From behind enemy lines

From section 427, row XX seat 12, there wasn't a better seat in the house.

Who cares that you looked down on the lights? Who cares that the Super Bowl Banner was at eye level?

For any Seattle fan in Saint Louis, their seat was the best in the house. I had one.

I was there when the Seahawks got over two humps: the curse of the road game, and then there was that nasty streak against the Rams. The Seahawks' struggles in both situations has been so great, it didn't bother me when a Rams fan said, "This game against this team shouldn't be this close."

He's right, but not in the way he was thinking. Seattle's defense played just well enough to win, and the offense made the plays it needed. I sat at the edge of my seat, or stood, the whole game. Never totally comfortable with the lead.

There were two major points that stuck out from me in this game. First, was the special teams adjustment. When Saint Louis took the opening kick off back 99 yards for a score, it was a sinking feeling. We had seen this song and dance before: we come out pumped, ready to go, and get deflated by the big play. I was seating next to a Seahawks fan. Never met the guy, but said anyway, "Well, we have fifty-nine minutes to turn it around." How many times had I said something like that before.

And just like the other times, I believed it. This time it came true.

The other thing that sticks out is the "Here we go..." moment never came. When the Rams scored, with anyother Seahawks team we would go three and out and give momentum to the other sideline. Today, the Seahwks came out, moved the ball well throughout the game, never turned it over, and never let Saint Louis get momentum.

We weren't crushed by the injury: no D-Jac, no Engram, no problem. The Seahawks offense came on without missing a beat.

Listening to STL radio after the game, they were surprised that Seattle hung 37 points on them. At first I thought, our offense isn't bad. Then I remembered, we were without our two top recievers. Maybe it was surprising. (For the record, the same radio show said the rams made Jurevicius an all-pro)

We also didn't let the loss of Micheal Boulware get us down. The defense played inspired in the second half. After the Rams picked up a first down on fourth and 2, the defense held. On third down, Bulger was sacked, forcing Saint Louis into a field goal.

(A quick note about Rams fans. Those seated around the tunnel gave Boulware a standing ovation in a classy move.)

But, when the Seahawks went three and out, the "Here we go" moment was ready to come back onstage. But, after fate had been so cruel, so many times,to the Seahawks, it finally bounced onto the Edwards Jones Dome turf and into the Seahawks lap. The image of our reciver getting tripped by the ref, of Shaun McDonald streaking down the field in OT, of Engram dropping the touchdown in the playoffs...not gone, but they can begin to fade. They can just become games.

Was this the win that gets the doubters believing? We can only hope. Until then, the nation saw this team play to the potential we've known about in Seattle.

For those curious: I didn't get anything thrown at me. I didn't get yelled at. I got some dirty looks, but nothing too bad.

Enjoy first place, I know I will.