Seattle coach Mike Holmgren acknowledges that he considered leaving coaching after his Seahawks lost last year’s Super Bowl.
“It took me a while to get over it, to the point where I wasn’t sure I was going to continue coaching,” he said. “Eventually we made the decision to stay. But most things linger more with coaches than with players. Players seem to get over the stuff a little faster.”
The Seahawks and Holmgren began to truly get over that loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers with their improbable victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the first round last weekend.
The Bears suffered their final defeat of the 2005 season at precisely this point a year ago, in the conference semifinals after a first-round bye. They’d love to put that loss behind them, something an anxious fan base won’t let them do until the pattern of first-game playoff losses is broken.
The Bears’ 37-6 drubbing of Seattle in Week 4, back when both teams were 3-0, means nothing. The Bears had defeated Carolina in the regular season last year, too, before the playoff debacle.
“That [Seattle game] was 12 games ago,” defensive end Alex Brown said. “We learned that lesson the hard way last year.”
Last year the lesson was what can happen when something is taken for granted or not fully appreciated until it’s too late.
“It’s the chance of a lifetime for me,” running back Thomas Jones said. “Last year was my first time in the playoffs, and it was a great experience. Just to have a second chance is something that I’m going to take full advantage of.”
TEAM STATISTICS
BEARS 13-3 regular season, won NFC North – SEAHAWKS 9-7 regular season, won NFC West
OFFENSE
Yards per game (NFL rank)
RUSHING
BEARS: 119.9 (15th)
SEAHAWKS: 120.2 (14th)
PASSING
BEARS: 205.1 (14th)
SEAHAWKS: 190.9 (20th)
TOTAL
BEARS: 324.9 (15th)
SEAHAWKS: 311.1 (19th)
DEFENSE
Yards per game (NFL rank)
RUSHING
BEARS: 99.4 (6th)
SEAHAWKS: 126.8 (22nd)
PASSING
BEARS: 194.8 (11th)
SEAHAWKS: 203.5 (16th)
TOTAL
BEARS: 294.1 (5th)
SEAHAWKS: 330.3 (19th)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Terry Bannon
Some things have changed in the 15 weeks since the Bears blew out the Seahawks 37-6 at Soldier Field. But they haven’t changed enough for Seattle to pull off an upset. This time the Seahawks have a healthy Shaun Alexander, but it’s the 2006 version, not the dominant ’05 model. Weather might prevent the Bears from getting too adventurous on offense, but that will help them. It won’t be pretty, but the Bears will advance.
BEARS 20 SEAHAWKS 14
Mike Downey
Is this or is this not a Super team? Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz and the O-line had better open huge holes for the backs because the Bears could need several TDs to beat Shaun Alexander and the Super Bowl XL runner-up Seahawks. In their last four games, the Bears have given up 105 points. This is not the defense of Oct. 1 that held Seattle to six.
BEARS 34 SEAHAWKS 30
Lew Freedman
The Bears are a better all-around team, but they have flaws. Cedric Benson will do something big in this game. If Rex Grossman plays his best, the Bears will win easily. If we see Bad Rex early, we’ll also see Brian Griese. If Grossman simply is steady and the running game takes over, it will be a close win.
BEARS 17 SEAHAWKS 14
David Haugh
The coffee capital of the U.S. has been brewing some pretty good football mojo lately, but it will run dry. Matt Hasselbeck barely beat a bad Dallas defense at home, and the Bears will pose a much greater challenge on the road. The Bears’ pass pressure will negate holes in the secondary, and Hasselbeck will not even be the best quarterback on the field. Expect Rex Grossman to be the biggest difference for the offense in the kind of bounce-back game Grossman has excelled at in his unpredictable season.
BEARS 27 SEAHAWKS 21
Melissa Isaacson
Rex Grossman will be sorely tempted to test the patched-together Seahawks secondary, and therein lies the tale of Grossman’s dramatic playoff resurgence and a Bears blowout or a long off-season of hand-wringing and second-guessing. Thomas Jones, Cedric Benson and the offensive line should be able to wear down Seattle. It will be a significantly different Seahawks offense from Week 4. But significantly better? Not necessarily.
BEARS 26 SEAHAWKS 17
Dan McGrath
The Bears learned a lesson last year when they lost their edge during a bye week and couldn’t regain it for their second-round meeting with Carolina, which spanked them. This Seattle team is banged up in the secondary and not as strong as that Carolina team. Rest easy, Rex watchers.
BEARS 23 SEAHAWKS 20
Fred Mitchell
Inclement weather and a Seattle team reinforced by star running back Shaun Alexander should make this game closer than the Week 4 blowout. The Bears have the superior team and the expectations to advance to the NFC championship game, so it will be incumbent on them not to commit unforced errors. That goes for the players and coaches alike. Special teams, as always, will play a key role.
BEARS 20 SEAHAWKS 10
Rick Morrissey
For a 13-3 team, the Bears feel like they have a lot to prove. They’ve taken shots from just about everyone and everywhere, and now they finally get a chance to fire back. It’s a simple motivation but a powerful one in this case. This game is going to come down to defense, and despite being without Tommie Harris and Mike Brown, the Bears still have a good one. It might have to be good enough to score a touchdown.
BEARS 14 SEAHAWKS 7
John Mullin
The Bears might have some jitters after their late-season inconsistency. But they can win with a simple, run-based game and are simply better at too many positions. The Bears are capable of forcing mistakes by an erratic Matt Hasselbeck, overwhelming a suspect secondary and pounding Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones until the Seahawks crack.
BEARS 23 SEAHAWKS 10
Don Pierson
The October game provided a hint that the Bears are simply a better team. But a bigger reason the Bears should prevail involves the mind-set stemming from last year’s playoffs. The Bears lost at home in the NFC semifinals and think they are better this season. The Seahawks lost in the Super Bowl and know they are not.
BEARS 27 SEAHAWKS 14
SEATTLE TIMES
Jerry Brewer
Devin Hester’s return kills the Seahawks’ special teams.
BEARS 24 SEAHAWKS 17
Steve Kelley
The Bears win on a late Brian Griese touchdown pass.
BEARS 13 SEAHAWKS 9
Danny O’Neill
Closer than most expect, but the Bears grind it out on the ground.
BEARS 24 SEAHAWKS 20
