Seattle needs win to capture West

KIRKLAND, Wash. – Mike Holmgren has been to two Super Bowls and is headed to the playoffs for the ninth time in his 19-year career as a head coach in the NFL.

So he thinks he knows what’s the most important thing for a team going into the postseason.

“I believe in momentum going into the playoffs,” the sixth-year Seattle coach said Monday, a day after his Seahawks earned an NFC wild-card berth with a 24-21 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at home.

That means Holmgren will do everything he can to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Seattle’s regular-season finale Sunday at Qwest Field.

He is hopeful of having starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who didn’t play in the Arizona game because of a right-elbow injury, back

“We’re going to approach this last game the way we approach every game,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to do anything differently.”

Sunday’s game became even more important to the Seahawks when the St. Louis Rams stayed in contention for the NFC West title Monday night with a 20-7 victory over Philadelphia. A Rams’ loss would have given the Seahawks the division title.

Seattle can still win the NFC West with a win over Atlanta or a loss by the Rams to the New York Jets. At stake is a home playoff game.