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The Mike Hologren era is officially ending in Seattle with this Week 17 game in Phoenix against the Cards. Holmgren took over as Seattle's GM and head coach prior to the 1999 season and promptly guided the Seahawks to an AFC West title and their first playoff appearance since 1988. Entering this year, the Seahawks had been to five straight postseasons (including a Super Bowl appearance vs the Steelers at the end of the 2005 season), which was tied with the Pats for the second-longest active playoff streak. However, 2008 has not been the type of 'farewell tour' Holmgren had hoped for. The Seahawks have a mediocre running game (112.1 YPG with just nine rushing TDs), All-pro QB Hasselbeck has been hurt for the better part of the season and the team's receiving corps is sadly pathetic. Seattle ranks 26th in PPG (18.2) and 28th in YPG (270.3). Seattle was 2-11 before back-to-back wins over the Rams and Jets plus last week's 13-3 win over the Jets is hardly typical of the team's defensive effort, as Seattle enters the final game of the season ranked 30th in YPG (372.7). Beating the Jets in Holmgren's final home game was a nice "send-off" but let's remember that the Jets are in a 'free-fall' (have lost THREE of four and are in danger of missing the playoffs), while Seattle's other three wins this year have come by beating the Rams twice (St Louis is arguably the NFL's worst team at 2-13 with the NFL's worst point-differential at minus-229) and the 49ers in Mike Singletary's head coaching debut (San Fran is a different team now). As for the Cards, they've ended the NFL's longest active playoff-drought this year (last postseason for Arizona was in 1998) and are division-winners for the first time since the franchise won the NFC East while in St Louis in back in 1975. However, the Cards have lost 35-14 at home to Minnesota (were down 28-0 at then half) and 47-7 at New England (were down 31-0 at the half) the last two weeks (since clinching that division title). It's a weird situation for the Cards, as the results of the last two games make them the first team since the 1961 Raiders to trail 28-0 or worse at half in consecutive games. They're also the first team in NFL history to trail by 30-plus points at halftime twice and still make playoffs in that season (the Cards also trailed the Jets 34-0 at the half in a 56-35 Week 4 loss). So what are we to make of the Cards this week? Their playoff seeding is locked up and the Cards won't want to risk injury to QB Kurt Warner, RB Tim Hightower plus WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. However, reports indicate that the Cardinals are going to take this as a serious game, despite the fact that it means nothing in regards to the playoffs. We've already seen the line move quite a bit towards them. Kurt Warner is off his worst game of the season last week in New England, completing 6-of-18 passes for 30 yards with no TDs and no INTs (42.4 rating). Still, it's been quite a "comeback year" for the two-time MVP, who has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 4,320 yards with 26 TDs and 13 OINTs (95,5 rating). Fitzgerald (91 catches / 10 TDs) and Boldin (89 catches / 11 TDs) are both over 1,000 yards receiving and look for Breaston (72 catches / 915 yards) to join them this week. The running game is a mess (71.3 YPG ranks 32nd) but let's look at what the Cards have accomplished this year. They've been obliterated on the East Coast, going 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS, getting outscored 202-102. However, they are 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in their other 10 games. All reports are that head coach Whisenhunt feels his team can't head into the playoffs (and have any chance at being successful), playing the way it has the last two weeks. I agree with that logic and the conventional wisdom of "giving up in Week 17 games" with nothing on the line may have been "shown up" last year, when Tom Coughlin's Giants went "all out" against the Pats in their Week 17 (also with no playoff implications on the line) and then made that historic playoff run which ended with a Super Bowl win. There is no Super Bowl in the future for Phoenix but an easy win over Seattle, a team which played its 'game' last week at home vs the Jets, is in the 'CARDS!'
Las Vegas Insider
Remember when everyone was 'singing' the praises of first-year head coach Jim Zorn? Well that was then and this is now? Remember when Mike Singletary "went off" after his first game as San Francisco's interim coach and everyone wondered if "Mike ready for the big time?" Well, that was then and this is now! I don't need any real in-depth analysis in this one. The Redskins opened 6-2 with Jason Campbell 'disguised' as a real NFL QB. That was then and this is now. After throwing eight TDs and no INTs in the team's 6-2 start, the Redskins are 2-5 since, averaging a pathetic 10.9 PPG (topping 13 points just once, in a 20-17 Week 12 win at Seattle). Campbell looks 'lost' in the offense, with four INTs and six INTs in the seven games with his highest QB rating in any of the seven games being 64.7. However, it's not just his fault. Zorn, never a head coach anywhere before TY (never even a coordinator, either!), seems more lost than Campbell and his handling of the Portis "situation" was brutal. Portis topped 100 yards in five of his first eight games but has done that just once since, in Week 12. The next two games he carried just 11 times in each game (for a total of just 54 yards!) and then after "open warfare" with his head coach, carried 47 times the last two games, gaining only 147 yards. That's a 2.9 YPC average the last four games. As for Singletary, his tirade (and his coaching) have turned the tide in San Francisco. Shaun Hill is 4-3 SU and 5-2 ATS as starting QB (coincides with Singletary taking over), as he's completed 62.0 percent with 12 TDs and seven INTs for a QB rating of 87.1. JT O'Sullivan was 2-6 as a starter (off five straight losses when replaced), completing 58.2 percent with eight TDs and 11 INTs (73.6 rating). Gore (978 YR / 4.1 YPC / 6 Tds / 42 catches) is expected to play and he'll get his 1,000-yard season. Veteran WR Isaac Bruce has been a"new man" under Singletary, with 33 catches (6.6 per) over his last five games, after nabbing just 26 catches through his first 11 (just over two per game). The defense has allowed just 47 points over its last four (11.8 PPG) and and allowed average of just 14 FDs per game and 257.7 YPG over its last three. That theme of "that was then and this is now" just keeps 'ringing' in my ears. Washington is traveling for the third time in four games and must go all the way to San Francisco for this totally meaningless game.
Las Vegas Insider on the SF 49ers
FROM HIS MOUTH TO OUR FOOTBALL G_D'S EARS -
THESE ARE TWO OF MY FIVE LEROY'S PLAYS !!
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