It Wasn’t Average 8-8 Year Seahawks’ Season Took Lots Of Turns To Arrive At The Middle Of The Road

You get an image of a team with an 8-8 record.

Kinda average. Middle-of-the-road.

Eight and eight. Twin snowmen.

Win one, lose one.

But the Seattle Seahawks’ 8-8 season was nothing like that.

This was a season torn in half, with a pathetic start (2-6) soothed by a strong finish (6-2).

A season with losses to two of the worst teams in the league (Cardinals and Jets) countered by outrageous victories over two dreaded divisional rivals (Raiders and Broncos).

Yes, at 8-8, the Seahawks finished at the equator. But they visited both poles during the trip.

Top to bottom.

Which makes it so easy to pick the bests and worsts, because the disparity during this 16-game odyssey was so vast.

Offensive MVP: Chris Warren.

This was easy. Warren not only put together his fourth straight 1,000-yard rushing season, but did so by gaining the tough yards when they were needed.

Previously a back who tended to tip-toe around contact, or see the sideline as an exit ramp, Warren increased his ability - or willingness - to run with power and toughness.

He accounted for more first downs than any player in the AFC.

“People talk about Emmitt Smith and Barry Sanders, and those are great backs, but Chris has to be considered very close to that level,” Hawks coach Dennis Erickson said.

Offensive bust: Quarterback Rick Mirer.

Mirer had a few good games, but was mostly lost this season, with 20 interceptions and the lowest QB rating of the season.

Also-ran: Receiver Ricky Proehl. Brought in from Arizona as a third receiver, a broken foot in the first game sidelined him nearly the entire season. Total production: 5 catches.

Defensive MVP: Linebacker Terry Wooden.

Wooden had his fourth 100-plus-tackle season and began to gain recognition as one of the best open-field tacklers in the NFL.

Defensive bust: Tackle Sam Adams.

Adams seemed ready to live up to his first-round draft selection of two years ago. But the overweight and under-motivated Adams was replaced in the starting lineup by 35-year-old veteran Joe Nash just five games into the season.

Best play (offensive): Joey Galloway’s 86-yard touchdown on a reverse against Jacksonville.

Maybe the most thrilling run in the league this year.

Worst play (offensive): Mirer had a few contenders in this category, but his end zone fumble of the center exchange that gave the Chargers a free touchdown has to be the winner.

Best play (defensive): This one is split between Robert Blackmon and Antonio Edwards.

In the second Denver game, with the Hawks about to go down by 24 points, Blackmon sacked John Elway and forced the fumble that Edwards recovered and turned into an 83-yard touchdown.

Worst play (defense): Let’s give this one to Blackmon for blowing two coverages that led to long TD passes by Kansas City in the season-opening loss.

Best unit: Receivers.

Galloway and Brian Blades combined for 144 catches and became the first Seahawks duo to each have 1,000-yard receiving years.

Worst unit: Coverage teams.

The Hawks finished 28th in the league in kick-off coverage and 25th in punt coverage.

Biggest surprise: Kicker Todd Peterson.

The loss of John Kasay left some Hawks observers a bit queasy, but Peterson connected on 23 of 28 field goal attempts and showed his ability to make the clutch kick. Kasay missed seven field goals for Carolina.

Also-rans: Tackle James Atkins, who displaced Ray Roberts; free-agent cornerback Selwyn Jones, who became one of the best cover guys on the team; and back Steve Broussard, who showed he still has plenty of speed.

Best win: Oakland, 44-10.

This reversed a 34-14 defeat earlier in the season.

Seattle dominated the Raiders in every aspect and generated more excitement than the Kingdome has seen in several seasons.

Worst loss: New York Jets, 16-10. Dreadful game, dreadful team. An inexcusable defeat that cost the Seahawks a playoff berth. Win that one and they’re still playing.

Worst game: Arizona 20, Seattle 14.

A catastrophe. An infamous crime against professional football.

Best stat: Seattle’s 5,270 yards was the most offense the team has generated since the 1986 season.

Best comeback: Eugene Robinson.

The veteran safety played with guts early in the season after returning from off-season achilles tendon surgery. But his coverage was suspect. As the season went on, though, he returned to form and reached 100 tackles for the fourth time.

Best sound effect: Erickson, after suffering through a bloody press conference following the Arizona loss, retreated to the coaches’ locker room and slammed the door with a seismic force that registered on the Richter scale.

Worst injury loss: Linebacker Tyrone Stowe’s broken arm at Buffalo.

Frankly, his replacement Dean Wells, never stepped up to stop the run.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo