2010 Seattle Seahawks season

The 2010 Seattle Seahawks season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League, the 9th playing their home games at Qwest Field and the first under head coach Pete Carroll after Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010.[1] The team exceeded their win total from 2009 and won the NFC West with a 7–9 record. They became the first team in a full season to finish with a sub-.500 record and make the playoffs, a berth which was by virtue of winning the division. The 2010 Seahawks also became the first sub-.500 team to win a playoff game with their home win against the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, remembered in NFL Lore as the Beast Quake game, but then had their season ended by the second-seeded Chicago Bears in the divisional round.

2010 Seattle Seahawks season
Head coach	Pete Carroll
General manager	John Schneider
Owner	Paul Allen
Home field	Qwest Field
Results
Record	7–9
Division place	1st NFC West
Playoff finish	Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Saints) 41–36 Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Bears) 24–35
Pro Bowlers	None
AP All-Pros	KR Leon Washington (2nd team)

Statistics website Football Outsiders calculated that the 2010 Seahawks were only the second-worst team (after the 2004 Rams) that they had ever rated to qualify for the playoffs.[2]

Offseason

Front Office changes

General manager Tim Ruskell resigned from his position two weeks before the 2009 regular season ended. Interim GM Ruston Webster took over until the season ended, but was not retained as GM. However, Webster left the team for a similar position for the Tennessee Titans instead.[3]

Surprisingly, the head coaching vacancy created by Mora's departure was actually filled first by the Seahawks through Pete Carroll. Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke suggested that Carroll and the GM would have a "collaborative relationship" over control of the team.

Among candidates interviewed for GM were former Tennessee Titans General Manager Floyd Reese and New York Giants scouting director Marc Ross. On January 19, 2010, the Seahawks officially signed Green Bay Packers director of football operations John Schneider as their official General Manager.[4]

Staff changes

Carroll returned to the NFL as the 8th head coach in Seahawks history

We're going to compete like crazy. Maybe like you've never seen. And I hope that will be the theme that will rise to us and that will be the most important part of it, because we are in the most competitive world that you can be in the NFL. I can't wait to get this thing underway. I can't wait to get it started.

— Pete Carroll, speaking from his introductory press conference as Seahawks Head Coach.[5]

Following a disastrous 5–11 season in his first season with the Seahawks, Jim Mora was fired on January 8, 2010.[6] Mora was apparently surprised and disappointed about the news, but Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke stated that the franchise was moving to a new direction to become successful.[1]

Within days after Mora was relieved as Head Coach, the Seahawks began to interview candidates such as USC Trojans football head coach Pete Carroll, Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier and San Diego Chargers defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. Controversy aroused when news broke out that Carroll was in preliminary agreements to sign a contract as head coach and have full control of the franchise when neither Frazier or Rivera were interviewed, thus potentially breaking the Rooney Rule. However, Frazier agreed to an interview before the Seahawks signed Carroll as coach, thus fulfilling the rule.[7] Two days later, Carroll officially became the 8th head coach in franchise history.[8]

Within days after Carroll was hired, the rest of the coaching staff was revamped. With the exceptions of Gus Bradley and Dan Quinn, none of the coaches from Mora's tenure returned.[9] USC Football offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates joined as the Seahawks offensive coordinator, while Alex Gibbs from the Houston Texans would serve as offensive line coach and assistant head coach.[10] However, weeks before the start of the NFL regular season, Gibbs would suddenly retire from the position, with Carroll's former USC assistant Pat Ruel to take his spot.[11]

Key departures

Wide receiver Nate Burleson, after a 4-year stint with the Seahawks, signed with the Detroit Lions on March 5, 2010, after 24 hours of free agency.[12] Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace, known for his versatility as a wide receiver, was sent to the Cleveland Browns on March 8, 2010 in exchange for a conditional 2011 NFL Draft pick.

Guard Rob Sims, who started regularly for the Seahawks for the past 4 years, was traded to the Lions in exchange for defensive end Robert Henderson and a 5th round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.[13] Veteran defensive End Darryl Tapp was also traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Chris Clemons and a 4th round pick.[14]

On April 13, 2010, Defensive end Patrick Kerney announced his retirement after 11 NFL seasons. Kerney made the Pro Bowl in 2007 and led the team in sacks on two occasions (2007 and 2009).[15] On April 29, 2010, Four-time All-Pro Left Tackle Walter Jones also announced his retirement after a 13-year career during which he became a cornerstone of the Seattle Seahawks organization.[16]

During training camp, the Seahawks continued to cut ties with many players. Former first-round pick Lawrence Jackson, who Carroll coached with at USC, was traded to the Detroit Lions for a 6th round pick.[17] The previous year's starters including FB Owen Schmitt and WR T. J. Houshmandzadeh were released from the team.[18] DB Josh Wilson was traded to Baltimore for a conditional fifth round pick.[19]

Key additions

Running back Leon Washington was acquired by the Seahawks on April 24, 2010.

Former San Diego Chargers quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was acquired by Seattle on March 18, 2010. Whitehurst competed for the starting job with Matt Hasselbeck.[20] Also, the Seahawks acquired Defensive Ends Chris Clemons and Robert Henderson respectively from the Eagles and Lions. Wide receiver Reggie Williams, a former first round pick with the Jacksonville Jaguars and a former Washington Huskies standout, signed with the Seahawks on April 16, 2010.[21]

On the last day of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Seahawks acquired running back LenDale White and defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson from the Tennessee Titans.[22] With the trade, White would have been reunited with his college coach Pete Carroll from USC, but was cut on May 28. Also, the New York Jets traded former Pro Bowler Leon Washington to Seattle.[23]

2010 NFL Draft

Main article: 2010 NFL Draft

After finishing the 2009 season with a record of 5–11, the Seahawks held the 6th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. They also held the 14th overall pick as a result of a trade in the 2009 NFL Draft that gave their second round pick 2009 to the Denver Broncos for their first round pick in 2010. The Seahawks traded their third round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles as part of a trade from the 2009 draft and gave up their 2nd round pick in the Charlie Whitehurst deal but also received another 2nd round pick from the San Diego Chargers

Seattle Seahawks' 2010 NFL Draft selections

Draft order			Player name	Position	Height	Weight	College	Contract	Notes
Round	Choice	Overall
1	6	6	Russell Okung	T	6'5"	307 lbs.	Oklahoma State
1	14	14	Earl Thomas	S	5'10"	208 lbs.	Texas		From Denver Broncos
2	28	60	Golden Tate	WR	5'10"	199 lbs.	Notre Dame		From San Diego Chargers
4	13	111	Walter Thurmond	CB	5'11"	189 lbs.	Oregon		From Tennessee Titans
4	29	127	E. J. Wilson	DE	6'4"	286 lbs.	North Carolina		From New York Jets through the Philadelphia Eagles
5	2	133	Kam Chancellor	S	6'3"	231 lbs.	Virginia Tech		From Detroit Lions
6	16	185	Anthony McCoy	TE	6'4"	259 lbs.	Southern Cal		From Tennessee Titans
7	29	236	Dexter Davis	DE	6'1"	244 lbs.	Arizona State		From New York Jets
7	38	245	Jameson Konz	WR	6'4"	234 lbs.	Kent State		Compensatory pick

Coaching staff and roster

Staff

Seattle Seahawks 2010 staff
Front Office Chairman – Paul Allen President – Peter McLoughlin General Manager – John Schneider Vice President of Football Administration – John Idzik Vice President of Football Operations – Will Lewis Senior Personnel Executive – Scot McCloughan Director of Pro Personnel – Tag Ribary Director of College Scouting – Scott Fitterer Assistant Director of College Scouting – Eric Stokes Assistant Director of Pro Personnel – Trent Kirchner Head Coaches Head Coach/Executive Vice President of Football Operations – Pete Carroll Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – Jeremy Bates Quarterbacks – Jedd Fisch Running Backs – Sherman Smith Wide Receivers – Kippy Brown Tight Ends – Pat McPherson Offensive Line – Art Valero Assistant Offensive Line – Pat Ruel Quality Control/Offensive Line – Luke Butkus Quality Control/Offense – Dave Canales			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Gus Bradley Defensive Line – Dan Quinn Linebackers – Ken Norton, Jr. Defensive Backs – Jerry Gray Assistant Defensive Backs – Kris Richard Defensive Assistant – Mike Phair Quality Control/Defense – Rocky Seto Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Brian Schneider Assistant Special Teams – Jeff Ulbrich Strength and Conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Chris Carlisle Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Mondray Gee Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Jamie Yancher

Final roster

2010 Seattle Seahawks final roster

	Quarterbacks  8 Matt Hasselbeck  7 J. P. Losman  6 Charlie Whitehurst Running backs 20 Justin Forsett 24 Marshawn Lynch 26 Michael Robinson FB 33 Leon Washington RS Wide receivers 82 Ruvell Martin 87 Ben Obomanu 15 Brandon Stokley 81 Golden Tate 17 Mike Williams Tight ends 89 John Carlson 88 Cameron Morrah		Offensive linemen 77 Stacy Andrews G 66 Paul Fanaika G 68 Breno Giacomini T 64 Mike Gibson G 50 Ben Hamilton G 61 Lemuel Jeanpierre G 75 Sean Locklear T 76 Russell Okung T 78 Tyler Polumbus T 73 William Robinson T 65 Chris Spencer C 63 Chris White C/G Defensive linemen 95 Kentwan Balmer DE 98 Raheem Brock DE 91 Chris Clemons DE 90 Colin Cole DT 58 Dexter Davis DE 97 Amon Gordon DT 92 Brandon Mebane DT 99 Jay Richardson DE 93 Craig Terrill DT		Linebackers 59 Aaron Curry OLB 57 David Hawthorne OLB/ILB 54 Will Herring OLB 52 Matt McCoy OLB 55 Joe Pawelek ILB 51 Lofa Tatupu ILB Defensive backs 27 Jordan Babineaux FS 32 Marcus Brown CB 31 Kam Chancellor SS 39 Kennard Cox CB 21 Kelly Jennings CB 36 Lawyer Milloy SS 22 Josh Pinkard CB 29 Earl Thomas FS 28 Walter Thurmond CB 23 Marcus Trufant CB Special teams 49 Clint Gresham LS 10 Olindo Mare K  9 Jon Ryan P		Reserve lists 86 Chris Baker TE (IR) 79 Red Bryant DE (IR) 11 Deon Butler WR (IR) 53 Anthony Heygood OLB (IR) 56 Leroy Hill OLB (IR) 46 Jameson Konz TE (IR) 34 Roy Lewis CB (IR) 85 Anthony McCoy TE (IR) 69 Chester Pitts G (IR) 94 Junior Siavii DT (IR) 14 Isaiah Stanback WR (IR) 60 Max Unger G/C (IR) 74 Ray Willis OT (IR) Practice squad 35 André Anderson RB -- Nate Davis QB 18 Dominique Edison WR 72 Maurice Fountain DE 40 Chris Henry RB (Injured) 48 Michael Johnson OLB 47 Nick Tow-Arnett TE 44 Vuna Tuihalamaka ILB 70 Derek Walker DE (Injured) 19 Patrick Williams WR Rookies in italics 53 active, 13 inactive, 10 practice squad

• Starters in bold.

Schedule

Preseason

The Seahawks preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010.[24]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 14	Tennessee Titans	W 20–18	1–0	Qwest Field	Recap
2	August 21	Green Bay Packers	L 24–27	1–1	Qwest Field	Recap
3	August 28	at Minnesota Vikings	L 13–24	1–2	Mall of America Field	Recap
4	September 2	at Oakland Raiders	L 24–27	1–3	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	Recap

Regular season

Divisional matchups have the NFC West playing the NFC South and the AFC West.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 12	San Francisco 49ers	W 31–6	1–0	Qwest Field	Recap
2	September 19	at Denver Broncos	L 14–31	1–1	Invesco Field at Mile High	Recap
3	September 26	San Diego Chargers	W 27–20	2–1	Qwest Field	Recap
4	October 3	at St. Louis Rams	L 3–20	2–2	Edward Jones Dome	Recap
5	Bye
6	October 17	at Chicago Bears	W 23–20	3–2	Soldier Field	Recap
7	October 24	Arizona Cardinals	W 22–10	4–2	Qwest Field	Recap
8	October 31	at Oakland Raiders	L 3–33	4–3	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	Recap
9	November 7	New York Giants	L 7–41	4–4	Qwest Field	Recap
10	November 14	at Arizona Cardinals	W 36–18	5–4	University of Phoenix Stadium	Recap
11	November 21	at New Orleans Saints	L 19–34	5–5	Louisiana Superdome	Recap
12	November 28	Kansas City Chiefs	L 24–42	5–6	Qwest Field	Recap
13	December 5	Carolina Panthers	W 31–14	6–6	Qwest Field	Recap
14	December 12	at San Francisco 49ers	L 21–40	6–7	Candlestick Park	Recap
15	December 19	Atlanta Falcons	L 18–34	6–8	Qwest Field	Recap
16	December 26	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 15–38	6–9	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
17	January 2	St. Louis Rams	W 16–6	7–9	Qwest Field	Recap

Source: 2010 NFL season results [25]

Postseason

Further information: 2010–11 NFL playoffs

Playoff round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
Wild Card	January 8	New Orleans Saints (5)	W 41–36	1–0	Qwest Field	Recap
Divsional	January 16	at Chicago Bears (2)	L 24–35	1–1	Soldier Field	Recap

Standings

NFC West
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(4) Seattle Seahawks	7	9	0	.438	4–2	6–6	311	407	W1
St. Louis Rams	7	9	0	.438	3–3	5–7	289	328	L1
San Francisco 49ers	6	10	0	.375	4–2	4–8	305	346	W1
Arizona Cardinals	5	11	0	.313	1–5	3–9	289	434	L1

Game Summaries

Preseason

Week P1: vs. Tennessee Titans

Preseason Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. Tennessee Titans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	7	0	0	11	18
Seahawks	0	10	10	0	20

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: August 14
• Game time: 7:05pm local
• Game weather: clear, 87 °F (31 °C), wind NW 11 miles per hour (18 km/h)
• Game attendance: 65,352
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV: KING
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Week P2: vs. Green Bay Packers

Preseason Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	14	3	0	10	27
Seahawks	7	7	7	3	24

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: August 16
• Game time: 7:06pm local
• Game weather: clear, 74 °F (23 °C), wind WNW 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
• Game attendance: 65,586
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV: KING
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Week P3: at Minnesota Vikings

Preseason Week Three: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	10	3	0	13
Vikings	0	10	0	14	24

at Mall of America Field, Minneapolis

• Date: August 28
• Game time: 7:05pm local
• Game weather: indoors
• Game attendance: 63,550
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV: KING
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Week P4: at Oakland Raiders

Preseason Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	3	13	0	8	24
Raiders	17	0	7	3	27

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: September 2
• Game time: 7:00pm local
• Game weather: clear, 73 °F (23 °C), 56% humidity, wind WNW 13 miles per hour (21 km/h)
• Game attendance: 23,957
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV: KING
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Regular Season

Week 1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 1: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	3	3	0	0	6
Seahawks	0	14	14	3	31

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: September 12
• Game time: 1:16pm local
• Game weather: clear, 64 °F (18 °C), wind SE 11 miles per hour (18 km/h)
• Game attendance: 67,044
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan and Chris Myers
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SF – Joe Nedney 23-yard field goal, 10:16 (SF 3–0), Drive: 8 plays, 24 yards, 4:35 Second quarter SF – Joe Nedney 23-yard field goal, 6:23 (SF 6–0), Drive: 9 plays, 31 yards, 5:48 SEA – Matt Hasselbeck 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 2:26 (SEA 7–6), Drive: 7 plays, 64 yards, 3:57 SEA – Deon Butler 13-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 1:27 (SEA 14–6), Drive: 1 play, 13 yards, 0:06 Third quarter SEA – Marcus Trufant 32-yard interception return (Olindo Mare kick), 13:59 (SEA 21–6) SEA – Deion Branch 3-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 10:30 (SEA 28–6), Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 2:56 Fourth quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 35-yard field goal, 2:24 (SEA 31–6), Drive: 10 plays, 57 yards, 6:32 Top passers SF – Alex Smith: 26/45, 225 yds, 2 INT SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 18/23, 170 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SF – Frank Gore: 17 car, 38 yds SEA – Justin Forsett: 7 car, 43 yds Top receivers SF – Vernon Davis: 8 rec, 73 yds SEA – Mike Williams: 4 rec, 64 yds Top tacklers SF – Patrick Willis: 10 solo, tfl SEA – Lofa Tatupu: 5 solo, 3 asst, tfl Team – pass – rush – total – to SF – 214 – 49 – 263 – 2 SEA – 165 – 77 – 242 – 1

The Seahawks began their season at home for an NFC West rivalry against the San Francisco 49ers. In the first quarter, Seattle trailed early when 49ers kicker Joe Nedney made a 23-yard field goal, which was extended in the second quarter when Nedney made another 23-yard field goal. Then, the Seahawks fought back and took the lead when quarterback Matt Hasselbeck got a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by him making a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Deon Butler. In the third quarter, Seattle continued to dominate when cornerback Marcus Trufant returned an interception and ran 32 yards for a touchdown. This was followed by Hasselbeck's 3-yard TD pass to wide receiver Deion Branch. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks scored again when kicker Olindo Mare made a 35-yard field goal.

With the win, Seattle began the season at 1–0.

Week 2: at Denver Broncos

Week 2: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	7	7	14
Broncos	7	10	7	7	31

at Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver

• Date: September 19
• Game time: 2:06pm local
• Game weather: clear, 91 °F (33 °C), 4% humidity, wind S 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
• Game attendance: 75,130
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter DEN – Eddie Royal 13-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Matt Prater kick), 3:48 (DEN 7–0), Drive: 3 plays, 13 yards, 1:16 Second quarter DEN – Correll Buckhalter 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 10:30 (DEN 14–0), Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:41 DEN – Matt Prater 20-yard field goal, 0:11 (DEN 17–0), Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 6:07 Third quarter SEA – Ben Obomanu 11-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 9:47 (DEN 17–7), Drive: 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:04 DEN – Knowshon Moreno 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 3:31 (DEN 24–7), Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:16 Fourth quarter DEN – Demaryius Thomas 21-yard pass from Kyle Orton (Matt Prater kick), 9:11 (DEN 31–7), Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:56 SEA – Matt Hasselbeck 20-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 5:59 (DEN 31–14), Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:12 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 20/35, 233 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT DEN – Kyle Orton: 25/35, 307 yds, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Justin Forsett: 8 car, 44 yds DEN – Knowshon Moreno: 24 car, 51 yds, 1 TD Top receivers SEA – Golden Tate: 1 rec, 52 yds DEN – Demaryius Thomas: 8 rec, 97 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers SEA – Lawyer Milloy: 7 solo, 1 asst, ff DEN – Brian Dawkins: 6 solo, 2 asst, tfl, pd, INT Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 230 – 109 – 339 – 4 DEN – 304 – 65 – 369 – 0

Coming off an easy win over the 49ers, the Seahawks flew to INVESCO Field at Mile High for an interconference duel with their former division rival, the Broncos. In the first quarter Seattle trailed early as QB Kyle Orton made a 13-yard TD pass to WR Eddie Royal, followed in the second quarter by RB Correll Buckhalter getting a 1-yard TD run. Then kicker Matt Prater made a 20-yard field goal to put the Broncos up 17–0. In the third quarter Seattle tried to cut the lead when QB Matt Hasselbeck completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR Ben Obomanu, but Denver scored with RB Knowshon Moreno getting a 1-yard TD run. In the fourth quarter Seattle fell further behind when Orton found WR Demaryius Thomas on a 21-yard TD pass. Seattle would make the final score of the game when Hasselbeck scrambled 20 yards to the endzone for a touchdown.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 1–1.

Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week 3: San Diego Chargers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	12	8	20
Seahawks	0	10	7	10	27

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: September 26
• Game time: 1:16pm local
• Game weather: cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C), wind SSW 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
• Game attendance: 67,106
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 23-yard field goal, 11:28 (SEA 3–0), Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:38 SEA – John Carlson 9-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 0:53 (SEA 10–0), Drive: 3 plays, 41 yards, 0:22 Third quarter SEA – Leon Washington 101-yard kickoff return (Olindo Mare kick), 14:47 (SEA 17–0) SD – Malcom Floyd 3-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nate Kaeding kick), 12:33 (SEA 17–7), Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:14 SD – Safety, Brandon Siler tackled Matt Hasselbeck in end zone, 4:31 (SEA 17–9) SD – Nate Kaeding 29-yard field goal, 0:37 (SEA 17–12), Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:54 Fourth quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 23-yard field goal, 11:27 (SEA 20–12), Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:59 SD – Antonio Gates 12-yard pass from Philip Rivers (2-pt PAT: Legedu Naanee pass from Philip Rivers), 6:39 (Tied 20–20), Drive: 9 plays, 65 yards, 4:48 SEA – Leon Washington 99-yard kickoff return (Olindo Mare kick), 6:24 (SEA 27–20) Top passers SD – Philip Rivers: 29/53, 455 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 19/32, 220 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SD – Mike Tolbert: 17 car, 73 yds SEA – Justin Forsett: 17 car, 63 yds Top receivers SD – Antonio Gates: 7 rec, 109 yds, 1 TD SEA – John Carlson: 5 rec, 61 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers SD – Eric Weddle: 6 solo, tfl SEA – Lawyer Milloy: 7 solo, 5 asst, ff Team – pass – rush – total – to SD – 429 – 89 – 518 – 5 SEA – 203 – 68 – 271 – 2

The Seahawks' third game was played at home ground when they played their former division rival, the San Diego Chargers. In the second quarter Seattle took the early lead when kicker Olindo Mare made a 23-yard field goal. Then QB Matt Hasselbeck completed a 9-yard TD pass to TE John Carlson. This was followed in the third quarter by RB Leon Washington returning a kickoff 101 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The lead was broken down with QB Philip Rivers getting a 3-yard TD pass to WR Malcolm Floyd, followed by Hasselbeck getting sacked by ILB Brandon Siler in the endzone for a safety. Then kicker Nate Kaeding made a 29-yard field goal. The Seahawks increased their lead when Mare made a 23-yard field goal, but the Chargers replied and tied the game when Rivers found TE Antonio Gates on a 12-yard TD pass. (With a successful 2-point conversion as Rivers found WR Legedu Naanee). Before the clock struck zero Seattle took the winning score as RB Leon Washington returned his second kickoff of the game into the endzone running 99 yards for a touchdown. Rivers and the Chargers attempted to make a comeback with less than a minute left, but was picked off by rookie Earl Thomas to seal the win for Seattle.

With the win, Seattle improved to 2–1.

Week 4: at St. Louis Rams

Week 4: Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	3	0	0	3
Rams	7	3	7	3	20

at Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, Missouri

• Date: October 3
• Game time: 12:00pm local
• Game weather: indoors
• Game attendance: 52,326
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, John Lynch & Nischelle Turner
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter STL – Brandon Gibson 15-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Josh Brown kick), 5:49 (STL 7–0), Drive: 10 plays, 90 yards, 4:09 Second quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 22-yard field goal, 14:20 (STL 7–3), Drive: 14 plays, 81 yards, 6:29 STL – Josh Brown 30-yard field goal, 0:00 (STL 10–3), Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 1:01 Third quarter STL – Kenneth Darby 21-yard pass from Sam Bradford (Josh Brown kick), 10:39 (STL 17–3), Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:59 Fourth quarter STL – Josh Brown 31-yard field goal, 2:35 (STL 20–3), Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 4:42 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 20/36, 191 yds, 1 INT STL – Sam Bradford: 23/41, 289 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SEA – Justin Forsett: 19 car, 65 yds STL – Steven Jackson: 22 car, 70 yds Top receivers SEA – Brandon Stokley: 4 rec, 62 yds STL – Mark Clayton: 5 rec, 72 yds Top tacklers SEA – Marcus Trufant: 7 solo, 1 asst STL – Craig Dahl: 6 solo, tfl STL – Justin King: 6 solo Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 193 – 64 – 257 – 2 STL – 261 – 88 – 349 – 1

The Seahawks' fourth game was played at Edward Jones Dome where they played an NFC west rivalry match against the Rams. In the first quarter the Seahawks trailed early as QB Sam Bradford completed a 15-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Gibson. The Seahawks cut the lead with kicker Olindo Mare nailing a 22-yard field goal, but the Rams increased their lead when kicker Josh Brown made a 30-yard field goal, followed in the 3rd quarter by Bradford completing a 21-yard TD pass to RB Kenneth Darby. Then Josh Brown made a 31-yard field goal to put the Seahawks further behind.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 2–2 coming into their bye week and their 10-game winning streak against the Rams was snapped.

Week 6: at Chicago Bears

Week 6: Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	7	7	2	7	23
Bears	7	6	0	7	20

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: October 17
• Game time: 12:02pm local
• Game weather: clear, 61 °F (16 °C), 49% humidity, wind N 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
• Game attendance: 62,137
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Brian Billick and Charissa Thompson
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CHI – Matt Forte 6-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 12:42 (CHI 7–0), Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 2:18 SEA – Deon Butler 22-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 10:03 (Tied 7–7), Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:39 Second quarter SEA – Justin Forsett 9-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 14:51 (SEA 14–7), Drive: 7 plays, 37 yards, 2:41 CHI – Robbie Gould 34-yard field goal, 11:51 (SEA 14–10), Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 3:00 CHI – Robbie Gould 24-yard field goal, 1:10 (SEA 14–13), Drive: 7 plays, 86 yards, 2:19 Third quarter SEA – Safety, Jordan Babineaux tackled Jay Cutler in end zone, 11:40 (SEA 16–13) Fourth quarter SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 13:45 (SEA 23–13), Drive: 11 plays, 92 yards, 5:43 CHI – Devin Hester 89-yard punt return (Robbie Gould kick), 1:54 (SEA 23–20) Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 25/40, 242 yds, 1 TD CHI – Jay Cutler: 17/39, 290 yds Top rushers SEA – Justin Forsett: 10 car, 67 yds, 1 TD CHI – Chester Taylor: 4 car, 31 yds Top receivers SEA – Mike Williams: 10 rec, 123 yds CHI – Johnny Knox: 5 rec, 120 yds Top tacklers SEA – Marcus Trufant: 4 solo, 2 asst, pd CHI – Brian Iwuh: 8 solo, 1 asst, tfl Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 242 – 111 – 353 – 0 CHI – 246 – 61 – 307 – 0

Following a bye week, the Seahawks traveled to Soldier Field and face the Chicago Bears with a new weapon in running back Marshawn Lynch. Chicago quickly scored in the first quarter with a Matt Forte 6-yard run, but Matt Hasselbeck and the offense would respond quickly with a 22-yard touchdown reception by Deon Butler. Seattle would extend the lead to 14–7 with a Justin Forsett touchdown run near the beginning of the 2nd quarter, but two Chicago field goals made by Robbie Gould would bring the Bears to a one-point deficit at halftime. However, Chicago's offense was continuously hampered by the Seahawks' blitzes, roughing up Jay Cutler for 6 sacks and a safety in the 3rd quarter. Lynch would score his first touchdown as a Seahawk later in the game, extending Seattle's lead to 23–13. The Bears tried to rallied within the last few minutes of the game as Devin Hester scored on an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown (His 13th, which ties an NFL record for most punt/kick return touchdowns for a player), but an onside kick recovered by tight end John Carlson sealed the deal as Seattle won their first non-division road game since 2007.

With the win, the Seahawks moved to 3–2.

Week 7: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week 7: Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	0	7	3	10
Seahawks	7	3	9	3	22

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: October 24
• Game time: 1:06pm local
• Game weather: cloudy, 52 °F (11 °C), wind SSE 12 miles per hour (19 km/h)
• Game attendance: 67,132
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Brian Billick and Charissa Thompson
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 20-yard field goal, 7:29 (SEA 3–0), Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 7:31 Second quarter SEA – Mike Williams 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 5:46 (SEA 10–0), Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:09 Third quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 31-yard field goal, 12:11 (SEA 13–0), Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 1:55 SEA – Olindo Mare 51-yard field goal, 10:57 (SEA 16–0), Drive: 4 plays, −17 yards, 1:14 ARI – Beanie Wells 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 5:43 (SEA 16–7), Drive: 8 plays, 70 yards, 5:14 SEA – Olindo Mare 24-yard field goal, 0:49 (SEA 19–7), Drive: 14 plays, 78 yards, 4:54 Fourth quarter ARI – Jay Feely 24-yard field goal, 14:48 (SEA 19–10), Drive: 5 plays, 27 yards, 1:01 SEA – Olindo Mare 26-yard field goal, 7:28 (SEA 22–10), Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 7:20 Top passers ARI – Derek Anderson: 8/17, 96 yds SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 20/38, 192 yds, 1 TD Top rushers ARI – Tim Hightower: 6 car, 59 yds SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 24 car, 89 yds Top receivers ARI – Andre Roberts: 2 rec, 40 yds SEA – Mike Williams: 11 rec, 87 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers ARI – Greg Toler: 10 solo, 2 asst, tfl, pd SEA – Colin Cole: 6 solo, 1 asst Team – pass – rush – total – to ARI – 114 – 113 – 227 – 5 SEA – 158 – 144 – 302 – 1

Coming off their win over the Bears the Seahawks played on home ground for an NFC West rivalry match against the Cardinals. In the first quarter the Seahawks took the lead as kicker Olindo Mare got a 20-yard field goal. Followed in the second quarter by QB Matt Hasselbeck making a 2-yard TD pass to WR Mike Williams. The Seahawks increased their lead in the 3rd quarter with Mare nailing a 31 and a 51-yard field goal. The Cardinals replied with RB Beanie Wells getting a 2-yard TD run. The Seahawks continued to score with Mare hitting a 24-yard field goal, but the Cardinals responded in the fourth quarter with kicker Jay Feely getting a 24-yard field goal. The Seahawks pulled away with Mare making a 26-yard field goal.

With the win, the Seahawks improved to 4–2.

Week 8: at Oakland Raiders

Week 8: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	0	3	3
Raiders	3	7	3	20	33

at Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: October 31
• Game time: 1:15pm local
• Game weather: clear, 66 °F (19 °C), 60% humidity, wind W 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
• Game attendance: 35,721
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, John Lynch & Nischelle Turner (blacked out locally)
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 31-yard field goal, 5:14 (OAK 3–0), Drive: 8 plays, 45 yards, 3:05 Second quarter OAK – Marcel Reece 30-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 8:54 (OAK 10–0), Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 5:54 Third quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 36-yard field goal, 9:09 (OAK 13–0), Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:43 Fourth quarter OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 22-yard field goal, 14:52 (OAK 16–0), Drive: 8 plays, 82 yards, 3:38 OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey 69-yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 13:26 (OAK 23–0), Drive: 1 play, 69 yards, 0:10 SEA – Olindo Mare 47-yard field goal, 8:57 (OAK 23–3), Drive: 11 plays, 21 yards, 4:29 OAK – Sebastian Janikowski 49-yard field goal, 7:18 (OAK 26–3), Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:39 OAK – Michael Bush 4-yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick), 1:56 (OAK 33–3), Drive: 6 plays, 66 yards, 4:06 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 13/32, 163 yds, 1 INT OAK – Jason Campbell: 15/27, 310 yds, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Leon Washington: 5 car, 29 yds OAK – Darren McFadden: 21 car, 111 yds Top receivers SEA – John Carlson: 3 rec, 47 yds OAK – Darrius Heyward-Bey: 5 rec, 105 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers SEA – Marcus Trufant: 5 solo, 1 asst, pd SEA – Lawyer Milloy: 4 solo, 2 asst SEA – Lofa Tatupu: 1 solo, 5 asst OAK – Tyvon Branch: 5 solo, 3 asst, sack, tfl, pd, INT Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 115 – 47 – 162 – 1 OAK – 306 – 239 – 545 – 0

Hoping to increase their winning streak the Seahawks flew to Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum where they played their former division rival, the Oakland Raiders. The Seahawks immediately trailed on a scoring rally by the Raiders with kicker Sebastian Janikowski nailing a 31-yard field goal. This was followed in the second quarter by QB Jason Campbell's 30-yard TD pass to FB Marcel Reece. Then in the third quarter Janikowski made a 36-yard field goal. Then he made a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to put the Raiders up 16–0. The Seahawks struggled further with Campbell getting a 69-yard TD pass to WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. The Seahawks would make their only score of the game with kicker Olindo Mare hitting a 47-yard field goal. However, they continued to trail as Janikowski made a 49-yard field goal, followed by RB Michael Bush making a 4-yard TD run.

With the loss, the Seahawks fell to 4–3.

Week 9: vs. New York Giants

Week 9: New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	21	14	6	0	41
Seahawks	0	0	0	7	7

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: November 7
• Game time: 1:05pm local
• Game weather: partly cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C), wind S 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
• Game attendance: 67,287
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Pam Oliver
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 2-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 5:49 (NYG 7–0), Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:37 NYG – Hakeem Nicks 46-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:18 (NYG 14–0), Drive: 4 plays, 63 yards, 2:00 NYG – Ahmad Bradshaw 4-yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick), 2:03 (NYG 21–0), Drive: 1 plays, 4 yards, 0:05 Second quarter NYG – Steve Smith 6-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 9:15 (NYG 28–0), Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 5:31 NYG – Kevin Boss 5-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:53 (NYG 35–0), Drive: 10 plays, 86 yards, 4:11 Third quarter NYG – Lawrence Tynes 25-yard field goal, 10:05 (NYG 38–0), Drive: 5 plays, 40 yards, 1:20 NYG – Lawrence Tynes 20-yard field goal, 0:00 (NYG 41–0), Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 8:29 Fourth quarter SEA – Ben Obomanu 36-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (Olindo Mare kick), 13:34 (NYG 41–7), Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 1:26 Top passers NYG – Eli Manning: 21/32, 290 yds, 3 TD SEA – Charlie Whitehurst: 12/23, 113 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NYG – Brandon Jacobs: 11 car, 78 yds SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 11 car, 48 yds Top receivers NYG – Hakeem Nicks: 6 rec, 128 yds, 1 TD SEA – Ben Obomanu: 1 rec, 36 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers NYG – Corey Webster: 4 solo, 1 asst, pd, INT SEA – David Hawthorne: 9 solo, 3 asst, fr Team – pass – rush – total – to NYG – 290 – 197 – 487 – 1 SEA – 113 – 49 – 162 – 3

The Seahawks' eighth game was an NFC duel with the Giants at home. The Giants took control with RB Ahmad Bradshaw getting a 2-yard TD run, followed by Eli Manning's 46-yard TD pass to WR Hakeem Nicks, followed by Bradshaw's 4-yard TD run. In 2nd quarter QB Eli Manning found WR Steve Smith and TE Kevin Boss on 6 and 5-yard TD passes respectively. The lead was expanded by kicker Lawrence Tynes who made a 25 and a 20-yard field goal. Seattle made their only score of the game with QB Charlie Whitehurst completing a 36-yard TD pass to WR Ben Obomanu.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 4–4. This also marks the first time that they lost to the Giants at home since 1981.

Week 10: at Arizona Cardinals

Week 10: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	7	10	9	10	36
Cardinals	7	3	0	8	18

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

• Date: November 14
• Game time: 2:15pm local
• Game weather: indoors
• Game attendance: 61,904
• Referee: Scott Green
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter ARI – Tim Hightower 2-yard run (Jay Feely kick), 12:48 (ARI 7–0), Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:12 SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 7:44 (Tied 7–7), Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:04 Second quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 41-yard field goal, 13:23 (SEA 10–7), Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 3:18 ARI – Jay Feely 23-yard field goal, 8:11 (Tied 10–10), Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 5:12 SEA – Deon Butler 63-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 7:28 (SEA 17–10), Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards, 0:43 Third quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 34-yard field goal, 7:05 (SEA 20–10), Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:52 SEA – Olindo Mare 19-yard field goal, 4:50 (SEA 23–10), Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 2:02 SEA – Olindo Mare 23-yard field goal, 1:15 (SEA 26–10), Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 2:45 Fourth quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 19-yard field goal, 12:18 (SEA 29–10), Drive: 7 plays, 10 yards, 2:55 ARI – Early Doucet 2-yard pass from Derek Anderson (2-pt PAT: Larry Fitzgerald pass from Derek Anderson), 7:52 (SEA 29–18), Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 4:26 SEA – Justin Forsett 4-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 3:49 (SEA 36–18), Drive: 3 plays, 10 yards, 0:59 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 22/34, 333 yds, 1 TD ARI – Derek Anderson: 23/45, 322 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers SEA – Justin Forsett: 9 car, 64 yds, 1 TD ARI – Tim Hightower: 13 car, 39 yds, 1 TD Top receivers SEA – Mike Williams: 11 rec, 145 yds ARI – Steve Breaston: 4 rec, 98 yds Top tacklers SEA – Aaron Curry: 7 solo, 2 sacks, tfl, ff SEA – Earl Thomas: 7 solo ARI – Greg Toler: 8 solo, 2 pd ARI – Adrian Wilson: 6 solo, 2 asst, sack, tfl ARI – Paris Lenon: 6 solo, 2 asst, Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 380 – 110 – 490 – 1 ARI – 286 – 41 – 327 – 2

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Giants the Seahawks flew to University of Phoenix Stadium for an NFC West rivalry match against the Cardinals. In the first quarter the Seahawks trailed early as RB Tim Hightower got a 2-yard TD run. They replied with RB Marshawn Lynch getting a 1-yard TD run. They took the lead with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 41-yard field goal, but the Cardinals replied with kicker Jay Feely nailing a 23-yard field goal. They took control with QB Matt Hasselbeck completing a 63-yard TD pass to WR Deon Butler. This was followed in the third quarter by a 34, 19 and 23-yard field goal from Mare. In the fourth quarter Mare got another 19-yard field goal to put the Seahawks up 29–10. The Cardinals responded with QB Derek Anderson making a 2-yard TD pass to WR Early Doucet (With a successful 2-point conversion as Anderson found WR Larry Fitzgerald), but the Seahawks put the game away with RB Justin Forsett getting a 4-yard TD run.

With the win, not only did the Seahawks improve to 5–4, but they swept the Cardinals for the first time since 2005.

Week 11: at New Orleans Saints

Week 11: Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	3	13	0	3	19
Saints	7	20	7	0	34

at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans

• Date: November 21
• Game time: 3:05pm local
• Game weather: indoors
• Game attendance: 70,015
• Referee: Mike Carey
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 20-yard field goal, 7:07 (SEA 3–0), Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36 NO – Chris Ivory 1-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 1:30 (NO 7–3), Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:37 Second quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 43-yard field goal, 14:55 (NO 7–6), Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 1:35 NO – Marques Colston 23-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 10:17 (NO 14–6), Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 4:38 NO – Robert Meachem 3-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 5:48 (NO 21–6), Drive: 8 plays, 42 yards, 4:06 SEA – Ben Obomanu 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 1:54 (NO 21–13), Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 3:54 NO – Marques Colston 22-yard pass from Drew Brees (PAT failed), 1:00 (NO 27–13), Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:54 SEA – Olindo Mare 43-yard field goal, 0:00 (NO 27–16), Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 1:00 Third quarter NO – Robert Meachem 32-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 12:18 (NO 34–16), Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:42 Fourth quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 20-yard field goal, 5:26 (NO 34–19), Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 7:02 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 32/44, 366 yds, 1 TD NO – Drew Brees: 29/43, 382 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT Top rushers SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 7 car, 36 yds NO – Chris Ivory: 23 car, 99 yds, 1 TD Top receivers SEA – Mike Williams: 6 rec, 109 yds NO – Marques Colston: 8 rec, 113 yds, 2 TD Top tacklers SEA – David Hawthorne: 10 solo, 2 asst, tfl, pd, INT NO – Scott Shanle: 9 solo, 3 asst, ff, fr Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 366 – 58 – 424 – 2 NO – 382 – 112 – 494 – 2

The Seahawks' tenth game was an NFC duel with the Saints. In the first quarter the Seahawks took the lead as kicker Olindo Mare hit a 20-yard field goal; but the Saints pulled ahead after RB Chris Ivory got a 1-yard TD run. The lead narrowed in the 2nd quarter by Mare getting a 43-yard field goal, but the Seahawks fell further behind when QB Drew Brees made a 23 and a 3-yard TD pass to WR Marques Colston and WR Robert Meachem respectively. The Seahawks cut the lead again after QB Matt Hasselbeck got a 2-yard TD pass to WR Ben Obomanu; but the Saints replied with Brees throwing a 22-yard TD pass to Colston. The Seahawks tried to cut the lead with Mare hitting a 43-yard field goal. The lead extended in the third quarter with Brees finding Meachem again on a 32-yard TD pass. The Seahawks made the only score of the fourth quarter with Mare making a 20-yard field goal; however, the Saints' defense closed off any more chances.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 5–5.

Week 12: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week 12: Kansas City Chiefs at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	7	14	0	21	42
Seahawks	7	3	7	7	24

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: November 28
• Game time: 1:05pm local
• Game weather: clear, 43 °F (6 °C), wind SW 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h)
• Game attendance: 66,370
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Rich Gannon
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter KC – Dwayne Bowe 7-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 11:31 (KC 7–0), Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:29 SEA – Earl Thomas 10-yard blocked punt return (Olindo Mare kick), 0:31 (Tied 7–7) Second quarter KC – Shaun Smith 1-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 7:18 (KC 14–7), Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 8:13 KC – Dwayne Bowe 36-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 1:12 (KC 21–7), Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:38 SEA – Olindo Mare 43-yard field goal, 0:00 (KC 21–10), Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 0:28 Third quarter SEA – Chris Baker 13-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 14:03 (KC 21–17), Drive: 2 plays, 71 yards, 0:57 Fourth quarter KC – Jamaal Charles 3-yard run (Ryan Succop kick), 14:54 (KC 28–17), Drive: 11 plays, 71 yards, 6:06 KC – Dwayne Bowe 9-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 12:43 (KC 35–17), Drive: 3 plays, 22 yards, 1:10 SEA – Ben Obomanu 87-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 10:16 (KC 35–24), Drive: 1 plays, 87 yards, 0:13 KC – Tony Moeaki 6-yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick), 3:36 (KC 42–24), Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:40 Top passers KC – Matt Cassel: 22/32, 233 yds, 4 TD SEA – Matt Hasselbeck:20/37, 282 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers KC – Jamaal Charles: 22 car, 173 yds, 1 TD SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 7 car, 20 yds Top receivers KC – Dwayne Bowe: 13 rec, 170 yds, 3 TD SEA – Ben Obomanu: 5 rec, 159 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers KC – Javier Arenas: 6 solo, pd KC – Derrick Johnson: 5 solo, 1 asst, sack, pd, ff SEA – David Hawthorne: 8 solo, 5 asst, tfl Team – pass – rush – total – to KC – 233 – 270 – 503 – 1 SEA – 268 – 20 – 288 – 3

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Saints the Seahawks played on home ground where they played their former division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. In the first quarter, the Seahawks trailed early with QB Matt Cassel getting a 7-yard TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe. They responded after FS Earl Thomas returned a blocked punt 10 yards for a touchdown. They fell behind as Shaun Smith got a 1-yard TD run, followed by Cassel finding Bowe again on a 36-yard TD pass. The Seahawks cut the lead when kicker Olindo Mare got a 43-yard field goal, followed by QB Matt Hasselbeck getting a 13-yard TD pass to TE Chris Baker. The struggled further with RB Jamaal Charles getting a 3-yard TD run, followed by Cassel throwing to Bowe on a 9-yard TD pass. The Seahawks responded as Hasselbeck completed an 87-yard TD pass to WR Ben Obomanu, but the Chiefs increased their lead as Cassel got a 6-yard TD pass to TE Tony Moeaki.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 5–6.

Week 13: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week 13: Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	7	0	0	14
Seahawks	0	3	21	7	31

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: December 5
• Game time: 1:16pm local
• Game weather: cloudy, 45 °F (7 °C), wind NE 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h)
• Game attendance: 66,577
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Rose and Ross Tucker
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CAR – Mike Goodson 6-yard run (John Kasay kick), 10:51 (CAR 7–0), Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 4:09 Second quarter CAR – Jonathan Stewart 3-yard run (John Kasay kick), 8:05 (CAR 14–0), Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:00 SEA – Olindo Mare 24-yard field goal, 0:38 (CAR 14–3), Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 2:36 Third quarter SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 10:46 (CAR 14–10), Drive: 9 plays, 96 yards, 4:14 SEA – Lofa Tatupu 26-yard interception return (Olindo Mare kick), 9:18 (SEA 17–14) SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 6:09 (SEA 24–14), Drive: 2 plays, 2 yards, 0:41 Fourth quarter SEA – Marshawn Lynch 22-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 4:24 (SEA 31–14), Drive: 9 plays, 81 yards, 4:24 Top passers CAR – Jimmy Clausen: 18/34, 169 yds, 1 INT SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 17/30, 229 yds, 2 INT Top rushers CAR – Jonathan Stewart: 21 car, 92 yds, 1 TD SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 21 car, 83 yds, 3 TD Top receivers CAR – Steve Smith: 3 rec, 54 yds SEA – Cameron Morrah: 3 rec, 69 yds Top tacklers CAR – Captain Munnerlyn: 6 solo, 1 asst, INT CAR – J. Williams: 5 solo, 2 asst, 2 tfl, pd CAR – J. Anderson: 4 solo, 3 asst, sack, tfl SEA – David Hawthorne: 11 solo, 3 asst Team – pass – rush – total – to CAR – 152 – 131 – 283 – 1 SEA – 210 – 161 – 371 – 2

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Chiefs the Seahawks played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Panthers. In the first quarter the Seahawks trailed early as RB Mike Goodson got a 6-yard TD run, followed by RB Jonathan Stewart getting a 3-yard TD run. They commanded the rest of the game with kicker Olindo Mare getting a 24-yard field goal, followed by RB Marshawn Lynch getting a 1-yard TD run, then with Lofa Tatupu returning an interception 26 yards for a touchdown. The lead was extended with Lynch getting a 1 and a 22-yard TD run.

With the win, not only did the Seahawks improve to 6–6, they surpassed their victory mark of the last 2 seasons.

Week 14: at San Francisco 49ers

Week 14: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	7	0	7	7	21
49ers	10	20	10	0	40

at Candlestick Park, San Francisco

• Date: December 12
• Game time: 1:05pm local
• Game weather: overcast, 55 °F (13 °C), 90% humidity, wind E 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h)
• Game attendance: 69,732
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SF – Vernon Davis 42-yard pass from Alex Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 12:33 (SF 7–0), Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:27 SEA – Ruvell Martin 11-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 4:14 (Tied 7–7), Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 3:47 SF – Jeff Reed 33-yard field goal, 0:00 (SF 10–7), Drive: 9 plays, 59 yards, 4:14 Second quarter SF – Jeff Reed 44-yard field goal, 10:31 (SF 13–7), Drive: 7 plays, 19 yards, 2:52 SF – Josh Morgan 15-yard pass from Alex Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 8:04 (SF 20–7), Drive: 3 plays, 17 yards, 0:55 SF – Brian Westbrook 62-yard pass from Alex Smith (Jeff Reed kick), 1:50 (SF 27–7), Drive: 3 plays, 68 yards, 1:14 SF – Jeff Reed 22-yard field goal, 0:00 (SF 30–7), Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:26 Third quarter SF – Dashon Goldson 39-yard interception return (Jeff Reed kick), 14:11 (SF 37–7) SF – Jeff Reed 36-yard field goal, 3:32 (SF 40–7), Drive: 7 plays, 51 yards, 3:41 SEA – Leon Washington 92-yard kickoff return (Olindo Mare kick), 3:18 (SF 40–14) Fourth quarter SEA – Deon Butler 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 1:55 (SF 40–21), Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:11 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 27/42, 285 yds, 2 TD, 4 INT SF – Alex Smith: 17/27, 255 yds, 3 TD Top rushers SEA – Michael Robinson: 3 car, 33 yds SF – Anthony Dixon: 14 car, 60 yds Top receivers SEA – Ruvell Martin: 4 rec, 73 yds, 1 TD SF – Brian Westbrook: 6 rec, 87 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers SEA – Aaron Curry: 7 solo, 1 asst, sack, tfl SF – Takeo Spikes: 6 solo, 3 asst, 2 pd, INT Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 277 – 84 – 361 – 5 SF – 241 – 95 – 336 – 0

After their win over the Panthers the Seahawks flew to Candlestick Park for an NFC West rivalry match against the 49ers. The Seahawks trailed early with QB Alex Smith completing a 42-yard TD pass to TE Vernon Davis, but they replied with QB Matt Hasselbeck throwing an 11-yard TD pass to WR Ruvell Martin. They fell further behind when kicker Jeff Reed hit a 33 and a 44-yard field goal, followed by Smith completing a 15 and a 62-yard TD pass to Josh Morgan and Brian Westbrook respectively. This was followed by Reed making a 22-yard field goal, and in the third quarter with FS Dashon Goldson returning an interception 39 yards for a touchdown. After that, Reed nailed a 36-yard field goal to put the 49ers up 40–7. The Seahawks tried to cut the lead down but only came away with RB Leon Washington returning the kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, and in the 4th quarter with QB Matt Hasselbeck getting a 2-yard TD pass to WR Deon Butler.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 6–7.

Week 15: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	17	17	0	34
Seahawks	7	3	0	8	18

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: December 19
• Game time: 1:06pm local
• Game weather: clear, 45 °F (7 °C), wind SSE 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h)
• Game attendance: 67,101
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen and Tim Ryan
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SEA – Marshawn Lynch 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 7:28 (SEA 7–0), Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:32 Second quarter ATL – Jason Snelling 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 14:14 (Tied 7–7), Drive: 15 plays, 51 yards, 8:14 ATL – Matt Bryant 27-yard field goal, 4:51 (ATL 10–7), Drive: 14 plays, 51 yards, 7:16 SEA – Olindo Mare 38-yard field goal, 2:05 (Tied 10–10), Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:55 ATL – Michael Jenkins 24-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:19 (ATL 17–10), Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 1:46 Third quarter ATL – Jonathan Babineaux recovered fumble in end zone (Matt Bryant kick), 10:12 (ATL 24–10) ATL – Matt Bryant 25-yard field goal, 4:20 (ATL 27–10), Drive: 8 plays, 30 yards, 4:05 ATL – Roddy White 5-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 0:52 (ATL 34–10), Drive: 4 plays, 21 yards, 2:20 Fourth quarter SEA – Charlie Whitehurst 1-yard run (2-pt PAT: Ben Obomanu pass from Charlie Whitehurst), 8:29 (ATL 34–18), Drive: 11 plays, 88 yards, 4:40 Top passers ATL – Matt Ryan: 20/35, 174 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT SEA – Charlie Whitehurst: 8/16, 83 yds Top rushers ATL – Michael Turner: 25 car, 82 yds SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 12 car, 60 yds, 1 TD Top receivers ATL – Roddy White: 7 rec, 65 yds, 1 TD SEA – Mike Williams: 8 rec, 66 yds Top tacklers ATL – Curtis Lofton: 4 solo, 3 asst SEA – Colin Cole: 3 solo, 5 asst, tfl Team – pass – rush – total – to ATL – 168 – 98 – 266 – 1 SEA – 143 – 91 – 234 – 3

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the 49ers the Seahawks played on home ground for an NFC duel with the Falcons. In the first quarter the Seahawks took the lead with RB Marshawn Lynch getting a 1-yard TD run, with the Falcons replying with QB Matt Ryan making a 3-yard TD pass to FB Jason Snelling. The Seahawks trailed slightly with kicker Matt Bryant hitting a 27-yard field goal, but managed to tie the game with kicker Olindo Mare nailing a 38-yard field goal. They struggled to keep up after Ryan completed a 24-yard TD pass to WR Michael Jenkins, followed by QB Matt Hasselbeck losing the ball in the endzone which was picked up by DT Jonathan Babineaux for a touchdown. This was followed by Bryant getting a 25-yard field goal, and then with Ryan getting a 5-yard TD pass to WR Roddy White. The Seahawks tried to cut the lead, but only came away with QB Charlie Whitehurst scrambling a yard for a touchdown.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 6–8.

Week 16: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 16: Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	7	0	0	8	15
Buccaneers	3	14	14	7	38

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

• Date: December 26
• Game time: 4:16pm local
• Game weather: cloudy, 49 °F (9 °C), 56% humidity, wind NW 16 miles per hour (26 km/h)
• Game attendance: 46,576
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman and Brian Billick (blacked out locally)
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SEA – Matt Hasselbeck 1-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 2:50 (SEA 7–0), Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 5:53 TB – Connor Barth 46-yard field goal, 0:25 (SEA 7–3), Drive: 4 plays, −11 yards, 2:25 Second quarter TB – Kellen Winslow 10-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 12:23 (TB 10–7), Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:27 TB – Mike Williams 10-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 6:17 (TB 17–7), Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:27 Third quarter TB – Kellen Winslow 21-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 6:38 (TB 24–7), Drive: 10 plays, 98 yards, 6:50 TB – Mike Williams 7-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 1:28 (TB 31–7), Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 1:44 Fourth quarter SEA – Leon Washington 16-yard run (2-pt PAT: Ben Obomanu pass from Charlie Whitehurst), 10:14 (TB 31–15), Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 6:14 TB – Maurice Stovall 2-yard pass from Josh Freeman (Connor Barth kick), 7:56 (TB 38–15), Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 2:18 Top passers SEA – Charlie Whitehurst: 11/18, 66 yds TB – Josh Freeman: 21/26, 237 yds, 5 TD Top rushers SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 14 car, 53 yds TB – LeGarrette Blount: 18 car, 164 yds Top receivers SEA – John Carlson: 3 rec, 27 yds TB – Kellen Winslow: 7 rec, 98 yds, 2 TD Top tacklers SEA – Lofa Tatupu: 8 solo, 2 asst, sack, tfl, ff TB – Geno Hayes: 8 solo, 1 asst, 2 sacks, 2 tfl Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 84 – 90 – 174 – 0 TB – 231 – 208 – 439 – 0

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Falcons the Seahawks flew to Raymond James Stadium for an NFC duel with the Buccaneers. The Seahawks took the early lead with QB Matt Hasselbeck scrambling 1 yard for a touchdown, but failed to maintain this lead with kicker Connor Barth hitting a 46-yard field goal, followed by QB Josh Freeman completing a 10 and a 20-yard TD pass to TE Kellen Winslow and to WR Mike Williams. The Seahawks fell further behind when Freeman connected to Winslow and Williams again on a 21 and a 7-yard TD pass. The Seahawks tried to come back with RB Leon Washington getting a 16-yard TD run (With a successful 2-point conversion as QB Charlie Whitehurst connected to WR Ben Obomanu), but struggled to keep up as Freeman made a 2-yard TD pass to WR Maurice Stovall.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 6–9.

Week 17: vs. St. Louis Rams

Week 17: St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	3	3	0	6
Seahawks	7	0	3	6	16

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: January 2
• Game time: 5:31pm local
• Game weather: clear, 34 °F (1 °C), wind NNW 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
• Game attendance: 67,325
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and Andrea Kremer
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter SEA – Mike Williams 4-yard pass from Charlie Whitehurst (Olindo Mare kick), 11:38 (SEA 7–0), Drive: 6 plays, 87 yards, 3:22 Second quarter STL – Josh Brown 32-yard field goal, 8:54 (SEA 7–3), Drive: 13 plays, 83 yards, 6:15 Third quarter STL – Josh Brown 27-yard field goal, 8:59 (SEA 7–6), Drive: 6 plays, 12 yards, 2:55 SEA – Olindo Mare 31-yard field goal, 3:04 (SEA 10–6), Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:55 Fourth quarter SEA – Olindo Mare 31-yard field goal, 10:53 (SEA 13–6), Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 2:14 SEA – Olindo Mare 34-yard field goal, 1:37 (SEA 16–6), Drive: 13 plays, 47 yards, 7:05 Top passers STL – Sam Bradford: 19/36, 155 yds, 1 INT SEA – Charlie Whitehurst: 22/36, 192 yds, 1 TD Top rushers STL – Steven Jackson: 11 car, 45 yds SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 20 car, 75 yds Top receivers STL – Steven Jackson: 4 rec, 39 yds STL – Daniel Fells: 3 rec, 39 yds SEA – Ruvell Martin: 3 rec, 85 yds Top tacklers STL – David Vobora: 6 solo, 5 asst SEA – David Hawthorne: 3 solo, 4 asst Team – pass – rush – total – to STL – 137 – 47 – 184 – 1 SEA – 192 – 141 – 333 – 1

Hoping to end their season on a positive note, the Seahawks went home for a Week 17 NFC West rematch with the St. Louis Rams, with the division title on the line. Seattle delivered the game's opening strike in the first quarter as quarterback Charlie Whitehurst found wide receiver Mike Williams on a 4-yard touchdown pass. The Rams answered in the second quarter with former Seahawks kicker Josh Brown making a 32-yard field goal.

St. Louis continued to pound away at Seattle's lead in the third quarter as Brown got a 27-yard field goal, but the Seahawks replied with a 31-yard field goal from kicker Olindo Mare. Afterwards, Seattle pulled away in the fourth quarter with Mare's 38-yard and 34-yard field goals.

With the win, not only did the Seahawks finish the regular season at 7–9, but they also won the NFC West for the first time since 2007 and secured the NFC's #4 seed. Also, Seattle became the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs in a non-strike season and become division champions with a losing record.

Postseason

Main article: 2010–11 NFL playoffs

Seattle entered the postseason as the #4 seed in the NFC.

NFC Wild Card Playoff: vs. #5 New Orleans Saints

Main article: Beast Quake

NFC Wild Card Playoff: #5 New Orleans Saints at #4 Seattle Seahawks – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	10	10	0	16	36
Seahawks	7	17	10	7	41

at Qwest Field, Seattle

• Date: January 8
• Game time: 1:35pm local
• Game weather: cloudy, 40 °F (4 °C), wind SSE 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
• Game attendance: 66,336
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond (play-by-play), Mike Mayock (color commentator), and Alex Flanagan (sideline reporter)
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NO – Garrett Hartley 26-yard field goal, 11:43 (NO 3–0) Drive: 8 plays, 52 yards, 3:17 NO – Heath Evans 1-yard pass from Drew Brees (Garrett Hartley kick), 6:21 (NO 10–0) Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 4:11 SEA – John Carlson 11-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 3:38 (NO 10–7) Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:43 Second quarter NO – Julius Jones 5-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:38 (NO 17–7) Drive: 10 plays, 83 yards, 5:00 SEA – John Carlson 7-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 11:00 (NO 17–14) Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:38 SEA – Olindo Mare 29-yard field goal, 7:03 (Tied 17–17) Drive: 4 plays, 8 yards, 1:47 SEA – Brandon Stokley 45-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 1:15 (SEA 24–17) Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 3:48 NO – Garrett Hartley 22-yard field goal, 0:00 (SEA 24–20) Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 1:15 Third quarter SEA – Mike Williams 38-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 11:48 (SEA 31–20) Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 3:12 SEA – Olindo Mare 39 field goal, 5:27 (SEA 34–20) Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 4:12 Fourth quarter NO – Julius Jones 4-yard run (Garrett Hartley kick), 13:11 (SEA 34–27) Drive: 12 plays, 87 yards, 4:41 NO – Garrett Hartley 21-yard field goal, 9:13 (SEA 34–30) Drive: 8 plays, 53 yards, 3:27 SEA – Marshawn Lynch 67-yard run (Olindo Mare kick), 3:22 (SEA 41–30) Drive: 2 plays, 67 yards, 0:58 NO – Devery Henderson 6-yard pass from Drew Brees (PAT failed), 1:30 (SEA 41–36) Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 1:52 Top passers NO – Drew Brees: 39/60, 404 yds, 2 TD SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 22/35, 272 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT Top rushers NO – Julius Jones: 15 car, 59 yds, 2 TD SEA – Marshawn Lynch: 19 car, 131 yds, 1 TD Top receivers NO – Devery Henderson: 7 rec, 77 yds, 1 TD SEA – Brandon Stokley: 4 rec, 73 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers NO – Jonathan Vilma: 6 solo, 1 asst, tfl NO – Jo-Lonn Dunbar: 4 solo, 3 asst SEA – David Hawthorne: 6 solo, 3 asst, pd, fr Team – pass – rush – total – to NO – 397 – 77 – 474 – 1 SEA – 265 – 150 – 415 – 1

Entering the postseason as the NFC's #4 seed, the Seahawks began their playoff run at home in the NFC Wild Card Round against the #5 New Orleans Saints in a rematch of their Week 11 duel. Seattle trailed early in the first quarter as Saints kicker Garrett Hartley got a 26-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Drew Brees completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to fullback Heath Evans. The Seahawks answered with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck finding tight end John Carlson on an 11-yard touchdown pass. New Orleans responded in the second quarter with running back Julius Jones getting a 5-yard touchdown run, but Seattle took the lead with Hasselbeck connecting with Carlson again on a 7-yard touchdown pass, Mare booting a 29-yard field goal, and Hasselbeck hooking up with wide receiver Brandon Stokley on a 45-yard touchdown pass. The Saints closed out the half with Hartley getting a 22-yard field goal.

The Seahawks added onto their lead in the third quarter as Hasselbeck found wide receiver Mike Williams on a 38-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 39-yard field goal from Mare. New Orleans ate away at their deficit in the fourth quarter with Jones' 4-yard touchdown run and Hartley's 21-yard field goal, but Seattle came right back with a 67-yard touchdown run from running back Marshawn Lynch. The Saints tried to rally with Brees completing a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devery Henderson (with a failed two-point conversion), but a failed onside kick helped preserve Seattle's victory.

With the win, not only did the Seahawks improve their overall record to 8–9, but they became the first sub-.500 team in NFL history to win a playoff game as well as dethroning the defending world champion Saints from further playoff contention.

It was later determined that crowd activity and noise was so great, specifically during Marshawn Lynch's game-clinching touchdown run (commonly referred to as the Beast Quake), that a nearby seismic monitoring station registered a small tremor located at Qwest Field.[26] With the win, the Seahawks had a 6–3 record at home for the season.

NFC Divisional Playoff: at #2 Chicago Bears

NFC Divisional Playoff: #4 Seattle Seahawks at #2 Chicago Bears – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	3	21	24
Bears	14	7	7	7	35

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: January 16
• Game time: 12:05pm local
• Game weather: cloudy, 24 °F (−4 °C), 55% humidity, wind WNW 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h)
• Game attendance: 62,265
• Referee: Alberto Riveron
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston & Tony Siragusa
• Gamecenter, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CHI – Greg Olsen 58-yard pass from Jay Cutler (Robbie Gould kick), 12:08 (CHI 7–0) Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 1:17 CHI – Chester Taylor 1-yard run (Robbie kick), 1:19 (CHI 14–0) Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 4:05 Second quarter CHI – Jay Cutler 6-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 10:01 (CHI 21–0) Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:11 Third quarter CHI – Jay Cutler 9-yard run (Robbie Gould kick), 4:12 (CHI 28–0) Drive: 14 plays, 70 yards, 7:59 SEA – Olindo Mare 30-yard field goal, 1:52 (CHI 28–3) Drive: 7 plays, 18 yards, 2:20 Fourth quarter SEA – Mike Williams 2-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 11:21 (CHI 28–10) Drive: 9 plays, 33 yards, 2:01 CHI – Kellen Davis 39-yard pass from Jay Cuter (Olindo Mare kick), 4:40 (CHI 35–10) Drive: 3 plays, 48 yards, 1:37 SEA – Mike Williams 3-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 2:16 (CHI 35–17) Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:24 SEA – Brandon Stokley 9-yard pass from Matt Hasselbeck (Olindo Mare kick), 1:24 (CHI 35–24) Drive: 2 plays, 55 yards, 0:27 Top passers SEA – Matt Hasselbeck: 26/46, 274 yds, 3 TD CHI – Jay Cutler: 15/28, 274 yds, 2 TD Top rushers SEA – Golden Tate: 1 car, 13 yds CHI – Matt Forte: 25 car, 80 yds Top receivers SEA – Brandon Stokley: 8 rec, 85 yds, 1 TD CHI – Greg Olsen: 3 rec, 113 yds, 1 TD Top tacklers SEA – David Hawthorne: 8 solo, 1 asst CHI – Brian Urlacher: 7 solo, tfl Team – pass – rush – total – to SEA – 242 – 34 – 276 – 0 CHI – 261 – 176 – 437 – 1

Coming off their win over the Saints, the Seahawks flew to Soldier Field for the NFC Divisional Round against the #2 Chicago Bears, in a rematch of their Week 6 matchup. Seattle trailed early in the first quarter as Bear quarterback Jay Cutler completed a 58-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen, followed by running back Chester Taylor getting a 1-yard touchdown run. Chicago added onto their lead in the second quarter as Cutler got a 6-yard touchdown run.

The Bears continued their dominating day in the third quarter as Cutler got a 9-yard touchdown run. Seattle finally answered with a 30-yard field goal from kicker Olindo Mare. The Seahawks tried to rally in the fourth quarter as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck found wide receiver Mike Williams on a 38-yard touchdown pass, but Chicago pulled away with Cutler completing a 39-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis. Seattle continued to try to rally as Hasselbeck connected with Williams again on a 3-yard touchdown pass, followed by a 9-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley, but the Bears held on to preserve the win.

With the loss, the Seahawks' season came to an end with an overall record at 8–10.

References

1. Glazer, Jay (January 9, 2010). "Seahawks fire head coach Mora, target Carroll". Fox Sports. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
2. Football Outsiders: Final 2010 DVOA Ratings "The Seahawks do pass the 1998 Cardinals as the second-worst playoff team in DVOA history."
3. O'Neil, Danny (May 14, 2010). "Seahawks announce Ruston Webster's departure". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
4. "Schneider returns to Seahawks, this time as general manager". NFL.com. January 20, 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
5. Farnsworth, Clare (January 12, 2010). "Extending your expectations". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
6. Johns, Greg (January 8, 2010). "Jim Mora fired as Seahawks coach". seattlepi.com. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
7. O'Neil, Danny (January 9, 2010). "NFL commissioner says Seahawks complied with the Rooney Rule". seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
8. "Seahawks hire Carroll as coach". SI.com. January 11, 2010. Archived from the original on 4 February 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
9. O'Neil, Danny (January 14, 2010). "Coaching staff updates". seattletimes.nwsource.com. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
10. "Source: Seahawks add Alex Gibbs to staff". Boston Herald. January 12, 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
11. Johns, Greg (September 5, 2010). "Carroll hiring former USC assistant to replace Gibbs". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
12. Brandt, Andrew (March 5, 2010). "Burleson finds match in Lions". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
13. O'Neil, Danny (April 5, 2010). "Seahawks trade guard Rob Sims to Detroit Lions". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
14. O'Neil, Danny (March 16, 2010). "Seahawks trade Darryl Tapp for Chris Clemons, fourth-round pick". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
15. Physical toll too much for Seahawks DE Kerney, who says he'll retire
16. Jones retires after 13 seasons
17. O'Neil, Danny (August 18, 2010). "Lawrence Jackson traded to Detroit". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
18. http://www.nfl.com/transactions?transactionMonth=&transactionYear=&transactionTeamAbbr=SEA&prevTransactionTeamAbbr=&prevTransactionMonth=0&prevTransactionYear=0
19. "Ravens pry CB Josh Wilson, a Maryland alum, away from Seahawks". USA Today. August 31, 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
20. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=5005254
21. O'Neil, Danny (April 16, 2010). "Reggie Williams signs with Seahawks". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
22. "Titans trade RB White to Seahawks". FOX Sports. 24 April 2010.
23. http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/news/story?id=5132583
24. Farnsworth, Clare (March 31, 2010). "Seahawks host Titans, Packers in preseason". Seahawks.com. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
25. 2010 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.
26. Earthquake measured during Marshawn Lynch touchdown