are leading in time of possession 15:21 to 14:39. The Rams lead 224-184 in total yards. The Rams have thrown for 179 yards (run for 45). The Seahawks have thrown for 113 yards (run for 71).
The Seahawks get the ball first in the second half. They need some points. Preferably seven.
Folks, the Seahawks started horribly, but they've picked it up and still have a great chance to win this game. Enjoy the playoffs, kids. 14-10 is a lot better than 14-3.
3RD QUARTER
>> 7th Seattle possession (SEA 23)
14:50 Hasselbeck to Stevens right side wide open, runs upfield for 16 yards and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 40)
14:34 Alexander right side for no gain
14:23 Chris Gray down on the field, even the Rams' players were motioning for the trainers to come out...he's helped off the field and they're checking his right knee...enter Jerry Wunsch
14:05 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side, cuts and makes tacklers miss, gets 13 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 47)
13:32 Hasselbeck to Mili quick pass right, off his hands
13:26 Alexander left side nowhere to run, Walter Jones got worked for a loss of 3 (3rd/13)
12:44 Hasselbeck left side to Robinson just across the chains for 15 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 35)...meaningful contributions by Koren. They're not drops.
12:14 Saint Louis timeout (1st)...Chris Gray is getting X-rayed
12:08 Hasselbeck to Robinson left side catches and fumbles, but out of bounds before the Rams got to it, gain of 6 (STL 21)
11:53 Alexander up the middle for 5 and a FIRST DOWN
11:24 Hasselbeck to Mili right side for 9
10:56 Strong up the middle for 6 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 9, 1st/G)
10:20 Hasselbeck quick pass left to Jackson, jukes and gets 4 (STL 5)
9:43 Hasselbeck moves forward right side, pummeled (3rd/G)
9:16 FALSE START Womack...COME ON, SEATTLE!!! Sheesh!!
8:54 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side batted away
***8:52 Brown from 30 (STL 14-13)
They got points, but to have a drive that was going that well just hit the skids is a little disheartening. The Seahawks should have the lead right now. Torry Holt didn't have that ball in the end zone. Good gracious, can the Seahawks stop getting flagged already? That's seven penalties already.
>> 8th Saint Louis possession (STL 32...field position a little too good)
8:42 Jackson up middle for 4
8:00 Jackson right side for 2, caught by Koutouvides (3rd/4, STL 38)
7:21 Saint Louis timeout (2nd), Jackson can't motion go where Bulger wants him to. Man, they need this stop right here.
7:16 Bulger to Holt over the middle for an easy first down (8 yd, STL 46)
6:40 Bulger screen pass to Jackson SNUFFED OUT by Trufant, loss of 2
5:52 Bulger to Curtis over middle, nobody knows how to tackle, Curtis gets 31 DAMN YARDS. STEP IT THE HELL UP, DEFENSE!! (SEA 25)
5:09 Bulger moves around a bit, but he eventually gets PLOWED by Chad Brown for a loss of 2 (SEA 27, 2nd/12)
4:41 SAINT LOUIS FINAL TIMEOUT. Way to go, fans!! The fact that the Rams have burned all three of their second-half timeouts in the third quarter makes me feel great as a fan. Way to go, number 12!!
4:35 Faulk makes three people miss right side for 7 (3rd/5)...Come on, defense!!
3:53 This freakin' defense. Dammit. Bulger to Holt right side for 9 and a first down (SEA 11)
3:15 Bulger nowhere to throw, DRILLED by Okeafor for a loss of 9...I wish this would have happened the play before (SEA 20)
2:42 everyone covered, Koutouvides runs at him and forces him to throw away right side (3rd/19)
2:38 Bulger to Holt in end zone, he was doubled by Richard and Lucas, incomplete
***2:35 Wilkins from 38 (STL 17-13)
Hey, I thought the Rams were getting seven on that drive the way it was going. Let's hope the Seahawks can get seven the other way. Chris Gray is out of the game, though the X-rays are negative. If the Seahawks can have a drive even 75% as good as the last one and manage to get a touchdown out of it, there will be tempered jubilation here at my house.
>> 8th Seattle possession (SEA 24)
2:30 Hasselbeck screen pass left side to Alexander pulls a man with him, rumbles for 25 and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 49)
1:40 Hasselbeck left side to Jackson for 6
1:08 Alexander for no gain up middle (3rd/4)
0:29 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side for 11 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 34)
I like the way this quarter ended. I wish the Seahawks would have held the Rams out of field goal range on that last drive, but I like where this drive is going. They've got a fresh set of downs and need 34 yards to take the lead. Even with the run for no gain on the one play, I still don't think Shaun Alexander's gotten the ball enough. I'm waiting for Jerry Rice to get a ball, or Ryan Hannam as a result of last week's tight-end bonanza in the passing game which was a surprise.
4TH QUARTER
14:56 Alexander right side for 1
14:20 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side coming back toward the play, but was past the chains (forward progress, STL 23) FIRST DOWN!
***13:43 Hasselbeck to Jackson at the 5, runs for a TOUCHDOWN!!! THEY GOT THE LEAD!! WHAT A DRIVE!! (SEA 20-17)
It has started to rain at the Q. This team's got the lead! They've wiped away the bad start!! THEY HAVE THE LEAD!! Let's hope the defense picks up the offense, and let's hope the Seahawks' special teams doesn't crap the bed on this kickoff. Better yet, let's hope for the Rams' special teams unit to do something stupid here.
To reiterate, THE RAMS HAVE ZERO TIMEOUTS and therefore have ZERO CHALLENGES remaining.
>> 9th Saint Louis possession (STL 30...can this team stop a return somewhere behind the 30 for once? Damn)
13:33 Bulger all day to throw, gets Bruce in the middle of the field (only his second catch of the day) for 7
12:53 Jackson bounces left side outside for 1 (3rd/2)
12:25 Jackson through the left side and to the middle of the field for 4 and a first down (STL 43)
11:46 Bulger to Curtis downfield left side TIPPED and ALMOST PICKED by Trufant
11:41 Bulger to Manumaleuna right side incomplete...FLAGS on Ken Lucas for ILLEGAL CONTACT...automatic first down (STL 49) DAMN PENALTIES
11:35 Faulk breaks a couple tackles, goes right side for 4
10:54 Bulger forever to throw to Bruce right sideline well ahead of the chains (12 yd, SEA 35) first down
10:25 Bulger incomplete to Bruce down right sideline FLAGS ON TRUFANT for ILLEGAL CONTACT...AAARRRRGGGGHHHH
10:19 Faulk dips into the fountain of youth and gets 13 and a first down, breaking tackles (SEA 17)
9:36 Bulger takes the ball himself and runs downfield for 7...he juked Orlando Huff (SEA 10)
8:55 Jackson left side stuffed for only 1 (3rd/2)
8:10 Bulger to end zone throws ball INTO BOULWARE'S CHEST, NEARLY PICKED..Paul Moyer says the tight end interfered
***8:07 Wilkins from 27 (20-20)
Well, once again, the defense has bended but not broken. A touchdown right there would have been extremely bad. A field goal makes it not quite as bad. I don't expect this defense to be world-beaters or anything, but if they can keep the Rams out of the end zone from here on out, I like the Seahawks' chances.
Man, just think how screwed the Seahawks would be if they had Shawn Springs interfering three times on that drive?
LET'S go OFFense!! (Clap, clap, clapclapclap)
Again, the Rams have ZERO timeouts and ZERO challenges remaining.
>> 9th Seattle possession (SEA 21)
7:52 Hasselbeck moves right, gets Mili right side who bowls a couple guys over...22 yards, FIRST DOWN! (SEA 43)
7:21 Alexander up the middle for 1
6:39 Hasselbeck to Jackson, too short, it's 2 yards (3rd/7)
5:54 Hasselbeck right side throws just behind Jackson, Holmgren screaming at officials for illegal contact THE OTHER WAY FOR ONCE
Man, the Seahawks NEEDED that first down. Of course, it's never easy with this team.
But they didn't get any points on the drive. Sure, the Rams don't have any timeouts or challenges left, but they don't NEED any timeouts or challenges when they have the ball, and they're not playing from behind here.
I'd love a big play out of the defense here. A pick, a sack on third down, SOMETHING.
My biggest fear? The Rams run out the clock and end the game with a field goal.
>> 10th Saint Louis possession (STL 24)
5:38 Faulk left side for 5
5:02 Faulk left side for 3 (3rd/2), Nutten of the Rams down on the field; I'm sinister, but this looks like a "time out" by the Rams to me
4:29 Bulger to McDonald WIDE FREAKIN' OPEN coming out of the backfield, runs for 31 DAMN YARDS to the SEA 37
4:21 WHAT'S THE FREAKING POINT? Bulger right side to Curtis for 13 and a first down (SEA 24); Hamlin threw McDonald out of bounds
3:38 Faulk right side for 4
2:53 Faulk right side for 3 (3rd/3)
***2:11 Bulger over middle to Cam Cleeland of SEDRO F#&$ING WOOLLEY for a TOUCHDOWN (STL 27-20)
SHOW ME SOMETHING, SEATTLE!!!
Who am I kidding? This is freakin' done. They've got three timeouts and the two-minute warning, but good gracious.
Obviously, they need a touchdown.
>> 10th Seattle possession (SEA 37, decent field position at least)
2:00 Hasselbeck to Mili right side RUMBLES to the STL 45 for 19 yards and a FIRST DOWN
1:55 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side jumps for no reason and the ball goes through his hands and nearly gets picked
1:49 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side GOOD FOR 20 YARDS and a FIRST DOWN (STL 25)
1:15 Hasselbeck getting pulled to the ground gets Mili for 14 yards and a FIRST DOWN (STL 11)
0:41 Hasselbeck sacked from the right side for a loss of 6 by Jimmy Kennedy
0:37 Seattle timeout (1st)
0:33 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side overthrown in the end zone (3rd/16)
0:27 Hasselbeck to Engram left side gets to the STL 5 (the chains are just short of the goal line, 4th/4)
###0:21 Hasselbeck to Engram somewhat low, it's catchable, but Engram drops it
>> 11th Saint Louis possession (STL 4)
0:21 knee
RAMS 27, SEAHAWKS 20
I have nothing more to say about this game.
Goodnight and good season. I guess.
Will there ever be precipitation at a home game for the Seahawks? Incredible.
Jeremy, it looks like you didn't get the Seahawks winning the opening coin flip like you wanted.
1ST QUARTER
>> 1st Saint Louis possession (STL 25)
14:49 Bulger pressured, right flat dumpoff to Faulk for no gain
14:20 Bulger over middle to Faulk for 12 and a first down (STL 37)
13:36 I HATE MYSELF. Bulger home-run ball left sideline to Holt for 52 yards and a first down (SEA 11). Every f$&%ing time. I'm f*$#ing tired of it.
13:07 Saint Louis timeout (1st)
13:03 Okeafor SACKS Bulger from the right side...EAT IT, BULGER!!! Loss of 5 (SEA 16)
12:29 draw to Jackson right side for 6 (3rd/9, SEA 10)
12:08 Kacyvenski down on the field, ABC takes a commercial break
11:51 FALSE START Saint Louis (Orlando Pace)...WAY TO GO, 12TH MAN!! (3rd/14, SEA 15)
11:36 Saint Louis timeout (2nd)...YEAH, FANS!!
***11:33 Bulger over the middle to Holt, diving catch TOUCHDOWN...Holmgren RED FLAG (I think it'll stand but this is a nice debate between Theismann and Maguire), and the result -- IT STANDS. I'm used to it by now (STL 7-0)
Come on, Seattle! As soon as Bulger put up that pass to Holt, my heart jumped into my throat. That's the feeling I'll get every time he goes deep today. It's nice to see that the crowd is into it, and I hope they can answer the Rams back right away. Yes, that was a third-down conversion on the touchdown. For the record, the play was 75 yards on 6 plays, and they ran the ball once (got sacked one of the other times).
>> 1st Seattle possession (SEA 30)
###11:20 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side for first down yardage BOBBLED and PICKED out of the air by Jerametrius Butler
STORY OF MY F$*%ING LIFE.
>> 2nd Saint Louis possession (SEA 44)
11:13 Jackson bounces left, runs outside for 9
###10:32 Bulger home-run ball left sideline to Holt PICKED BY KEN HAMLIN
Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory. Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory. Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory. Don't turn the ball over deep in your own territory.
>> 2nd Seattle possession (SEA 4)
10:26 Hasselbeck short pass right side Jackson for 6 (SEA 10)
10:00 Alexander left side for 2 (3rd/2, Alexander off field for 3rd down)
9:26 Jackson from Hasselbeck miscommunication or something on the right side, incomplete
Three and f$&%ing out. Guess you should have run Shaun on third down, huh? RUN SHAUN RUN, DAMMIT!!
>> 3rd Saint Louis possession (STL 40, no gain on return)
9:06 Jackson left side for 2
8:26 Bulger right side to Bruce ALMOST PICKED by Trufant, as Bruce slips on the turf (3rd/8)
8:23 Bulger left side to Curtis, who wasn't even looking...BULLCRAP HOLDING PENALTY, first down (STL 47)
8:18 Chad Brown sniffs out the end-around on Bruce, gain of 1
7:37 Faulk right side for 5 (3rd/4)
6:56 Bulger SACKED!!! EAT IT!!!! Rocky Bernard gets him!! Loss of 2! They're not in field goal range!! (SEA 49)
The Seahawks dodged a huge bullet there. They finally dug themselves out of the hole from the first pass play of the game. They stopped the Rams with a short field. It's a start, but they need seven on this drive.
>> 3rd Seattle possession (SEA 25)
6:30 Alexander through the right side for 5
5:54 Alexander nearly stopped left side in backfield, finds some room right side and gets 4 yards (3rd/inches)
5:27 Alexander through the left side for a first down...DEFENSIVE HOLDING penalty from the end of the run, FIRST DOWN!! (SEA 42)
5:06 Alexander through the left side for 3
4:24 Hasselbeck nowhere to throw, finds room through the middle and runs for 17 yards and a FIRST DOWN (STL 38)...ABC crew grilling Darrell Jackson for not looking back at the quarterback
3:47 Alexander right side for 1
3:12 Seattle false start...come on, guys
2:43 Hasselbeck nowhere to throw, moves around, finds Jackson right side, who stiff arms and runs out of bounds for 13 (3rd/1)
2:08 Hasselbeck to Mili right side, ball batted and almost picked
***2:05 Brown from 47 (STL 7-3)
They got points. It's a start. They slowed down the game a bit, which I think is good. I thought they might be able to get another first down thanks to that pass to Jackson that got the 3rd-and-1, but it wasn't to be. But they got some points out of it. Let's hold on to what we've got here. Baby steps.
>> 4th Seattle possession (STL 25)
1:54 Jackson through middle for 3
1:14 Jackson left side for 4 (3rd/3)
0:28 Bulger right side for Holt for first-down yardage (13) AGAIN ...STL 45
It's sad, but the solace here is that it could have been a whole lot worse. Granted, the Rams have the ball right now near midfield again with a new set of downs, but we could easily be looking at a 14-0 ballgame here, and possibly worse if the Rams get anywhere on this drive.
Why would someone in their right mind watch According to Jim? Are these comedies as cheesy as the original TGIF lineup? These comedies won't have a special appearance by the Beach Boys with John Stamos in the backing band.
2ND QUARTER
14:54 Bulger home-run ball down the middle to Curtis for FIFTY DAMN YARDS (SEA 5). Why do I even bother? (1st/G)
14:11 Faulk right side for 4
***13:32 Faulk right side untouched for a TOUCHDOWN (STL 14-3)
Absolutely sickening. I thought Michael Boulware would be a factor in this game, but definitely not like this. Absolutely sickening. Naturally the Rams' special teams suck, and they suck against the run, but I'm used to ABSOLUTELY NONE of those things showing up when they're facing one of MY teams. God, I hate this.
Since I'm tired of hearing the ABC crew kissing the Rams' asses, I've flipped over to the grandpa station on the radio.
>> 4th Seattle possession (SEA 16 after a block in the back)
13:23 Hasselbeck over the middle to Engram, slightly behind him, incomplete...Hasselbeck plowed on the play
13:16 Hasselbeck to Mili over the middle for their first FIRST DOWN of the game (17 yd, SEA 33)
12:38 Hasselbeck forever to throw, gets Jackson on the left side for 15 and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 48)
12:04 pitchback to Alexander right side for 4
11:24 Hasselbeck right side to Jackson just short of the chains (5 yd, 3rd/1)...Alexander getting checked on sideline. I have a sick feeling the entire country is laughing at him right now, and that's sad.
10:46 handoff Morris up middle for 5 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 38)
10:08 pitch Morris outside left, FLAGS for HOLDING on Jerramy Stevens (STL 48)
9:50 Hasselbeck to Engram just short of the chains (2nd/17)
9:05 Hasselbeck over middle to Koren Robinson for 11, nearly fumbles on the way down, but recovers (3rd/6)
8:48 Seattle timeout, Hasselbeck jaws at the ref because they didn't set the ball down in time...Alexander has a left wrist sprain, Steven Jackson has some bruised ribs. SEATTLE GETS THE TIMEOUT BACK. Wow, a call went in the Seahawks' favor. Amazing.
8:26 Hasselbeck to Morris over middle, MORRIS ALMOST HAS HIS HEAD TAKEN OFF on facemask, ball intercepted, but FLAGS FLY while ball is in the air, and therefore BEFORE the pick...FIRST DOWN, ball on STL 19
***8:18 Alexander back on the field, Hasselbeck to Engram left side TOUCHDOWN!!! (STL 14-10)
An eighty-four yard drive, and a couple of breaks going the Seahawks' way, with the timeout and the blatant facemask penalty. They've cashed in, they're within four points, and as I've said, this could be considerably worse. But now they're back within reach. Doesn't the game feel so much better when the Seattle defense isn't on the field? Too bad the Seahawks have to kick it away now.
>> 5th Saint Louis possession (STL 17)
8:08 Bulger over middle to Curtis for 13 and a first down, nice open-field tackle by Koutouvides (STL 31)
7:25 Bulger right side to Bruce, off his fingertips, NEARLY PICKED, incomplete
7:17 Bulger pressured, mutliple flags on play...chop block on offense and illegal contact on Seattle; it's a good thing because illegal contact is usually an automatic first down, but the penalties offset here
7:12 Bulger left side to Jackson, who bobbles, and it's NEARLY PICKED again by Kacyvenski (3rd/10)
7:06 Bulger over the middle AGAIN to Bruce for 21 and a first down (SEA 48)...they're picking ob Jordan Babineaux
6:25 Bulger nowhere to throw, pressured out and eventually SACKED for a loss of 1 (SEA 49)
5:48 pocket collapses on Bulger, throws out of bounds left side (3rd/11)
5:39 Bulger to Holt over middle, who breaks back but gets to the chains after Kris Richard misses a tackle...DAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!! (SEA 38)
5:11 Faulk right side for only 1
4:28 Bulger to Goodspeed left side, ball bounces on ground incomplete (3rd/9)
4:23 Bulger to Bruce right side BALL SLAPPED AWAY, IT'S A THIRD-DOWN STOP!!! THE RAMS HAVE TO PUNT!!
I was afraid the Rams would be putting some more points on the board again, but the Seahawks finally made a good third-down stop. Finally.
>> 5th Seattle possession (SEA 15)
4:12 Alexander right side with some room for 9
3:41 Alexander through the left side for 5 and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 29), now Morris comes in
3:05 Hasselbeck to Morris left side, but incomplete...probably saw the linebacker barreling toward him
2:59 Hasselbeck to Robinson right side for 8...two decent catches by Koren (SEA 37, 3rd/2)...Alexander off the field again
2:15 Hasselbeck to Mili right side batted away by Archuleta...not like running the ball with Alexander would have made any sense.
It's too bad the Rams had to get the ball again. It would have been really nice to see the Seahawks drive down the field with the two-minute warning and two timeouts remaining and get within one point or, God forbid, take the lead going into the locker room. But since I've come to the conclusion over the season that Mike Holmgren hates Shaun Alexander but won't tell anyone that, Alexander's not getting the ball on 3rd-and-2.
>> 6th Saint Louis possession (STL 22, Ken Walter somehow with two decent punts in this game)
1:58 Bulger to McDonald left side NEARLY PICKED by Hamlin
1:53 pitch left side Faulk for 3, runs out of bounds (3rd/7)
1:49 CHIKE!! Bulger SACKED, but flags down for HANDS TO THE FACE on Ken Lucas. AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! DAMMIT!!!! (STL 30)
1:40 Bulger deep ball to Curtis, ball overthrown, Marquand Manuel on coverage
1:38 FALSE START Saint Louis (Kevin Curtis, 2nd/15)
1:35 Faulk left side for 2, nowhere to go (3rd/13)
1:32 Seattle timeout (2nd)
1:23 Bulger pressured, runs downfield, but well short of the chains (4 yd, STL 31)
1:17 Seattle timeout (3rd, final)
Well, it's another third-down stop, so that's a good thing. It always is.
>> 6th Seattle possession (SEA 27)
1:02 Hasselbeck over the middle to Mili (SEA 44) for a first down
0:40 Hasselbeck nowhere to throw, avoids sack and runs left side for 9
0:29 spike (3rd/1)
0:26 Morris left side for 4 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 43)
0:19 spike
0:14 Hasselbeck pressured, Raible says that Koren broke the route off at the 20 but the ball went to the end zone (3rd/10)
0:09 Hasselbeck incomplete to Engram right side incomplete into triple coverage
###0:01 Hasselbeck scrambles around a bit, eventually is "sacked" for a loss of 1
KNOCK IT DOWN!!
>> 7th Saint Louis possession (STL 44)
0:00 ball down left sideline to Curtis batted away by Ken Lucas
Okay, I was afraid of an all-out collapse when Darrell Jackson bobbled the ball on the first Seahawk play from scrimmage. That was incredibly infuriating. But Ken Lucas picked the ball and helped the Seahawks start the process of digging themselves out of the hole. Keep in mind that if that first replay call goes Seattle's way, the score would probably be tied at 10-10 right now. The Seahawk defense looked extremely porous in the beginning, but the Seahawks have amazingly managed to get some pressure on Marc Bulger and even sacks by Rocky Bernard and Chike Okeafor (and another sack wiped away by the Lucas penalty, which wasn't an impeding penalty according to Paul Moyer). Amazingly still, Ken Walter's punts haven't horribly sucked in this game and have actually been pretty good.
Halftime stats...
Saint Louis
Marc Bulger 9-for-19 for 187 yards with a touchdown and a pick; Steven Jackson 5 carries for 24 yards; Marshall Faulk 6 carries for 16 yards and a touchdown; Torry Holt 4 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown; Kevin Curtis 2 catches for 63 yards; Isaac Bruce only 1 catch for 21 yards
Seattle
Matt Hasselbeck 10-for-20 for 114 yards with a touchdown and a pick, along with 2 rushes for 26 yards; Shaun Alexander 9 carries for 36 yards; Darrell Jackson 4 catches for 39 yards; Itula Mili 2 catches for 34 yards; Bobby Engram 2 catches for 22 yards and a touchdown; Koren Robinson 2 catches for 19 yards
Both teams have 11 first downs. The Rams are 4-for-7 on third down, while the Seahawks are 3-for-7. The Seahawks, supposedly the least-penalized team in the NFL, have been penalized 6 times for 45 yards (Rams have been flagged four times for 30). The Rams are leading in time of possession 15:21 to 14:39. The Rams lead 224-184 in total yards. The Rams have thrown for 179 yards (run for 45). The Seahawks have thrown for 113 yards (run for 71).
The Seahawks get the ball first in the second half. They need some points. Preferably seven.
Folks, the Seahawks started horribly, but they've picked it up and still have a great chance to win this game. Enjoy the playoffs, kids. 14-10 is a lot better than 14-3.
3RD QUARTER
>> 7th Seattle possession (SEA 23)
14:50 Hasselbeck to Stevens right side wide open, runs upfield for 16 yards and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 40)
14:34 Alexander right side for no gain
14:23 Chris Gray down on the field, even the Rams' players were motioning for the trainers to come out...he's helped off the field and they're checking his right knee...enter Jerry Wunsch
14:05 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side, cuts and makes tacklers miss, gets 13 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 47)
13:32 Hasselbeck to Mili quick pass right, off his hands
13:26 Alexander left side nowhere to run, Walter Jones got worked for a loss of 3 (3rd/13)
12:44 Hasselbeck left side to Robinson just across the chains for 15 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 35)...meaningful contributions by Koren. They're not drops.
12:14 Saint Louis timeout (1st)...Chris Gray is getting X-rayed
12:08 Hasselbeck to Robinson left side catches and fumbles, but out of bounds before the Rams got to it, gain of 6 (STL 21)
11:53 Alexander up the middle for 5 and a FIRST DOWN
11:24 Hasselbeck to Mili right side for 9
10:56 Strong up the middle for 6 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 9, 1st/G)
10:20 Hasselbeck quick pass left to Jackson, jukes and gets 4 (STL 5)
9:43 Hasselbeck moves forward right side, pummeled (3rd/G)
9:16 FALSE START Womack...COME ON, SEATTLE!!! Sheesh!!
8:54 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side batted away
***8:52 Brown from 30 (STL 14-13)
They got points, but to have a drive that was going that well just hit the skids is a little disheartening. The Seahawks should have the lead right now. Torry Holt didn't have that ball in the end zone. Good gracious, can the Seahawks stop getting flagged already? That's seven penalties already.
>> 8th Saint Louis possession (STL 32...field position a little too good)
8:42 Jackson up middle for 4
8:00 Jackson right side for 2, caught by Koutouvides (3rd/4, STL 38)
7:21 Saint Louis timeout (2nd), Jackson can't motion go where Bulger wants him to. Man, they need this stop right here.
7:16 Bulger to Holt over the middle for an easy first down (8 yd, STL 46)
6:40 Bulger screen pass to Jackson SNUFFED OUT by Trufant, loss of 2
5:52 Bulger to Curtis over middle, nobody knows how to tackle, Curtis gets 31 DAMN YARDS. STEP IT THE HELL UP, DEFENSE!! (SEA 25)
5:09 Bulger moves around a bit, but he eventually gets PLOWED by Chad Brown for a loss of 2 (SEA 27, 2nd/12)
4:41 SAINT LOUIS FINAL TIMEOUT. Way to go, fans!! The fact that the Rams have burned all three of their second-half timeouts in the third quarter makes me feel great as a fan. Way to go, number 12!!
4:35 Faulk makes three people miss right side for 7 (3rd/5)...Come on, defense!!
3:53 This freakin' defense. Dammit. Bulger to Holt right side for 9 and a first down (SEA 11)
3:15 Bulger nowhere to throw, DRILLED by Okeafor for a loss of 9...I wish this would have happened the play before (SEA 20)
2:42 everyone covered, Koutouvides runs at him and forces him to throw away right side (3rd/19)
2:38 Bulger to Holt in end zone, he was doubled by Richard and Lucas, incomplete
***2:35 Wilkins from 38 (STL 17-13)
Hey, I thought the Rams were getting seven on that drive the way it was going. Let's hope the Seahawks can get seven the other way. Chris Gray is out of the game, though the X-rays are negative. If the Seahawks can have a drive even 75% as good as the last one and manage to get a touchdown out of it, there will be tempered jubilation here at my house.
>> 8th Seattle possession (SEA 24)
2:30 Hasselbeck screen pass left side to Alexander pulls a man with him, rumbles for 25 and a FIRST DOWN (SEA 49)
1:40 Hasselbeck left side to Jackson for 6
1:08 Alexander for no gain up middle (3rd/4)
0:29 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side for 11 and a FIRST DOWN (STL 34)
I like the way this quarter ended. I wish the Seahawks would have held the Rams out of field goal range on that last drive, but I like where this drive is going. They've got a fresh set of downs and need 34 yards to take the lead. Even with the run for no gain on the one play, I still don't think Shaun Alexander's gotten the ball enough. I'm waiting for Jerry Rice to get a ball, or Ryan Hannam as a result of last week's tight-end bonanza in the passing game which was a surprise.
4TH QUARTER
14:56 Alexander right side for 1
14:20 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side coming back toward the play, but was past the chains (forward progress, STL 23) FIRST DOWN!
***13:43 Hasselbeck to Jackson at the 5, runs for a TOUCHDOWN!!! THEY GOT THE LEAD!! WHAT A DRIVE!! (SEA 20-17)
It has started to rain at the Q. This team's got the lead! They've wiped away the bad start!! THEY HAVE THE LEAD!! Let's hope the defense picks up the offense, and let's hope the Seahawks' special teams doesn't crap the bed on this kickoff. Better yet, let's hope for the Rams' special teams unit to do something stupid here.
To reiterate, THE RAMS HAVE ZERO TIMEOUTS and therefore have ZERO CHALLENGES remaining.
>> 9th Saint Louis possession (STL 30...can this team stop a return somewhere behind the 30 for once? Damn)
13:33 Bulger all day to throw, gets Bruce in the middle of the field (only his second catch of the day) for 7
12:53 Jackson bounces left side outside for 1 (3rd/2)
12:25 Jackson through the left side and to the middle of the field for 4 and a first down (STL 43)
11:46 Bulger to Curtis downfield left side TIPPED and ALMOST PICKED by Trufant
11:41 Bulger to Manumaleuna right side incomplete...FLAGS on Ken Lucas for ILLEGAL CONTACT...automatic first down (STL 49) DAMN PENALTIES
11:35 Faulk breaks a couple tackles, goes right side for 4
10:54 Bulger forever to throw to Bruce right sideline well ahead of the chains (12 yd, SEA 35) first down
10:25 Bulger incomplete to Bruce down right sideline FLAGS ON TRUFANT for ILLEGAL CONTACT...AAARRRRGGGGHHHH
10:19 Faulk dips into the fountain of youth and gets 13 and a first down, breaking tackles (SEA 17)
9:36 Bulger takes the ball himself and runs downfield for 7...he juked Orlando Huff (SEA 10)
8:55 Jackson left side stuffed for only 1 (3rd/2)
8:10 Bulger to end zone throws ball INTO BOULWARE'S CHEST, NEARLY PICKED..Paul Moyer says the tight end interfered
***8:07 Wilkins from 27 (20-20)
Well, once again, the defense has bended but not broken. A touchdown right there would have been extremely bad. A field goal makes it not quite as bad. I don't expect this defense to be world-beaters or anything, but if they can keep the Rams out of the end zone from here on out, I like the Seahawks' chances.
Man, just think how screwed the Seahawks would be if they had Shawn Springs interfering three times on that drive?
LET'S go OFFense!! (Clap, clap, clapclapclap)
Again, the Rams have ZERO timeouts and ZERO challenges remaining.
>> 9th Seattle possession (SEA 21)
7:52 Hasselbeck moves right, gets Mili right side who bowls a couple guys over...22 yards, FIRST DOWN! (SEA 43)
7:21 Alexander up the middle for 1
6:39 Hasselbeck to Jackson, too short, it's 2 yards (3rd/7)
5:54 Hasselbeck right side throws just behind Jackson, Holmgren screaming at officials for illegal contact THE OTHER WAY FOR ONCE
Man, the Seahawks NEEDED that first down. Of course, it's never easy with this team.
But they didn't get any points on the drive. Sure, the Rams don't have any timeouts or challenges left, but they don't NEED any timeouts or challenges when they have the ball, and they're not playing from behind here.
I'd love a big play out of the defense here. A pick, a sack on third down, SOMETHING.
My biggest fear? The Rams run out the clock and end the game with a field goal.
>> 10th Saint Louis possession (STL 24)
5:38 Faulk left side for 5
5:02 Faulk left side for 3 (3rd/2), Nutten of the Rams down on the field; I'm sinister, but this looks like a "time out" by the Rams to me
4:29 Bulger to McDonald WIDE FREAKIN' OPEN coming out of the backfield, runs for 31 DAMN YARDS to the SEA 37
4:21 WHAT'S THE FREAKING POINT? Bulger right side to Curtis for 13 and a first down (SEA 24); Hamlin threw McDonald out of bounds
3:38 Faulk right side for 4
2:53 Faulk right side for 3 (3rd/3)
***2:11 Bulger over middle to Cam Cleeland of SEDRO F#&$ING WOOLLEY for a TOUCHDOWN (STL 27-20)
SHOW ME SOMETHING, SEATTLE!!!
Who am I kidding? This is freakin' done. They've got three timeouts and the two-minute warning, but good gracious.
Obviously, they need a touchdown.
>> 10th Seattle possession (SEA 37, decent field position at least)
2:00 Hasselbeck to Mili right side RUMBLES to the STL 45 for 19 yards and a FIRST DOWN
1:55 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side jumps for no reason and the ball goes through his hands and nearly gets picked
1:49 Hasselbeck to Jackson right side GOOD FOR 20 YARDS and a FIRST DOWN (STL 25)
1:15 Hasselbeck getting pulled to the ground gets Mili for 14 yards and a FIRST DOWN (STL 11)
0:41 Hasselbeck sacked from the right side for a loss of 6 by Jimmy Kennedy
0:37 Seattle timeout (1st)
0:33 Hasselbeck to Jackson left side overthrown in the end zone (3rd/16)
0:27 Hasselbeck to Engram left side gets to the STL 5 (the chains are just short of the goal line, 4th/4)
###0:21 Hasselbeck to Engram somewhat low, it's catchable, but Engram drops it
>> 11th Saint Louis possession (STL 4)
0:21 knee
RAMS 27, SEAHAWKS 20
I have nothing more to say about this game.
Goodnight and good season. I guess.
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