Scouting Report

Passing matchups Passing PC-PA Yds. TD Int. Passing PC-PA Yds. TD Int. Rick Mirer, Seattle 46-83 463 0 4 Trent Dilfer, Tampa Bay 39-94 499 1 7

Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD Chris Warren, Seattle 41 91 2.2 0 Lamar Smith, Seattle 9 77 8.6 1 Reggie Brooks, T.Bay 25 151 6.0 1 Mike Alstott, Tampa Bay 13 37 2.8 0

Receiving Rec. Yds. Avg. TD Receiving Rec. Yds. Avg. TD Brian Blades, Seattle 11 132 12.0 0 Joey Galloway, Seattle 11 188 17.1 0 Jackie Harris, Tampa Bay 11 146 13.3 0 Courtney Hawkins, T.Bay 11 133 12.1 0

Injuries

Seahawks: Out: G Pete Kendall (knee); Doubtful: DE Antonio Edwards (knee), TE Ronnie Williams (hamstring); Questionable: James Logan (leg), DE Matt LaBounty (knee), LB Terry Wooden (hamstring), LB Eric Unverzagt (groin).

Bucs: Out: DE Eric Curry (knee), LB Darnell Stephens (knee), OT Paul Gruber (knee); Questionable: LB Demetrius DeBose (hamstring); Probable: WR Nilo Silvan (hamstring).

Analysis

League bylaws insist that this game be played and that somebody wins.

We give a slight edge to Seattle - not so much because of Seattle, but because of Tampa Bay. Bucs’ QB Trent Dilfer has a woeful efficiency rating of 31.3, even worse than Rick Mirer’s 51.4. Dilfer has been intercepted seven times. Two were returned for touchdowns.

Tampa’s defense, like Seattle’s two weeks ago, got run over by Denver last week. That gives the Hawks’ weak ground game a glimmer of hope, but Seattle won’t move the ball until the offensive line puts the pads on an opponent.

Defensively, CB Corey Harris has been singed twice on fade patterns for TDs. Linebackers seem to make most of their tackles 5 yards downfield. Only DE Michael Sinclair has excelled up front. Wasn’t this supposedly the year DTs Cortez Kennedy and Sam Adams created bedlam in the backfield?

Seattle seems to have forgotten how to win; Tampa Bay never learned. The Hawks better get this one or they’re staring at 0-7 - next three games are home versus Green Bay, at Miami and at Kansas City.

, DataTimes