And they did it without Marshawn Lynch or Thomas Rawls. Without Russell Okung. Without Kam Chancellor. Without Jimmy Graham or Luke Willson. Against the best. On the road.
I admit like many I fully expected the Hawks to lose because of all these factors. My main concern going in was that we didn't lose any MORE key players to injury. My entry theme, get healthy for the Wild Card game. Win if you can, don't sweat it if you can't. The REAL season starts next weekend.
But the Hawks put pedal to the metal from the first play. Tyler Lockett tilted the field big time with his returns. Christine Michael gashed some runs. Backup tight ends caught TD passes from a sizzling Wilson. The Cardinals were rocked back on their feet and never recovered. The defense gave up some passes for first downs, but that's about it. They stymied Arizona.
When Seattle has been bad this season, they've been very, very bad. But like you said, their roster is so good that even when they're very, very bad they only get beat by a small margin.
When Seattle has been good this season, they've been remarkable.
It has been a very up and down season, with long stretches of both. As we head into the REAL season, we realize:
(1) The Hawks can be had if they don't play well.
(2) If they play well, nobody can beat them.