This team actually outplayed Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl, only to be robbed by a couple of very questionable calls by the referees. The Seahawks are loaded again this season, and although we concede that the AFC has more good teams than the NFC, Seattle is still our pick to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history!

We really see virtually no holes on this team with the possible exception of punter, which we could live with. We have always felt that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck would be a stud with the right players around him, and he was awesome in 2005 throwing for nearly 3500 yards and 24 touchdowns vs. just nine interceptions. We do not think that last year was an anomaly, so we are looking for big things from him yet again. There are definitely no worries in the running game, with reining MVP Shaun Alexander carrying the load and Pro Bowl fullback Mack Strong clearing paths for him. The addition of wide receiver Nate Burleson may actually make the passing game better, as he probably has more pure speed than the incumbent receivers on the roster do. The only setback to the offense is the loss of super guard Steve Hutchinson to free agency, but there are enough positives here to offset that loss, and the Seahawks are grooming third round draft pick Rob Sims out of Ohio State to be the eventual replacement for Hutch.

The defense was 5 th in the NFL against the run last season, but it was a disappointing 28 th against the pass. However Seattle made quite a few free agent additions to its defense such as defensive back Andre Dyson, safety Marquand Manuel and defensive end Rodney Bailey. They also addressed this need with the drafting of cornerback Kelly Jennings in the first round, as super cover corner that just may be an immediate starter. If the pass defense improves as much as we expect, Seattle fans will be celebrating a Super Bowl title come February!

2006 Prediction: 1 st Place NFC West, NFC Champion, SUPER BOWL CHAMPION