Sunday Night Football Ratings With Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams Highest Since 2002

We all heard the mocking tones from the rest of the nation as NBC flexed the Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams to their primetime slot on Sunday night. Many wondered why a game between two poor teams would be placed on NBC’s pride and joy, Sunday Night Football. Besides the obvious one-game showdown for the NFC West crown, it seemed like the Seahawks and Rams wouldn’t draw across the country. Boy was the nation wrong.

The Seahawks and Rams drew the best overnight rating on Sunday Night Football since 2002, when the Minnesota Vikings battled the Baltimore Ravens. Last night’s game drew a 12.6 overnight rating, just short of the 13.4 the Ravens and Vikings drew back in 2002.

As expected, viewer-ship in Seattle and St. Louis was high, but it was clear cities with playoff teams were tuning-in. After the two cities involved, New Orleans came in third. The Saints will play the Seahawks in Seattle this Saturday in the first round of the playoffs. Las Vegas and Oklahoma City rounded out the top-five.

Not bad for our lowly little division. The Seattle Seahawks, winners of the NFC West, will take-on the New Orleans Saints this Saturday at 1:30 p.m. NBC will, again, handle the broadcast duties this week in the first round of the playoffs.

Rams Vs. Seahawks: Charlie Whitehurst Leads Seattle To NFC West Title

In the last game of the last week of the 2010 NFL season, the Seattle Seahawks used a career backup quarterback to clinch the NFC West with a win over the St. Louis Rams. Charlie Whitehurst, starting in place of the injured starter Matt Hasselbeck, managed the game as well as could be expected, leading the Seahawks to a crucial win over the Rams. Whitehurst never turned the ball over and drew first blood, finding Mike Williams for the only score of the game. The defense did the rest.

Whitehurst finished the game with 192 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, playing mistake-free football and keeping the Seahawks in the game. Marshawn Lynch got stronger down the stretch after nearly fumbling the game away, rushing for 75 yards on 20 carries. Ruvell Martin, a former practice squad player, led the Seahawks with three catches for 85 yards.

Sam Bradford got almost no help from his receivers throughout the game and made a critical mistake that broke the Rams down the stretch. Though he did throw for 155 yards, Bradford had one crucial interception in the fourth quarter as Seattle linebacker Will Herring slide underneath a throw to pick Bradford off. Steven Jackson added 11 carries for 45 yards on the ground and added four catches for 39 yards.

The Seahawks, at 7-9, are your NFC West champion. They will be the first team to make the playoffs with a losing record, but it doesn’t matter in Seattle tonight. The Seahawks will host the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the playoffs next Saturday at Qwest Field.

Will Herring Intercepts Sam Bradford, Seattle Seahawks Lead, 13-6

Sam Bradford tried to get greedy and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Will Herring made him pay. Herring jumped in front of a pass to Brandon Gibson in the fourth quarter with the St. Louis Rams driving, snaring the pass and giving the Seahawks the ball back with eight minutes to go. It was the play of the game to this point.

The Rams had plenty of momentum ahead of Herring’s interception after forcing the Seahawks to punt the possession before. Jon Ryan shanked the punt in a horrific way, giving the Rams great field position. The first play went for 10 yards, but Herring got heroic on the second.

The Seahawks needed the defense to show up after weeks of futility. Tonight, it has and then some. Seattle has kept the Rams out of the end zone so far, harassing Bradford all night while bottling up Steven Jackson.

With four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks have the lead, 13-7.

Seattle Seahawks Take Touchdown Lead After Charlie Whitehurst Stalls

Charlie Whitehurst has been solid at quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, but the team’s red zone woes continue against the St. Louis Rams. In a game where scoring has been at a premium, neither the Rams of Seahawks have found the end zone since the first possession of the game. The Seahawks, using good field position to start the drive, just hit another field goal to boost their cushion back to a touchdown, 13-6.

Whitehurst continues to plod away, throwing for 183 yards and a touchdown. Most importantly, he’s yet to turn the ball over. The only turnover of the game came when Marshawn Lynch was stripped while fighting for extra yards. Lynch and Forsett finally found a running game, rushing for a combined 70 yards.

St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford has solid, but hasn’t gotten any help from his receivers. Drops, tipped passes and costly mistakes have burned the Rams, preventing big plays all night long. Thus far, Bradford has thrown for 127 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. Drop after drop on third down has allowed the Seahawks to get off the field as the Seattle defense continues to hold.

With 10 minutes to go and the 12th man fired up, the Seahawks lead the Rams, 13-6.

Seattle Seahawks Vs. St. Louis Rams: Seattle Finds Run Game, Settles For Field Goal

Charlie Whitehurst was serviceable, but not spectacular, on the Seattle Seahawks last drive, moving the chains but stalling deep in the red zone. The surprise, however, was the sudden emergence of a run game on the Seattle side of the ball. On second and long, Justin Forsett scampered 18 yards for a first down. Marshawn Lynch picked up a big first down on a 10-yard run, looking to atone for an earlier miscue. Still, the Rams are within striking distance as the Seahawks lead, 10-6.

The Seattle offensive line, despite having to reshuffle yet again, has been able to create holes for the running game to operate effectively. Russell Okung has returned from injury, but Chester Pitts is out with a concussion. The Seahawks are now on their third combination on the line in this game alone.

Lynch, Forsett and Washington combined to bring a potent attack originating from the Seahawks backfield on the scoring drive. It’s the first time I can remember all three got in on the action in a game this year. Whether it be swing passes, draws or a power running game, the offense was clicking, a good sign for the rest of the game for Seattle.

With the third quarter nearly over, the Seahawks are hanging on by the skin of their chin, 10-6. The NFC West title is hanging in the balance, with the Seahawks looking to hang on for a playoff berth over the rams.

Seattle Seahawks Vs. St. Louis Rams: Charlie Whitehurst Makes Great Play, Marshawn Lynch Fumbles, Rams Capitalize

The Seattle Seahawks opened the second half strong, forcing a St. Louis Rams punt. Charlie Whitehurst made a great play, avoiding the rush and finding Marshawn Lynch as an outlet to start the drive, only to see Lynch negate it all as he was stripped. The Rams recovered, took over possession and used a Josh Brown field goal to get within one in the third quarter, 7-6.

Whitehurst has been as good as can be expected, considering the situation, throwing for 150 yards and a touchdown in just over two quarters of play. Though he’s been hesitant at times, Whitehurst has been able to make plays with his feet, rushing for 19 yards on four carries. It was his perfect first drive, 5-5 for 85 yards and a touchdown, that gave the Seahawks the early lead. That lead has held, even as the Rams continue to chip away.

A costly St. Louis holding call on a Steven Jackson run that got the Rams down near the goalline backed the offense up and allowed the Seahawks to hold. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford threw the ball out of the end zone while evading the rush on third and goal, setting up Josh Brown’s second field goal of the night.

In the third quarter, the Seahawks still lead the Rams, 7-6.

Seahawks Vs. Rams: Seattle Leads At The Half, 7-3

In a surprising first half dominated by the defense, the Seattle Seahawks made it out with their NFL Playoff hopes alive and well through 30 minutes, leading the St. Louis Rams, 7-3. The Seahawks scored first on a clinical drive by Charlie Whitehurst, but have stalled since, using strong defense to stay in the game. Both defenses are holding strong, setting up what looks to be a dogfight to the finish.

Whitehurst finished the half 15-20 for 145 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks had no running game to speak of, rushing for just 22 yards, led by Whitehurst’s 19 yards on scrambles. Ruvell Martin caught two passes for 77 yards, including a 61-yard bomb to setup the first Seattle touchdown.

The Seahawks defense has kept St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford off-balance for much of the game, getting hands in the passing lane to tip Bradford’s passes. The rookie quarterback finished the half with 93 yards through the air, but no touchdowns. Steven Jackson carried the ball just seven times for 32 yards, as well.

There’s 30 minutes to go in Seattle with the NFC West title and a home playoff game on the line. The Seahawks lead the Rams, 7-3. St. Louis will get the ball to start the half.

Seahawks Vs. Rams: Seattle Has Near-Perfect First Quarter In One-Game Playoff

The Seattle Seahawks had just about a perfect first quarter against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday Night Football. In a game that is,essentially, a one-game playoff, the Seahawks came out with intensity, driving the length of the field to strike first. While the offense looked good to start the game, it’s the defense stealing the show for Seattle.

The St. Louis Rams have yet to cross midfield as the Seahawks have forced St. Louis to punt each time the Rams have had the ball. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has a serious case of the tipped-balls and has seen three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. For a defense that’s been much maligned recently, this performance, coming in a game of this magnitude, is a breath of fresh air.

While the Seattle offense has slowed since the first drive, if the defense keeps this up, they’re going to be tough to beat. After the first quarter, the Seahawks lead the Rams in Seattle on Sunday Night Football, 7-0.

Seahawks Vs. Rams: Seattle Strikes First On Sunday Night Football

With the NFL Playoffs hanging in the balance, the Seattle Seahawks took the ball first on Sunday Night Football and immediately put together a drive. Just before kickoff, head coach Pete Carroll announced Charlie Whitehurst would be the starter and boy did Whitehurst respond. A perfect 5-5 drive by Whitehurst got the Seahawks going fast as the Qwest Field crowd erupted.

Whitehurst hit Ruvell Martin on a bomb on the second play from scrimmage after a quick swing pass going Whitehurst into the flow of the game. It was Whitehurst again to cap the drive as he rolled right and threw back to Mike Williams for the touchdown. Whitehurst finished 5-5 for 85 yards and a touchdown after the Seahawks took a holding penalty on the opening kickoff, negating a nice run-back by Leon Washington.

In the first quarter, the Seahawks lead the Rams, 7-0 with the final spot in the NFL Playoffs hanging in the balance.

Matt Hasselbeck Active For Seattle Seahawks

As if it’s any surprise, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is active for today’s NFC West showdown against the St. Louis Rams. Hasselbeck has been dealing with an injured oblique, sustained during last Sunday’s loss. Hasselbeck scrambled for the end zone, injuring his oblique as he waltzed into the end zone untouched.

Backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst took the snaps with the first team offense and spent the week preparing to be the starter. However, word from Qwest Field ahead of tonight’s game is that Hasselbeck appears to be ready to go and likely will start for the Seahawks. Although Whitehurst prepared as if he would start, it’s no surprise at all that Hasselbeck would retake control of the Seattle offense in the biggest game of the year.

The Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams hit the field with the NFC West on the line tonight at 5:20 p.m. The game will be televised by NBC nationally.

Seahawks Vs. Rams: NFC West Playoff Spot Up For Grabs In Seattle

The Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams will play the final regular season game of 2010 on Sunday evening and it's for all the marbles in the NFC West. After 15 games, the Rams hold a slim, one-game lead over the Seahawks, setting up a winner-take-all showdown at Qwest Field on Sunday evening. If they Seahawks win, they own the tiebreaker and head to the playoffs at 7-9. If the Rams win, they'll take the NFC West crown with an 8-8 record.

Sam Bradford, perhaps the best quarterback in the NFC West, makes his first start at Qwest Field on Sunday night. The rookie quarterback has lived up to the hype, throwing for 3,357 yards and 18 touchdowns in his 2010 campaign. The Rams, never thought to be a factor before 2010, have steadily improved this season and have a chance to cap the year with a playoff appearance.

The situation at quarterback is much more complicated for Seattle. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll announced the job was Charlie Whitehurst's on Monday after Matt Hasselbeck went down with a hip injury against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. Whether he was bluffing or telling the truth remains to be seen, but many expect Hasselbeck to be ready by the time the Seahawks take the field Sunday night.

It all comes down to this for the Seahawks and Rams. As poor as the Seahawks have played down the stretch, a playoff berth is at their doorstep. A win against the Rams puts them through, with the added bonus of a first round home game.

The Seahawks and Rams hit the field at 5:20 p.m. on Sunday for the NFC West crown. NBC flexed the game and will take the broadcasting duties.