Dilfer may have saved season

SEATTLE — Don’t know Trent Dilfer’s 40-yard dash time. Don’t know how long it took the veteran NFL quarterback to cover seven clumsy, halting, stumbling yards late in the fourth quarter.

But, hey, it takes a little time to rescue a season.

Dilfer’s scramble for a first down with just over two minutes remaining prevented Seattle from perhaps adding chapter III to its book on blowing fourth-quarter leads. His timely seven-yard sprint, err, chug and fall face-forward, preserved Seattle’s 24-21 victory over Arizona at Qwest Field on Sunday.

It clinched a playoff berth. It positioned Seattle for an NFC West title and a possible home game in the first round. It was a third-down play his teammates will tease him about ruthlessly in film session today — right after they thank him for breathing new life into the Seahawks’ season.

“The longest seven-yard run I have ever seen,” coach Mike Holmgren said. “But he made it.”

“I saw him running and I was thinking, ‘Faster, faster, faster,’ ” running back Shaun Alexander said. “If you could have my legs right now, I would give them to you. And (center Robbie) Tobeck screams, ‘Tuck the ball,’ and the (Arizona) guy is trying to strip it from him instead of tackling him. It was probably the biggest run that Trent’s ever had.”

It was a pretty fair representation of Dilfer’s career. He may lack artistry, but not guile. He doesn’t have the strongest arm and his mobility is questionable. He lost his job after helping Baltimore to a Super Bowl title, but winning seems to follow him around. And that’s seems to be the only characteristic he truly cares about.

That, and throwing jabs at Tobeck, an accomplished prankster.

“I was just trying not to fall down, to be honest,” said Dilfer, who started when Matt Hasselbeck’s ailing elbow failed a pre-game throwing test. “Someone told me I looked like Morganna running — which is Tobeck’s nickname, by the way. I was just trying to keep my eyes up so my head wouldn’t fall.”

True to the nature of Seattle’s season, even then it wasn’t over. Dilfer fumbled the ball as he landed, but it quickly rolled out of bounds. Arizona coaches argued with the officials to spot the ball short of the first down. After a brief consultation, officials correctly spotted the ball at the 31, giving Dilfer the first by roughly a yard.

From there, Seattle ran out the clock and put an end to another creepy fourth quarter.

“You look at teams that are really successful and they do whatever it takes. Peyton Manning will run a draw play on third-and-7 if he sees that’s where the defense is vulnerable,” Dilfer said. “To me, a winner is somebody who strives for competitive greatness. Their focus is not to get patted on the back or get individual awards, but to compete so hard that it inspires people around them. That’s all I’ve ever tried to do.”

There was a palpable sense of “here we go again” at Qwest Field as Seattle saw a 24-7 lead dissolve to 24-21 with 2:30 left. Remember St. Louis? Seattle coughed up a 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter and lost in overtime. Recall Dallas? Seattle frittered away a 10-point lead in the final two minutes on Monday Night Football.

Those images remain fresh in the minds of Seahawks followers. Those two games are why Seattle found itself scrambling for a playoff berth instead of enjoying a cushion in the NFC West.

Perhaps Dilfer’s scramble will shove those wicked memories to the side.

In the playoffs, Seattle will face somebody that looks like, well, itself. There is no bully in the NFC. Philadelphia, which can hand Seattle the NFC West title with a win over St. Louis tonight, is still the favorite, but points won’t come so easy with Terrell Owens out of the lineup.

“It means a lot to us,” said cornerback Marcus Trufant, who had an interception and broke up two passes. “Getting into the playoffs gives us another chance because when the playoffs start everything is fresh and new. It gives us a chance to fight for another game.

“We’ve been playing games like this all year — up and down and close all the way. We know we have to play to the last whistle.”

It took a while for the Seahawks to learn that lesson, but at least they did it in a meaningful game. There have been darn few “big games” in franchise history, and fewer still that have gone Seattle’s way.

So this victory, warts and all, was a welcome change.

“That (the playoffs) was the goal,” defensive end Chike Okeafor said. “To get a chance to get into the dance. Anything can happen from here.”