2010 Seattle Seahawks season The 2010 Seattle Seahawks season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League . Jim Mora was fired on January 8 , 2010 , leading the Seahawks to come to an agreement with Pete Carroll , instating him as head coach the following day . This marks the 9th season that the Seahawks will be playing their home games at Qwest Field . The team exceeded their win total from 2009 and won the NFC West division title with a 7 – 9 record . Indeed , they became the first team with sub - . 500 record to not only clinch a playoff berth , but also win a division title and a playoff game in a non - strike season . Offseason . Front Office changes . General manager Tim Ruskell resigned from his position two weeks before the 2009 regular season ended . Interim GM Rubston Webster took over until the season ended , and it is confirmed that Webster will not be retained as GM . However , Webster left the team for a similar position for the Tennessee Titans instead . Surprisingly , the head coaching vacancy created by Mora ' s departure was actually filled first by the Seahawks through Pete Carroll . Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke had suggested that Carroll and the GM will have a " collaborative relationship " over control of the team . Among candidates interviewed were former Tennessee Titans General Manager Floyd Resse 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 . Staff changes . Following a disastrous 5 – 11 season in his first season with the Seahawks , Jim Mora was fired on January 9 , 2010 . 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 . 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 a interview before the Seahawks signed Carroll as coach , thus fulfilling the rule . Two days later , Carroll officially became the 8th head coach in franchise history . 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 will be returning . USC Football offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates joined as the Seahawks offensive coordinator , while Alex Gibbs from the Houston Texans will serve as offensive line coach and assistant head coach . However , weeks before the start of the NFL regular season , Gibbs would suddenly retired from the position , with Carroll ' s former USC assistant Pat Ruel to take his spot . 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 . 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 . Veteran defensive End Darryl Tapp was also traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Chris Clemons and a 4th round pick . 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 ) . 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 . 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 . Last year ' s starters including FB Owen Schmitt and WR T . J . Houshmandzadeh were released from the team . DB Josh Wilson was traded to Baltimore for a conditional fifth round pick . Key additions . Former San Diego Chargers Quarterback Charlie Whitehurst was acquired by Seattle on March 18 , 2010 . Whitehurst is slated to compete for the starting job with Matt Hasselbeck . 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 . 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 . With the trade , White would have been reunited with his college coach Pete Carroll from USC , however , he was cut on May 28 , 2010 . Also , the New York Jets traded former Pro Bowler Leon Washington to Seattle . 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 Schedule . Preseason . The Seahawks preseason schedule was announced on March 31 , 2010 . Regular season . Division opponents listed in bold text . Regular season results . Week 1 : vs . San Francisco 49ers . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . Week 6 : at Chicago Bears . 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 a 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 , Seattle improved to 5 – 4 . Week 11 : at New Orleans Saints . 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 Hasselback 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 . 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 . Hoping to rebound from ther 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 , the Seahawks improved to 6 – 6 . Week 14 : at San Francisco 49ers . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 , yet 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 goal . 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 and become division champions with a losing record . Playoffs . NFC Wild Card playoffs : vs . New Orleans Saints . 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 , yet 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 , yet 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 ) , yet a failed onside kick helped preserve the 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 since the 2002 division realignment 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 , that a nearby seismic monitoring station registered a small tremor located at Qwest Field . With the win , the Seahawks had a 6 - 3 record at home for the season . NFC Divisional Round : at Chicago Bears . 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 , yet 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 .