History of the Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team organized in 1976 and based in Seattle , Washington , USA . This article details the history of the Seattle Seahawks American Football Club . Overview . On June 15 , 1972 Seattle Professional Football Inc . , a group of Seattle business and community leaders started by Herman Sarkowsky and Ned Skinner , announced its intention to acquire an NFL franchise for the city of Seattle , WA . Almost 2 years later on June 4 , 1974 , the NFL awarded the group an expansion franchise . On December 5 , 1974 , NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced the official signing of the franchise agreement by Lloyd W . Nordstrom , representing the Nordstrom family as majority partners for the consortium . Sadly , Lloyd would die of a heart attack on January 20 , 1976 , just months before the Seahawks played their first game . On March 5 , 1975 , John Thompson , a former University of Washington executive , was hired as the general manager of the yet - unnamed team . The name " Seattle Seahawks " was selected on June 17 , 1975 after a public naming contest which drew more than 20 , 000 entries and over 1 , 700 different names . Thompson recruited and hired Jack Patera , a Minnesota Vikings assistant coach , to be the first head coach of the new team . Patera was introduced as the new head coach at a press conference on January 3 , 1976 . The expansion draft was held March 30 through the 31 , 1976 , with Seattle and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alternating picks for 39 rounds selecting unprotected players from the other 26 teams in the league . The Seahawks were awarded the 2nd overall pick in the 1976 draft , a pick they used on defensive tackle Steve Niehaus . The team took the field for the first time on August 1 , 1976 in a pre - season game against the San Francisco 49ers in the then brand new Kingdome . The Seahawks are the only NFL team to switch conferences twice in the post - merger era . The franchise began play in 1976 in the NFC West division but switched conferences with the Buccaneers after one season and joined the AFC West . This realignment was dictated by the league as part of the 1976 expansion plan , so that both expansion teams could play each other twice and every other NFL franchise once during their first two seasons . In 2002 , the Seahawks were returned to the NFC West as part of an NFL realignment plan that gave each conference four balanced divisions of four teams each . This realignment restored the AFC West to its initial post - merger roster of original AFL teams Denver , San Diego , Kansas City and Oakland . Seattle has won seven division titles in their franchise history : the 1988 and 1999 AFC West titles , and the 2004 , 2005 , 2006 , 2007 , and 2010 NFC West titles . They have won the NFC Championship Game once in 2005 , and lost the AFC Championship Game once in 1983 . Prior to 2005 Seattle had the longest drought of playoff victories of any NFL team , dating back to the 1984 season . That drought was ended with a 20 - 10 win over the Washington Redskins in the 2005 playoffs . The all - time Seahawks playoff record is 8 - 10 . 1976 - 79 . The Seahawks had their biggest " win " before ever taking the field for a regular season game . On August 26 , 1976 the Seahawks traded an eighth round pick in 1977 to the Houston Oilers for Steve Largent . The franchise ' s first win came on October 17 when they beat their expansion brethren Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13 - 10 at Tampa Bay . On November 7 they won their first game at home , 30 - 13 over the Atlanta Falcons . Those were the lone victories in an inaugural 2 - 12 season . However , the exciting play of Jim Zorn and Largent served notice of the entertainment to come . The Seahawks hosted the 1977 Pro Bowl in the Kingdome on January 17 , 1977 , and a sellout crowd of 63 , 214 saw the AFC beat the NFC 24 - 14 . It was the first sellout in Pro Bowl history . In a reversal of the cunning that brought them Largent , the Seahawks traded their first round pick in 1977 to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a first and 3 second round draft picks . Dallas would select Tony Dorsett with the pick obtained from Seattle . The 1977 season began with four straight losses before Tampa Bay came to town . The Seahawks won " Expansion Bowl II " by a score of 30 - 23 . Two weeks later the season highlight happened on October 30 when quarterback Jim Zorn came back from missing four games with an injury to throw four touchdown passes in a 56 - 17 win over the Buffalo Bills at the Kingdome . The 1977 Seahawks would finish with a record of 5 - 9 , to establish a then record for wins by a second year franchise . In 1978 , the Seahawks achieved their first winning season with a 9 - 7 record as WR Steve Largent finished second in the NFL with 1 , 168 receiving yards , Jack Patera was named NFL Coach of the Year and Jim Zorn was named AFC Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Washington , DC . Season highlights included becoming the first team since 1965 to sweep the Raiders ( 27 - 7 win at home and a 17 - 16 win in Oakland ) . 1979 saw the Seahawks attract a national following after their first " Monday Night Football " appearance on October 29 , 1979 . After trailing 14 - 0 against the Atlanta Falcons , Seattle battled back to win 31 - 28 . A fake field goal pass from Zorn to kicker Efren Herrera led Howard Cosell to exclaim " the Seahawks are giving the nation a lesson in entertaining football ! " The good vibe was short - lived , as the next week the Seahawks set an NFL record for the lowest total offense in one game ( minus 7 yards ) in a 24 - 0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at the Kingdome . The team rebounded from that embarrassment to win 5 of their last 6 games , including a 30 - 7 victory over the New York Jets on MNF , to finish with a 9 - 7 record . 1979 - 1982 . Great hopes after consecutive winning seasons were crushed in 1980 . The Seahawks lost their last 9 games to turn a 4 - 3 record into a 4 - 12 season . The collapse did enable the Seahawks to select safety Kenny Easley out of UCLA in the first round of the 1981 draft . In 1981 , the Seahawks lost five of their first six games on their way to a 6 - 10 record . Steve Largent had another stellar season with 1 , 224 receiving yards . Dave Krieg made his first career start in place of an injured Zorn on December 6 , 1981 , completing 20 of 26 passes in a 27 - 23 win over the Jets . In the strike - shortened season of 1982 , the Seahawks fired Patera after losing their first two games . Interim coach Mike McCormack would finish out the rest of the season and the Seahawks compiled a 4 - 5 record . The Chuck Knox era ( 1983 - 1991 ) . 1983 . After a disappointing 1982 season ( which was shortened because of a players ' strike ) , the Seahawks moved interim coach Mike McCormack back into the front office and hired Chuck Knox as their head coach . In 1983 , the Seahawks were battling for a playoff berth with a 6 - 6 record . Then in week 13 , the Seahawks beat the Kansas City Chiefs 51 - 48 at the Kingdome to start their winning ways . They would win 2 of the next 3 games to earn their first ever playoff berth . In the wild - card playoffs the Seahawks shut down the Denver Broncos and their rookie quarterback John Elway 31 - 7 . The next week at the Miami Orange Bowl the Seahawks drove 66 yards in 5 plays that ended with a game - winning touchdown for the Seahawks ' 27 - 20 victory over the Miami Dolphins and their rookie quarterback Dan Marino . The Seahawks ' miracle season ended in the AFC Championship Game as they lost to the eventual Super Bowl XVIII champion Los Angeles Raiders 30 - 14 . Despite the 1983 season ending on a sour note , it was the first breakthrough season for the Seahawks . Curt Warner rushed for 1449 yards , scored 14 touchdowns , and was named AFC Rookie Of The Year . Chuck Knox was named AFC Coach Of The Year . 1984 . The first game of 1984 proved to be expensive , as Curt Warner suffered a season ending knee injury in the 33 - 0 win over the Cleveland Browns . Without Warner , the " Ground Chuck " offense became " Air Knox " . Led by QB Dave Krieg , the Seahawks enjoyed a then franchise record 8 game winning streak and a 12 - 4 record . The Seahawk defense posts 3 shutouts . One of the shutouts occurred on November 4 where they beat the Chiefs 45 - 0 in a game highlighted by 4 touchdowns off interception returns ( still an NFL record ) . A season ending 2 game losing streak cost them the division title and forced a wild card game against the Raiders . The Seahawks rode running back Dan Doornink and prevailed 13 - 7 in the team ' s last playoff victory for 21 years . The Hawks fell to the Super Bowl bound Miami Dolphins 31 - 10 in the divisional playoffs . Chuck Knox was named coach of the year a second year in a row . 1985 - 91 . The 1985 campaign was one of the most frustrating in the team ' s history . Seattle went through an alternating pattern of winning two games in a row and losing two in a row , to end at 8 - 8 . Quarterback Dave Krieg passes for 3 , 602 yards on the season . A final game loss at home to Denver proved to be a microcosm of the season , as the Seahawks squandered an early lead and then had a potentially game - tying field goal attempt hit the upright as time expired . The 1986 season is generally considered one of the " ones that got away " . A 5 - 2 start was ruined by a 4 - game losing streak . Improbably , the team then went on a roll that saw them win their final 5 games in convincing fashion . Included in the run were a 31 - 14 road victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving , a 37 - 0 shutout of the Los Angeles Raiders on " Monday Night Football " and a season ending 41 - 16 victory over the Super Bowl bound Denver Broncos . Despite a 10 - 6 record , the Seahawks failed to qualify for the playoffs due to a tiebreaker . They were the only team to beat both Super Bowl teams ( Denver and the New York Giants ) in 1986 . 1987 began with great expectations and predictions of a Super Bowl appearance . The Seahawks had won a lottery for the first pick in a supplemental draft , and they selected Oklahoma University linebacker Brian Bosworth , the 1985 and 1986 Dick Butkus award winner . The 1987 team , like Bosworth , never did live up to expectations . After an early - season 24 - day labor dispute , the team qualified for the playoffs as a wild card with a 9 - 6 record . A 23 - 20 overtime loss to the Houston Oilers in the playoffs was marred by a controversial call nullifying an apparent Fredd Young interception deep in Oilers territory in the sudden - death period . In 1988 , the team won its first AFC West division title , beating the Los Angeles Raiders 43 - 37 on the road to finish with a 9 - 7 record . The Seahawks lost 21 - 13 in the divisional playoffs to the Super Bowl bound Cincinnati Bengals . Also in 1988 Ken Behring purchased the club from the original owners , the Nordstrom Family . A year later he would name former Los Angeles Raiders head coach Tom Flores team president and general manager . 1989 saw the Seahawks fall to a 7 - 9 record . During the season , the overhyped and underperforming Brian Bosworth suffered a career - ending shoulder injury and would go on to become an actor . Also retiring was wide receiver Steve Largent , the last remaining player from the team ' s inaugural 1976 season . Despite a poor early - season performance in 1990 , the Seahawks managed to recover and go 9 - 7 , but were competing in a strong division and so missed the playoffs . 1992 - 95 . These years would prove to be the most tumultuous of the franchise ' s history so far . 1991 would be Chuck Knox ' s last year as head coach of the Seahawks . After finishing with a 7 - 9 record , he resigned to rejoin the Los Angeles Rams . The year also saw Seattle make another bad draft choice in quarterback Dan McGwire , the brother of baseball star Mark McGwire . Widely expected to take over as starting QB , he struggled on the field and ultimately never got that position . The Seahawks held onto McGwire until 1995 , then traded him to the Dolphins . Team President / GM Tom Flores assumed the head coaching duties for the 1992 season . Longtime quarterback Dave Krieg was ousted in 1992 and replaced by three different quarterbacks ( first - round pick Dan McGwire , Stan Gelbaugh and Kelly Stouffer ) . 1992 would also prove to be the Seahawks ' worst year ever when they finished 2 - 14 and scoring just 140 points in the regular season . The Seattle offense proved to be historically inept , and the only bright spot for the 1992 season was defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy being declared NFL Defensive Player of the Year . In 1993 , the Seahawks drafted Rick Mirer out of the University of Notre Dame with the second pick in the draft , in hopes that he would be able to be the franchise ' s quarterback of the future . Mirer looked to be on his way to stardom as he shared the NFL ' s Offensive Rookie of the Year Award with former college teammate Jerome Bettis in his first season . The honeymoon soon turned sour as his inconsistent play in the following three seasons led to several benchings and eventually his departure in a trade to the Chicago Bears following the 1996 season . In 1994 , the Seahawks moved to nearby Husky Stadium on the campus of the University of Washington for the preseason and 3 regular season games after an acoustic tile fell inside the Kingdome . Upon returning to the Kingdome , the team finished with a 6 - 10 record ; Tom Flores was replaced as president by David Behring , son of owner Ken Behring , and as head coach by University of Miami coach Dennis Erickson . The 1995 season was only average , with the Seahawks going 8 - 8 , following by a 7 - 9 campaign in 1996 . 1996 - 98 : Paul Allen takes over . In January 1996 , Seahawks owner Ken Behring announced that he was moving the franchise to Los Angeles , where the team would play at Anaheim Stadium . Behring claimed safety concerns ( specifically the building ' s structural integrity in the event of an earthquake ) as his reason for breaking the team ' s lease with King County . However , seismologists found Behring ' s claims to be unproven . Also , the Los Angeles area is even more earthquake - prone than Seattle . Although Behring moved the team ' s operations to Anaheim , his plans for a full move were scuttled when lawyers discovered that the Seahawks were locked into the Kingdome through 2005 . Having seen his effort to permanently relocate the franchise thwarted , Behring decided to sell . A potential buyer was found in Microsoft co - founder Paul Allen , who reached an agreement to buy the club but only if a new stadium would be built . After funding a special state - wide election for stadium financing , a new stadium for the Seahawks was passed and Allen purchased the team . Under the new ownership , Bob Whitsitt was installed as president of the club and big - name players such as Chad Brown , Warren Moon , and Ricky Watters were brought in raising hopes in Seattle that a page had been turned . What followed was more mediocrity as the club in 1997 and 1998 failed to get over the . 500 mark with consecutive 8 - 8 marks . This led to head coach Dennis Erickson ultimately being fired at the end of the 1998 season . This period was not without its memorable moments , specifically Vinny Testaverde ' s " Phantom Touchdown " in a regular season game , a legendary officiating error that became a primary factor in the NFL ' s reinstatement of instant replay . The officiating error resulted in a 32 - 31 loss to the New York Jets . The NFL officially apologized for the officiating error . Instant replay would be reinstated in the NFL the following season . Referee Phil Luckett , who made the touchdown call , was later reassigned at his request to back judge , and is also infamous for another controversial issue during the Thanksgiving game , November 26 involving the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions . The Mike Holmgren era ( 1999 - 2008 ) . 1999 - 2001 . In 1999 , the Seahawks made their biggest coaching hire with the appointment of Green Bay Packer head coach Mike Holmgren . Coming off his success with the Green Bay Packers , Holmgren was given the dual role of General Manager and Head Coach . The hiring brought instant credibility to the franchise as under Holmgren ' s guidance , the Seahawks won their second division title and first playoff berth since 1988 . That year included a memorable 24 - 7 win over Holmgren ' s former team , the Green Bay Packers on " Monday Night Football " but despite a strong 8 - 2 start , the Seahawks lost 5 of their last 6 to close out the regular season . This skid continued on into the playoffs as the Seahawks lost the final game in the Kingdome 20 - 17 to Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card round ; the game proved to be Marino ' s only career road playoff win . For the 2000 - 01 seasons the Seahawks moved to Husky Stadium while their new stadium was being built . The Seahawks drafted RB Shaun Alexander in 2000 as their RB of the future . The move to Husky Stadium could not halt the Seahawks ' decline , as they finished a disappointing 6 - 10 . Holmgren then traded for Green Bay Packers backup QB Matt Hasselbeck and made him the starting QB . But Hasselbeck struggled in the first half of the 2001 season compiling a 5 - 7 record . Hasselbeck was replaced by former Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer who steadied the ship and led the Seahawks to a 9 - 7 finish and a narrow playoff miss in the team ' s final season in the AFC . 2002 : Move to the NFC . Big changes were afoot in 2002 . When the Seahawks left Husky Stadium at the end of the 2001 season they were part of the AFC West , but when they moved into Seahawks Stadium they were now part of the NFC West . This was because 2002 divisional realignment caused by the addition of the expansion team , the Houston Texans , and to keep traditional divisional rivalries , such as Dallas - Washington despite the Cowboys being further west than St . Louis . The year would prove to be one of ups - and - downs as Dilfer was injured in Week 7 and Hasselbeck became the starting QB . He would end the season on a 3 game winning streak , and Shaun Alexander led the NFC with 18 touchdowns . But the team finished with a 7 - 9 record and rumblings began over whether Holmgren was up to having dual roles as de facto General Manager and head coach . 2003 . Before the 2003 season , Holmgren relinquished his general manager duties so that he could concentrate exclusively on coaching the team . This move was especially hard for Holmgren as one of the factors for him leaving Green Bay was to step out of the shadow of long - time Packer - GM Ron Wolf . With their head coach focused solely on the coaching side , the Seahawks made the playoffs as a wild card with a 10 - 6 record and finished with an impressive 8 - 0 mark at home . The Seahawks would face Holmgren ' s former team , the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field . The Seahawks came out strong but blew several opportunities ( including a crucial endzone drop by receiver Koren Robinson ) and were forced to go to overtime . It was during the coin - flip where quarterback Hasselbeck made the prediction " we want the ball , and we ' re going to score . " Unfortunately for Seattle , an Al Harris interception returned for a TD sealed the Seahawks fate and they were out of the playoffs again . 2004 . The Seahawks entered the 2004 season with lofty expectations . Publications such as " Sports Illustrated " predicted that the team would represent the NFC in Super Bowl XXXIX . The Seahawks started off strongly , going 3 - 0 including a 34 - 0 shutout of the lowly San Francisco 49ers at home . The season would take a dramatic turn for the worse , however , when the Seahawks blew a 27 - 10 lead late in the fourth quarter to their division - rivals , the St . Louis Rams . Trailing 27 - 10 late in the fourth quarter , the Rams scored to pull within ten with 5 : 34 remaining on the clock . This was followed by a 41 yard TD pass to Kevin Curtis , making the score 27 - 24 . After the Seahawks failed to convert on a critical third down , leaving 1 : 14 on the game clock , the Rams tied the game on the ensuing possession , sending the game into overtime . In the extra period , the Rams won the game on a stunning 52 - yard touchdown catch by Shaun McDonald . The Seahawks never fully recovered from the shocking loss and went on to win only six of their last twelve games . The Seahawks had another memorable fourth quarter meltdown against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football . As Seattle led 39 - 28 late in the fourth quarter , Testaverde completed a touchdown pass to Keyshawn Johnson , leaving 1 : 45 on the game clock . Jason Witten recovered the ensuing onside kick , and Julius Jones was heavily featured in the Cowboys ' 57 yard drive to win the game . Jones finished with a game - high 198 rushing yards for the night . The Seahawks would win their first NFC West title with a 28 - 26 win over the Atlanta Falcons in the final regular season game . The team ' s celebrations were overshadowed by bickering between Holmgren and RB Shaun Alexander , stemming from Holmgren ' s decision to bench Alexander for precautionary reasons midway through the team ' s final game of the season . Alexander would miss the 2004 rushing title by a single yard , with the honor instead going to New York Jets RB Curtis Martin . The Seahawks ended their 2004 season by losing to the Rams 27 - 20 in the NFC Wild Card game in Seattle , the first playoff game at Qwest Field . The Seahawks lost all three games against divisional rival St . Louis in the 2004 season 2005 . The 2005 season saw them advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in the team ' s history . They were the NFC representative in Super Bowl XL , a game they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers . The Seahawks compiled a 13 - 3 record in the regular season , easily winning the NFC West and clinching home field advantage in the NFC playoffs . There , they beat the Washington Redskins and Carolina Panthers to win the George Halas Trophy and advance to the Super Bowl , the first in franchise history . Super Bowl XL . Seattle fell short in its bid for its first NFL title , losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Super Bowl XL in Detroit , Michigan on February 5 , 2006 by a score of 21 - 10 . Although the Seahawks outgained the Steelers , 396 yards to 339 , and led in time of possession , those differences were erased after the first quarter in which Seattle could only muster a field goal . Pittsburgh won on the strength of three big plays converted for touchdowns , including the longest run in Super Bowl history . Seattle , on the other hand , was plagued by highly questionable penalties , dropped passes , and an interception during a drive deep into Pittsburgh territory . The controversial penalty calls made during Super Bowl XL were met with criticism from both fans and members of the media , many of whom suggested that the officials had wrongly nullified several key plays made by the Seattle offense . Jason Whitlock encapsulated the views of a few when he wrote the day after the game , " Leavy and his crew ruined Super Bowl XL . Am I the only one who would like to hear them defend their incompetence ? " In response to the criticisms , NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement , " The game was properly officiated , including , as in most NFL games , some tight plays that produced disagreement about the calls made by the officials . " The game ended a playoff season that was plagued by complaints about officiating . Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren fueled the debate upon returning to Seattle , saying during a Seahawks rally , " We knew it was going to be tough going up against the Pittsburgh Steelers . I didn ' t know we were going to have to play the guys in the striped shirts as well . " Al Michaels , commented during a " Sunday Night Football " game a few months later , " The fact that Holmgren was not fined for that statement speaks volumes to me . " Michaels explained he was alluding to Holmgren ' s need to " blow off steam , " but also suggested a perceived admission by the NFL that something went wrong in that game . Both Michaels and John Madden noted Seattle ' s mistakes , such as poor clock management at the end of each half . Before meeting with Seattle - area media on the new NFL rule changes , referee Bill Leavy unexpectedly apologized to the Seahawks for his mistakes in Super Bowl XL . " It was a tough thing for me . I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game and as an official you never want to do that . It left me with a lot of sleepless nights and I think about it constantly . I ' ll go to my grave wishing that I ' d been better . I know that I did my best at that time , but it wasn ' t good enough . When we make mistakes , you got to step up and own them . It ' s something that all officials have to deal with , but unfortunately when you have to deal with it in the Super Bowl it ' s difficult . " 2006 . The Seahawks repeated as NFC West champs with a 9 - 7 record ; their season included a 34 - 24 pounding of the Green Bay Packers on " Monday Night Football " and a pair of two - point wins over the St . Louis Rams . The Seahawks hosted the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wildcard Playoffs ; trailing 20 - 13 the Seahawks pounced on a botched Tony Romo throw to Terry Glenn in Dallas ' endzone for a safety , then scored on a 37 - yard Hasselback touchdown . The Cowboys drove downfield but on the ensuing field goal attempt Romo ( the holder ) blew the snap and was stopped in his rush to the endzone . A desperate last - second Romo throw was batted down and the Seahawks won 21 - 20 . The Seahawks would fall 27 - 24 in overtime to the Chicago Bears in the Divisional round of the NFC playoffs . 2007 . The Seattle Seahawks finished the regular season with a 10 - 6 record , winning their fourth consecutive , NFC West title , and defeated the Washington Redskins 35 - 14 in the first round of the playoffs , to advance to an NFC Divisional Round Playoff game against the Green Bay Packers , where they were defeated 42 - 20 . 2008 . The Seattle Seahawks made little noise in free agency , although they did address their need for change at running back , by cutting oft - injured former league MVP Shaun Alexander and signing both speedster Julius Jones from the Dallas Cowboys and the more powerful T . J . Duckett from the Detroit Lions . A major free agency casualty was suffered , however , when kicker Josh Brown , who hit 6 last minute game winning field goals in his 5 year Seahawks career ( including 4 during the 2006 season , an NFL single season record ) , left for the division - rival St . Louis Rams . It was also announced that this season , which would be Holmgren ' s tenth as head coach , would also be his last ; defensive backs coach Jim L . Mora ( the son of former New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim E . Mora ) would replace Holmgren at season ' s end . Injuries plagued the team from the very outset , with receivers Deion Branch and Bobby Engram both missing the first three games and Nate Burleson suffering a season - ending knee injury in the first game , a 34 - 10 loss to the Buffalo Bills . Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was also hounded by a back injury , which forced him off the field for a total of nine games , contributing to a six - game losing streak during the second half of the season . Although the Seahawks won two of their last three games , including a 13 - 3 victory over the New York Jets in Holmgren ' s last home game at Qwest Field , the team would finish third in the NFC West and end up with a record of 4 - 12 , the worst the franchise had seen since 1992 . 2009 . The 2009 offseason began with Jim L . Mora taking over the head coaching job over Mike Holmgren . A big splash was made in the free agency market when the Seahawks managed to land talented wide receiver T . J . Houshmandzadeh from the Cincinnati Bengals and All - Pro running back Edgerrin James from division rival Arizona . In the draft , the Seahawks used their 4th overall pick on linebacker Aaron Curry from Wake Forest University , and sought to bolster their offensive line in the second round with 49th overall pick Max Unger . Despite an undefeated preseason record and a 28 - 0 shutout of the Rams in the first week , things quickly began to unravel when Matt Hasselbeck again found himself sidelined after a hit by Patrick Willis in a Week 2 matchup against the 49ers left him with fractured ribs . Backup Seneca Wallace went 0 - 2 as his replacement , including a heartbreaking 25 - 19 loss to the Chicago Bears in which kicker Olindo Mare missed two field goal attempts . Though they were on the fringes of the playoff hunt all the way up to Week 13 , the team ' s season ended on four straight losses , three of which were blowouts against the Houston Texans , Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers . Meanwhile , general manager Tim Ruskell resigned late in the season when he could not be guaranteed an extension at the end of the year . Though finishing with a slightly better record than the previous season at 5 - 11 , it was not enough for Mora to save his job , as his controversial calling - out of Mare after the Chicago loss and questioning the toughness of injured first - string center Chris Spencer caused a backlash among fans , and he was fired at the end of the season to make room for new head coach Pete Carroll . 2010 . Thanks to a trade with the Denver Broncos the previous year , the Seahawks had two first - round picks in the draft , which they used to select LT Russell Okung from Oklahoma State University and S Earl Thomas from the University of Texas . Their second - round pick was used to draft WR Golden Tate from Notre Dame University . Among the many roster moves the team made included signing RB Leon Washington , DE Raheem Brock , and WR Mike Williams ; releasing WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh , RB Julius Jones and FB Owen Schmitt . The Seahawks would also trade for backup QB Charlie Whitehurst during the off season , and RB Marshwan Lynch in Week 5 . The team got off to a promising 4 - 2 start , with Washington returning two kickoffs for touchdowns in Week 3 for a 27 - 20 win over the San Diego Chargers and the Seahawks defense causing six sacks of Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in a Week 5 23 - 20 win . The team displayed plenty of weaknesses , however , and each of Seattle ' s losses during the regular season would come by no fewer than 15 points . Blowout losses included a two - week stretch against the Oakland Raiders and New York Giants where the team was outscored 78 - 10 . Despite coming into the final week of the season with a 6 - 9 record , they were still eligible to a playoff spot thanks to the extreme weakness of the NFC West , and thanks to the performance of backup QB Whitehurst , won the division title and the # 4 playoff seed in the regular season finale by defeating the Rams 16 - 6 , thus becoming the first division champion in NFL history to finish the season with a losing record . In the playoffs , the Seahawks hosted the defending Super Bowl champion 2010 New Orleans Saints season in the Wild Card match up , who had previously beaten the Seahawks 34 - 19 in Week 11 . Though they fell behind by 10 points on two separate occasions during the game , a 4 - touchdown performance by Hasselbeck and an electrifying 67 - yard touchdown run by Marshawn Lynch late in the game propelled the Seahawks to a stunning 41 - 36 upset over the Saints . The game also was noteworthy for a small earthquake produced by the enormous noise generated by fans at Qwest Field . The Seahawks then traveled to Chicago for a rematch with the Bears in the divisional round , but as most experts predicted , the latter won the game easily : thanks to two throwing TDs and two rushing TDs by Jay Cutler , the Bears jumped out to a 21 - 0 halftime lead and eventually defeated the Seahawks 35 - 24 . It would mark the third time in five years that the Seahawks were eliminated in the divisional round , and the second time by the Bears .