For this season, that is.
But Saturday’s 19-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field was a game worthy of a divisional title duel or even a postseason match.
It had two good teams going toe-to-toe, with every play a battle for supremacy – making it very easy to picture these two clubs tangling like this for seasons into the future.
Seattle quarterback Tarvaris Jackson had the game’s only turnover, a lost fumble, during a crucial late possession. So it will be convenient to blame him.
It’s probably more appropriate to say Jackson failed to make several key plays that could have won the game rather than citing him for a specific play that lost it.
But close games against high-quality teams such as the Niners very often come down to just a play or two. And that’s another lesson the Seahawks need to learn to keep progressing.
“Today, we had it and we let it slip away,” Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said. “But we’re young and we’re going to learn from these hard lessons.”
The somber tone in the locker room made it obvious how deeply this one hurt. The Seahawks entered the game with playoff hopes alive but now stand 7-8 with the season ending a week from today at Arizona.
Rookie receiver Doug Baldwin, for instance, was still sitting in his uniform – with his head in his hands for long stretches – well after most of the players had showered and dressed.
“This was a tough one,” linebacker Leroy Hill said. “We were hot, we had our playoff hopes alive, but you can’t lose games this time of year when you’re fighting. They’ve got a helluva team and it definitely felt like (a playoff game). We came out and battled and fought and they battled and fought. That’s exactly the kind of game everybody came out to see.”
True enough. This one had big plays, bruising hits and drama down to the final seconds.
And it offered the best validation that the Sea-hawks have become one of the league’s elite rushing teams. With 107 rushing yards, Marshawn Lynch became the first in 36 games to crack triple-digits in rushing against the Niners. And his 4-yard fourth-quarter score was the first rushing touchdown scored against San Francisco all season.
Guard Robert Gallery somewhat begrudgingly acknowledged those impressive accomplishments.
“In the end, it doesn’t mean anything,” Gallery said. “We did a couple things we wanted to. We knew it was going to be a dogfight, and just a play here or there could turn the game. So, it hurts even more to come close.”
Even though the Seattle offense went dormant in the third period, the Seahawks rallied late when special teams ace Heath Farwell blocked a punt to set up Lynch’s TD run.
Those are the kind of plays that win big games. But Jackson’s fumble on the next series was the kind that costs big games.
“When we get to the point where we can make the plays that need to be made, then we can have a record like the 49ers’,” defensive end Red Bryant said. “It always hurts to lose, and there’s no moral victories. The plays we needed to make … we didn’t make.”
The Seahawks allowed the Niners to rush for 178 yards; they let quarterback Alex Smith scramble out of trouble. And their quarterback lost a fumble on a drive when they needed at least a field goal.
“They’re a good team and we played them pretty good,” defensive tackle Brandon Mebane said. “But we’ve got some things to improve on. We’re getting there. We’re almost there.”
But that “almost” still hurts, right?
“Yeah,” he said. “But we’re gonna get there.”
Dave Boling: 253-597-8440
dave.boling@thenewstribune.com
