Seahawks face rare challenge as underdogs

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After looking a little too unrecognizable at times last weekend in St. Louis, the Seattle Seahawks find themselves in an unfamiliar position as they take on the Packers on Sunday. Following a 34-31 overtime loss to the St. Louis Rams, and with the Kam Chancellor holdout swirling over their heads, the Seahawks are 3½-point underdogs. That’s only the fourth time the Seahawks have been an underdog for a regular-season game since the midpoint of the 2012 season. It’s the largest spread against the Seahawks since they were 7½-point underdogs at San Francisco on Oct. 18, 2012. That was before Russell Wilson had been completely handed the reins to the offense and the defense had just begun to solidify its reputation. Many league observers undoubtedly would be ready to proclaim that run is nearing a tipping point should the Seahawks lose. A loss, of course, would drop the Seahawks to 0-2, a historically precarious place to be for teams with Super Bowl aspirations. Consider that just four of the 98 teams to play in the Super Bowl since the game originated in 1967 have started 0-2 – the 1993 Cowboys, 1996 Patriots, 2001 Patriots and 2007 Giants. All but the ’96 Patriots were the reigning champions. Even getting to the playoffs from 0-2 is historically dicey. According to Oddshark.com, 73 teams have started 0-2 since 2007 – and just six have made the playoffs. One of seven teams that began 0-2 last year made the playoffs, the Indianapolis Colts. The Seahawks, though, said what you might expect this week – it’s way too early to worry about any of that. No question the Seahawks have much to deal with. There figures to be a charged-up Lambeau Field crowd, with fans eager to get back at the Seahawks for three excruciating losses in Seattle since 2012, capped by the NFC Championship defeat in January. The Seahawks also are playing another game without Chancellor and are going against a prolific passing attack led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has recovered from the calf injury that bothered him late last season. Especially challenged by that should be Dion Bailey, who will step in for the second game as strong safety in place of Chancellor. It was Bailey who fell down with less than a minute remaining last week to allow the Rams to force overtime with a 37-yard touchdown pass. That was one of four pass plays of 25 yards or longer. Seattle allowed just 14 last season. “We didn’t live up to the standard (set by Seahawks teams of previous seasons),’’ first-year defensive coordinator Kris Richard said. Seahawks players said communication issues were a major reason and vowed that area, as well as everything else, will improve this week. “We have a lot of stuff to clean up,” coach Pete Carroll said. “We’re trying to play better this week, and we’re going to have to.”