When 6-6 doesn't feel so bad

Yes I know, the NFC West is a bad division. I know the winner of this sub par league will back into a home playoff game and more than likely lose to a good New Orleans or Atlanta team, but somehow I am not discouraged.

The Seattle Seahawks (6-6) currently sit tied for first place with St. Louis (yes St. Louis) for first place in the West, with a final weekend showdown at Qwest Field likely to decide the division between the two surprise leaders. Personally, I feel confident the Seahawks will make it to the postseason, but even if they do not, this team is rebuilding the right way and their future looks bright.

I was skeptical of the hiring of Pete Carroll at first, but now I feel the move was the right one. Carroll has this team playing with a tenacity and fire I have not seen in a Seahawks team in awhile. True to his pedigree, Carroll has this team playing like an energetic college team, which feeds of the rabid home fans and plays inspired football. There is a flip side, and it shows in ugly defeats like the one to Kansas City and New York where the team looks undisciplined and unprepared; but this is to be expected with a rebuilding football team.

Another overlooked stat with the Seahawks is their current roster only contains 23 players from last season, by far the lowest in the league. Literally, these are not the same old Seahawks. This roster turnover has created an atmosphere Carroll had at USC, where everyone is in constant competition for their spot. This competition has opened the door for many players, most notably USC star Mike Williams to produce and have career years. I was initially skeptical, but I believe this type of turnover can work in the NFL, where players do not have guaranteed contracts and rely on their game checks to support themselves.

So while it is still uncertain whether these Seahawks will be playing in the playoffs come January, it is still exciting to see such a sudden and dramatic turnaround. This team is not great, their offense and defense do not rank in the top 20 in the league; but this team is gritty and is finding ways to eek out wins and thats all that matters. This team is winning while rebuilding, and while they can be thankful for the poor division for the help, pro football is finally exciting again in the Emerald City.