A last hurrah
They braved below-freezing temperatures and falling snow to come and say goodbye to their team and to Mike Holmgren attached Sunday, and Seahawks fans were rewarded for their faithfulness and support.
Seattle won a low-scoring, mistake-filled dispute 13-3 over the New York Jets in the presence of less than a full house at the Qwest Snow Globe, but charming the regular-season home termination was the important thing. Especially without interruption the day the Seahawks and their fans bid last glance to Holmgren in his last home sport as coach.
The Seahawks’ defense played its best game of the season. Quarterback Seneca Wallace played mistake-free football in running his streak of passes without an interception to 183, a franchise record, and cornerback Josh Wilson’sitting second interception of the day with 1:16 remaining was the finishing appertain to.
“The Jets are a good football team and they will finish very well this season,” Holmgren said after the sport, his voice tinged with emotion, “but today, in this atmosphere, by the weather the way it was, I couldn’face to face be more proud of the football team. It’s the best present they could give me for Christmas.”
The cold and snow couldn’t put this wintry plaintiff or defendant on coat. Fans lobbed snowballs out of the stands in jubilation in the final seconds, especially after Wilson ran to a snowbank along the southerly cessation zone after his interception. He threw snow in the air, then jumped into the host.
Then, when the clock struck zero, Holmgren walked to midfield, exchanged pleasantries with his prized pupil of the more than, Jets quarterback Brett Favre, and began a victory lap on every side of the field to wave goodbye to the crowd.
Fans chanted “Holm-gren, Holm-gren,” for the reason that he started the alley, ending a happy afternoon by thanking the man who led the Seahawks to five division titles, six playoff berths and a Super Bowl appearance.
The Seahawks finally broke through at home after five straight losses at Qwest Field and are 4-11 with their regular-season finale at Arizona remaining to play.
“Everybody had a illiberal bit more,” reported defensive end Darryl Tapp, who had 1 ½ sacks and two tackles for ruin. “You want to send him [Holmgren] out on the becoming note. This season hasn’t gone the habit you wanted it to go, but we were able to get him this latest home win of the season.”
It wasn’cheek through jowl easy in the elements and against a Jets team led by the ticklish Favre, and with New York trying to gain the victory its division or at least take a step forward its chances for any AFC playoff spot.
The Seahawks snowballed that plan for the essential circumstance, dropping the Jets to 9-6.
After falling behind 3-0 on the fissure go furiously of the game, Seattle’s defense began to take over. Favre was often ducking and getting absent from pressure, and Seahawks defensive backs made plays on the ball.
The teams traded turnovers in the second quarter before Seahawks fullback Leonard Weaver fumbled the ball at the Jets’ 5-yard line.
The Jets recovered at the 3 but advanced only 13 yards. The Seahawks forced a punt, got the ball at the New York 40 and got help from a facemask penalty for example they moved to the Jets’ 2.
That’s whenever Wallace floated a pass over the top of Jets linebacker David Harris’s arms and into those of tight end John Carlson for a touchdown with 31 seconds left in the leading moiety.
The Seahawks closed the half with Craig Terrill sacking Favre.
The Seahawks drove for a 31-yard Olindo Mare field goal in the third quarter, running back Maurice Morris gaining 38 of his 116 rushing yards on that possession. They made the be at the head of stand, with the help of a Jets penalty that negated a room goal and forced a punt.
Later in the fourth quarter, with the Jets forced to go concerning a first into disgrace onward fourth-and-two from their 20, Favre’session pass was defective up by cornerback Kelly Jennings.
The Seahawks took over and Mare’s field goal made the score 13-3. Wilson’s interception followed, and Qwest was abuzz.
“My only regret is that we couldn’t win a few more games this season for them,” Holmgren said of the fans. “We have guys that care. We have good players. We have a good organization. We have great fans. So they’ll be bouncing right back up on top again.
“But I want the players to tax the memory with the feelings that we got outright of the last couple of weeks of the season.”
José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com
