2006 Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks had an incredible season in 2005, as shown by their 13 and 3 win/loss record, not to mention the number of tickets they sold at Qwest Field, averaging over 66,000 tickets per game. Their outstanding record placed them at the top of the entire National Football Conference and locked in homefield advantage for the Seahawks throughout the NFL Playoffs. That proved helpful, especially against the eager wild card Carolina Panthers in the Conference Championship.

Up in Detroit, Super Bowl XL (Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10) did not go their way, but coach Mike Holmgren is still very happy with QB Matt Hasselbeck and the NFL's MVP, Shaun Alexander. Last year's additions of LeRoy Hill and Lofa Tatupu obviously punched up the Seahawks' linebacking. Will the offensive line led by Walter Jones still be the best in the business? Get your Seattle Seahawks tickets and see for yourself!

Some Seattle Seahawks history: The Seahawks joined the NFL in 1976 when the league granted an expansion team franchise to John Nordstrom, a Seattle department store owner. In the club's first season, quarterback Jim Zorn passed for more than 2,500 yards and was named the league's top offensive rookie. Jack Patera was named coach of the year in 1978 after leading the Seahawks to their first winning season. Zorn led the AFC in passing yardage that year, and wide receiver Steve Largent notched the first of his eight 1,000-yard seasons.

Former Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams head coach Chuck Knox was hired in 1983 to guide the Seahawks. Rookie running back Curt Warner led the AFC in rushing that year, producing the first of his four 1,000-yard seasons with the club. Quarterback Dave Krieg became one of the league's most efficient passers. The Sea Hawks earned their first trip to the playoffs in 1983, defeating their first two opponents before losing to the Los Angeles Raiders (now Oakland Raiders) in the AFC Championship Game.

With Rhodes and a few key additions -- Norman Hand, Randall Godfrey, Chike Okeafor, Marcus Trufant and Ken Hamlin qualify -- the defense is well on the road to recovery. For Rhodes, elevating the NFL's 28th-ranked defense into the teens might be enough to deliver double-digit wins for a team frontloaded on offense.

Knox's Seahawks collected a club-record 12 victories in 1984 but lost in the second round of the playoffs.

In 1986 Largent set an NFL record by catching a pass in his 128th consecutive game, and a year later he broke the record for most career receptions, surpassing Charlie Joiner, who had totaled 750. The Seahawks won their first division crown in 1988. The team struggled defensively, however, and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

Largent retired in 1989 as the most prolific wide receiver in professional football history. He became only the second receiver, after Don Hutson, to own career records in yards (13,089), receptions (819), and touchdowns (100) all at the same time. (Jerry Rice now holds all three records.)

During the 1990s, the Seahawks' stars included wide receiver Brian Blades, running back Chris Warren, and tackle Cortez Kennedy. The Seahawks stumbled, however, posting five losing records in seven seasons from 1990 to 1996. After adding talented new players such as linebacker Chad Brown and defensive back Shawn Springs, they returned to the playoffs in 1999.

Note: The Seahawks are often misspelled as two words, Sea Hawks.