FIRST place in the NFC West?!?

I finally got to attend my first Seahawks game of the season today!
(my son's soccer team, that normally plays on Sundays at 1pm, had a bye today)

JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
I am really liking Mr. Earl Thomas...

't wasn't very pretty, but the fact it put another tally in the WIN column was a thing of beauty!

Somewhat less than stellar....

-Russell left in the first quarter with another ankle injury

-WAY too many penalties (especially in the red zone)
-Matt was sacked FIVE times and fumbled ONCE

And the sparkly good...
-Lookie here - we have a BIG receiver!
-And, over here - we have an UPHILL rusher!
-FIVE Cardinal turnovers lead to THIRTEEN Seahawk points
-Olindo made NINE field goals ... okay, only FIVE actually counted

Seattle didn't make anything easy on itself. Not even the field goals.

There was one comical stretch in which Mare made three kicks, each attempt 10 yards longer than the last, before finally making one that counted from 51 yards.

"What in the heck was that?" Carroll asked jokingly afterward.

The first two attempts, from 31 yards and then 41, were nullified by holding penalties against tight end Cameron Morrah. But Mare kept making them just as he has for more than a year now, and he converted from 51. That was one of five field goals, extending his franchise-record streak to 30 in a row.

DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Third time's the charm (holding penalty not once, but twice!)

How fitting though, that for the first time ever, it was Special Teams that was introduced before the game (usually just alternates between the offense and the defense - Rusty Tillman would be proud ;-))

DEAN RUTZ / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Sad and wet Card fans...