1976_Seattle_Seahawks_season Knowpia

1976 Seattle Seahawks season
1976 Seattle Seahawks season
Owner	The Nordstrom family
General manager	John Thompson
Head coach	Jack Patera
Home field	Kingdome
Results
Record	2–12
Division place	5th NFC West
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None
AP All-Pros	None
	Seahawks seasons; 1977 →;

The 1976 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's first season competing in the National Football League (NFL). The 1976 season was the team's only one in the NFC until the league realigned divisions before the 2002 season, at which point the Seahawks were once again placed in the NFC West. The Seahawks obtained a future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee from the Houston Oilers, who had drafted receiver Steve Largent in the 4th round in 1976. Largent would go on to be a first-ballot Hall-of-Fame wide receiver, playing in seven Pro Bowls, recorded over 13,000 receiving yards and score 100 touchdowns in a 14-year career with the Seahawks.

However, before the Seahawks even played their first game, tragedy struck, as the team's owner Lloyd W. Nordstrom died from a heart attack while vacationing in Mexico on January 20. Nordstrom had been instrumental in landing an NFL team in the Pacific Northwest, and hiring the front office, but he never had a chance to see his team take the field. The estate of Mr. Nordstrom would oversee the team (with Lloyd's son Elmer being chairman), with co-owner Herman Sarkowsky serving as the team's first chief operating officer.^[1]^[2]^[3]

The Seahawks, coached by Jack Patera, played their first preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers on August 1, and their first regular season game came on September 12 at the sold-out Kingdome. The Seahawks played a solid game, but had their desperation final pass intercepted in the endzone in a 30–24 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Seahawks would go on to lose their first five games, before beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their brothers in expansion, 13–10 in Tampa on October 17. Three weeks later, the Seahawks would earn their first (and only for that season) home victory by beating the Atlanta Falcons 30–13 behind the 124-yard effort of running back Sherman Smith. These two wins would be the only ones for the season, as the first-year team compiled a record of 2–12, making them the worst team in the NFC, although this was nevertheless better than their expansion cousins the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who went 0–14 in the AFC.

Draft edit

1976 Seattle Seahawks Draft
Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	2	Steve Niehaus	DT	Notre Dame
2	29	Sammy Green	LB	Florida
	58	Sherman Smith	RB	Miami (OH)
	59	Steve Raible	WR	Georgia Tech
3	62	Jeff Lloyd	DE	West Texas State
	89	Rick Engles	P	Tulsa
	92	Don Bitterlich	K	Temple
4	93	Steve Myer	QB	New Mexico
	122	Randy Johnson	OG	Georgia
	123	Andy Bolton	RB	Fisk
5	126	Don Dufek	DB	Michigan
	153	Ernie Jones	DB	Miami
	156	Larry Bates	RB	Miami
6	157	Alvis Darby	TE	Florida
7	184	Dick Dixon	DT	Arkansas State
8	210	Larry Shipp	WR	LSU
9	239	Bob Bos	OT	Iowa State
10	266	Randy Coffield	LB	Florida State
11	293	Keith Muehr	P	Southwestern Louisiana
12	320	Ron Barnett	WR	Texas–Arlington
13	349	Andy Reid*	RB	Georgia
14	376	Jarvis Blinks	DB	Northwestern State
15	405	Dan Smith	OT	Washington State
16	432	Jeff Urczyk	OG	Georgia Tech
17	461	Chris Rowland	QB	Washington

Personnel edit

Staff edit

**1976 Seattle Seahawks staff**
	Front office Chairman – Elmer J. Nordstrom, representing the Nordstrom family Managing general partner – Herman Sarkowsky Partner – D.E. (Ned) Skinner Partner – Howard S. Wright Partner – M. Lamont Bean Partner – Lynn P. Himmelman General manager – John Thompson Assistant general manager – Mark Duncan Director of player personnel – Dick Mansperger Director of pro scouting – Chuck Allen Administrative assistant – Vince Lombardi (Jr.) Head coaches Head coach – Jack Patera Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/offensive line – Sam Boghosian Quarterbacks/receivers – Jerry Rhome Offensive backs – Andy MacDonald			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/defensive backs – Bob Hollway Defensive line – Earl Leggett Linebackers – Larry Peccatiello Strength and conditioning Head trainer – Bruce Scott Assistant trainer – Jim Whitesel

Final roster edit

**1976 Seattle Seahawks final roster**

	Quarterbacks 19 Bill Munson 16 Steve Myer 10 Jim Zorn Running backs 33 Andy Bolton 37 Hugh McKinnis FB 44 Ralph Nelson 39 Bill Olds 47 Sherman Smith 42 Don Testerman FB Wide receivers 88 Don Clune 80 Steve Largent 84 Sam McCullum 83 Steve Raible Tight ends 89 Al Darby 87 Ron Howard 81 John McMakin		Offensive linemen 63 Nick Bebout T 60 Ron Coder G/T 73 Norm Evans T 53 Fred Hoaglin C 64 Gordon Jolley G 54 Art Kuehn C 78 Bob Newton G 67 Bob Penchion G 62 Dave Simonson T Defensive linemen 74 Carl Barisich DT 72 Al Cowlings DE/DT 77 Richard Harris DT 70 Bob Lurtsema DE 71 Steve Niehaus DT 75 Dave Tipton DE 79 Jim White DE 72 Larry Woods DT		Linebackers 38 Ed Bradley 52 Randy Coffield 50 Greg Collins 32 Mike Curtis 36 Ken Geddes 56 Sammy Green 58 Don Hansen Defensive backs 46 Ted Bachman 22 Dave Brown S 25 Don Dufek 49 Ernie Jones 29 Al Matthews S 41 Eddie McMillan CB 45 Rolly Woolsey CB Special teams 4 Don Bitterlich K 28 Lyle Blackwood PR 5 Rick Engles P 3 John Leypoldt K 30 Oliver Ross KR		Reserve lists 40 Larry Bates RB (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 65 John Demarie G (IRTooltip Injured reserve) 85 Charles Waddell TE (IRTooltip Injured reserve) Rookies in italics 52 active, 0 inactive, 0 practice squad

^[4]

Starters in bold.

Schedule edit

Preseason edit

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	Recap
1	August 1	San Francisco 49ers	L 20–27	0–1	Kingdome	Recap
2	August 7	Chicago Bears	L 16–27	0–2	Joe Albi Stadium (Spokane)	Recap
3	August 14	Los Angeles Rams	L 13–16	0–3	Kingdome	Recap
4	August 21	at Denver Broncos	L 7–52	0–4	Mile High Stadium	Recap
5	August 29	San Diego Chargers	W 17–16	1–4	Kingdome	Recap
6	September 4	at Oakland Raiders	L 28–45	1–5	Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum	Recap

Source: Seahawks Media Guides^[5]^[6]

Regular season edit

In its first year, Seattle played all of the teams in the NFC, plus fellow expansion team Tampa Bay, as a member of the NFC West.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	Recap
1	September 12	St. Louis Cardinals	L 24–30	0–1	Kingdome	Recap
2	September 19	at Washington Redskins	L 7–31	0–2	RFK Stadium	Recap
3	September 26	San Francisco 49ers	L 21–37	0–3	Kingdome	Recap
4	October 3	Dallas Cowboys	L 13–28	0–4	Kingdome	Recap
5	October 10	at Green Bay Packers	L 20–27	0–5	Milwaukee County Stadium	Recap
6	October 17	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 13–10	1–5	Tampa Stadium	Recap
7	October 24	Detroit Lions	L 14–41	1–6	Kingdome	Recap
8	October 31	at Los Angeles Rams	L 6–45	1–7	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	Recap
9	November 7	Atlanta Falcons	W 30–13	2–7	Kingdome	Recap
10	November 14	at Minnesota Vikings	L 21–27	2–8	Metropolitan Stadium	Recap
11	November 21	New Orleans Saints	L 27–51	2–9	Kingdome	Recap
12	November 28	at New York Giants	L 16–28	2–10	Giants Stadium	Recap
13	December 5	Chicago Bears	L 7–34	2–11	Kingdome	Recap
14	December 12	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 10–27	2–12	Veterans Stadium	Recap

Bold indicates division opponents.

Source: 1976 NFL season results^[7]

Standings edit

NFC West

W

L

T

PCT

DIV

CONF

PF

PA

STK

Los Angeles Rams⁽³⁾

10

3

1

.750

7–0

9–2–1

351

190

W4

San Francisco 49ers

8

6

0

.571

5–2

7–5

270

190

W1

New Orleans Saints

4

10

0

.286

2–5

3–8

253

346

L3

Atlanta Falcons

4

10

0

.286

2–5

4–8

172

312

L3

Seattle Seahawks 2 12 0 .143 1–3 1–12 229 429 L5 Game summaries edit

Preseason edit

Week P1: vs. San Francisco 49ers edit

Preseason Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	7	10	10	0	27
Seahawks	0	0	7	13	20

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: August 1
Game time: 1:06 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 60,825
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV: KIRO tape delay
Gamebook

Week P2: vs. Chicago Bears edit

Preseason Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	10	7	10	27
Seahawks	0	3	0	13	16

at Joe Albi Stadium, Spokane, Washington

Date: August 7
Game time: 7:06 pm local
Game weather: showers, 63 °F or 17.2 °C, wind light
Game attendance: 14,484
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV: KIRO
Gamebook

Week P3: vs. Los Angeles Rams edit

Preseason Week Three: Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	3	6	7	0	16
Seahawks	0	0	0	13	13

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: August 14
Game time: 7:38 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 62,532
Referee: Fred Silva
TV: KIRO tape delay
Gamebook

Week P4: at Denver Broncos edit

Preseason Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	7	0	0	7
Broncos	21	17	0	14	52

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

Date: August 21
Game time: 8:00 pm local
Game weather: partly cloudy, 84 °F or 28.9 °C, wind N 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
Game attendance: 24,852
Referee: Red Cashion
TV: KIRO
Gamebook

Week P5: vs. San Diego Chargers edit

Preseason Week Five: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Diego Chargers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	0	0	10	6	16
Seahawks	0	3	7	7	17

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: August 29
Game time: 1:07 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 57,082
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV: KIRO tape delay
Gamebook

Week P6: at Oakland Raiders edit

Preseason Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	7	0	0	21	28
Raiders	14	7	21	3	45

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

Date: September 4
Game time: 6:09 pm local
Game weather: partly cloudy, 63 °F or 17.2 °C, 76% humidity, wind WNW 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
Game attendance: 51,487
Referee: Gene Barth
TV: KIRO
Gamebook

Regular season edit

Week 1: vs. St. Louis Cardinals edit

Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	3	10	10	7	30
Seahawks	3	0	7	14	24

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: September 12
Game time: 1:09 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 58,441
Referee: Tom Bell
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Alex Hawkins
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

STL – Jim Bakken 28-yard field goal, 6:22 (STL 3–0)
SEA – Don Bitterlich 27-yard field goal, 1:15 (Tied 3–3)

Second quarter

STL – Ike Harris 12-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick), 13:05 (STL 10–3)
STL – Jim Bakken 22-yard field goal, 0:21 (STL 13–3)

Third quarter

STL – Pat Tilley 27-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick), 12:51 (STL 20–3)
STL – Jim Bakken 26-yard field goal, 5:47 (STL 23–3)
SEA – Sam McCullum 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn 3:52 (Don Bitterlich kick), (STL 23–10)

Fourth quarter

STL – Jim Otis 1-yard run (Jim Bakken kick), 14:10 (STL 30–10)
SEA – Sam McCullum 72-yard pass from Jim Zorn 13:50 (Don Bitterlich kick), (STL 30–17)
SEA – Jim Zorn 8-yard run (Don Bitterlich kick), 5:09 (STL 30–24)

Top passers

STL – Jim Hart: 15/23, 180 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
SEA – Jim Zorn: 17/37, 292 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

STL – Jim Otis: 27 car, 140 yds, 1 TD
SEA – Andy Bolton: 12 car, 37 yds

Top receivers

STL – Steve Jones: 3 rec, 59 yds
SEA – Sam McCullum: 4 rec, 112 yds, 2 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

STL – 175 – 281 – 456 – 2
SEA – 279 – 73 – 352 – 3

The Seahawks played their first game in team history on September 12, 1976, hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. The Cardinals took a 3–0 lead after Jim Bakken kicked a 28-yard field goal, however, the Seahawks fought back and Don Bitterlich kicked a 27-yard field goal to earn the first points in team history, and to tie the game at 3–3. St. Louis took a 10–3 lead in the second quarter, as Ike Harris caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jim Hart. The Cardinals then kicked another field goal to take a 13–3 lead into halftime. St. Louis stayed hot in the third quarter, as Pat Tilley caught a 27-yard pass for a touchdown, followed by another field goal by Jim Bakken, as St. Louis took a commanding 23–3 lead. The Seahawks cut into the lead late in the third quarter, as Sam McCullum scored the first touchdown in team history, completing a 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn, as Seattle narrowed the Cardinals lead to 23–10. In the fourth quarter, Cardinals running back Jim Otis scored a one-yard touchdown, as St. Louis took a 30–10 lead. The Seahawks made a late charge in the fourth quarter, as McCullum scored his second touchdown of the game, completing a 72-yard pass from Zorn, to make the score 30–17. Later in the quarter, Zorn had an eight-yard rushing touchdown, as the Seahawks cut the Cardinals lead down to six, 30–24, however, it would be too late, as the Cardinals hung on for the victory.

With the loss, the Seahawks began the season 0–1–0.

Week 2: at Washington Redskins edit

Week Two: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Redskins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	0	0	7	7
Redskins	7	10	7	7	31

at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.

Date: September 19
Game time: 1:05 pm local
Game weather: clear, 78 °F or 25.6 °C, 68% humidity, wind NW 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
Game attendance: 53,174
Referee: Bernie Ulman
TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Alex Hawkins
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

WAS – Mike Thomas 5-yard run (Mark Moseley kick), 6:05 (WAS 7–0)

Second quarter

WAS – Mark Moseley 37-yard field goal, 12:48 (WAS 10–0)
WAS – Jean Fugett 12-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick), 2:29 (WAS 17–0)

Third quarter

WAS – Mike Thomas 10-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick), 8:20 (WAS 24–0)

Fourth quarter

SEA – Don Testerman 1-yard run (Don Bitterlich kick), 14:56 (WAS 24–7)
WAS – Frank Grant 5-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick), 1:18 (WAS 31–7)

Top passers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 9/20, 128 yds, 2 INT
WAS – Billy Kilmer: 17/25, 184 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 7 car, 54 yds
WAS – Mike Thomas: 27 car, 143 yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

SEA – Ron Howard: 3 rec, 48 yds
WAS – Jean Fugett: 5 rec, 50 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 103 – 102 – 205 – 3
WAS – 155 – 273 – 428 – 3

The Seahawks played their first ever road game in week two, as they traveled across the country to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Redskins. Washington opened the season with a 19–17 win over the New York Giants in the first week of the season. The Redskins opened the scoring in the first quarter, as Mike Thomas rushed for five yards into the Seahawks' end zone to give Washington a 7–0 lead. In the second quarter, Redskins kicker Mark Moseley kicked a 37-yard field goal to make the score 10–0. Jean Fugett then completed a 12-yard pass from Billy Kilmer to give the Redskins a 17–0 lead heading into halftime. In the third quarter, Mike Thomas earned his second touchdown of the game, as he caught a 10-yard pass from Kilmer to increase the Redskins lead to 24–0. The Seahawks got on the board in the fourth quarter, as Don Testerman rushed one yard into the end zone to cut Washington's lead to 24–7, however, the Redskins Frank Grant caught a five-yard pass from Kilmer, as Washington won the game easily by a 31–7 score.

Seattle fell to 0–2–0 with the loss.

Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers edit

Week Three: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
49ers	17	14	0	6	37
Seahawks	7	0	7	7	21

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: September 26
Game time: 1:08 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 59,108
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

SF – Steve Mike-Mayer 45-yard field goal, 9:10 (SF 3–0)
SF – Ralph McGill 50-yard punt return (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 6:36 (SF 10–0)
SF – Gene Washington 38-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 4:10 (SF 17–0)
SEA – Hugh McKinnis 1-yard run (Don Bitterlich kick),1:26 (SF 17–7)

Second quarter

SF – Gene Washington 15-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 12:05 (SF 24–7)
SF – Willie McGee 52-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 1:05 (SF 31–7)

Third quarter

SEA – Hugh McKinnis 1-yard run (Don Bitterlich kick), 1:20 (SF 31–14)

Fourth quarter

SEA – Steve Largent 6-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Don Bitterlich kick), 7:37 (SF 31–21)
SF – Steve Mike-Mayer 45-yard field goal, 2:30 (SF 34–21)
SF – Steve Mike-Mayer 31-yard field goal, 1:00 (SF 37–21)

Top passers

SF – Jim Plunkett: 16/29, 239 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
SEA – Jim Zorn: 20/43, 264 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

SF – Delvin Williams: 18 car, 87 yds
SEA – Hugh McKinnis: 17 car, 43 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

SF – Willie McGee: 5 rec, 104 yds, 1 TD
SEA – Steve Largent: 7 rec, 104 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SF – 239 – 142 – 381 – 1
SEA – 291 – 130 – 421 – 3

The Seahawks returned home for the third week of the season, as they faced the San Francisco 49ers, who had a 1–1–0 record during their first two games. The 49ers took control of the game early, as in the first quarter, kicker Steve Mike-Mayer had a 45-yard field goal to give San Francisco a 3–0 lead. The Niners then took a 10–0 lead when Ralph McGill ran back a 50-yard punt return. Gene Washington completed a 38-yard pass from quarterback Jim Plunkett to give the 49ers a 17–0 lead in the first quarter. The Seahawks Hugh McKinnis had a one-yard rush into the 49ers' end zone to cut San Francisco's lead to 17–7 at the end of the quarter. The 49ers took a 24–7 lead when Washington caught his second touchdown completion of the game in the second quarter, followed by a 52-yard touchdown completion by Willie McGee as San Francisco had a 31–7 lead going into halftime. In the third quarter, McKinnis rushed for his second touchdown of the game to cut the 49ers lead to 31–14. In the fourth quarter, Seattle continued to come back, as Steve Largent caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn to make the score 31–21. The 49ers Steve Mike-Mayer then kicked two late field goals in the game, as San Francisco won 37–21.

The loss dropped the Seahawks to 0–3–0.

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys edit

Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	0	14	7	7	28
Seahawks	7	6	0	0	13

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: October 3
Game time: 1:09 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 62,027
Referee: Don Wedge
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Sonny Jurgensen
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

SEA – Don Testerman 9-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Don Bitterlich kick),6:44 (SEA 7–0)

Second quarter

SEA – Steve Largent 4-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Don Bitterlich kick is no good), 14:22 (SEA 13–0)
DAL – Drew Pearson 8-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efren Herrera kick), 9:03 (SEA 13–7)
DAL – Charley Young 25-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Efren Herrera kick), 1:34 (DAL 14–13)

Third quarter

DAL – Robert Newhouse 24-yard run (Efren Herrera kick), 1:48 (DAL 21–13)

Fourth quarter

DAL – Doug Dennison 1-yard run (Efren Herrera kick), 5:05 (DAL 28–13)

Top passers

DAL – Roger Staubach: 14/20, 200 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
SEA – Jim Zorn: 19/41, 147 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Top rushers

DAL – Robert Newhouse: 19 car, 120 yds, 1 TD
SEA – Don Testerman: 9 car, 42 yds

Top receivers

DAL – Billy Joe DuPree: 5 rec, 77 yds
SEA – Don Testerman: 5 rec, 37 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

DAL – 200 – 211 – 411 – 1
SEA – 140 – 103 – 243 – 1

The Dallas Cowboys came into the Kingdome for the Seahawks fourth game of the season. Dallas had a record of 3–0 to begin the year. The Seahawks took the lead in the game for the first time in team history in the first quarter when Don Testerman caught a seven-yard touchdown completion from Jim Zorn to give Seattle a 7–0 lead on the undefeated Cowboys. In the second quarter, the Seahawks continued to stun the Cowboys, as Jim Zorn threw his second touchdown completion, this time a four-yard pass to Steve Largent, however, the extra point convert failed, as Seattle took a 13–0 lead. The Cowboys began to comeback, as Drew Pearson caught an eight-yard pass from Roger Staubach for a touchdown to cut the Seahawks lead to 13–7. Dallas then took a 14–13 lead into halftime, as Charley Young caught a 25-yard pass by Staubach for a touchdown at the end of the quarter. The Cowboys scored another touchdown in the third quarter, as Robert Newhouse rushed for 24 yards into the Seahawks' end zone. Dallas put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, scoring their fourth touchdown in a row when Doug Dennison had a one-yard run, as the Cowboys won the game 28–13.

With the loss, the Seahawks record dropped to 0–4–0.

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers edit

Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	13	7	0	20
Packers	7	0	7	13	27

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Date: October 10
Game time: 1:07 pm local
Game weather: hazy, 55 °F or 12.8 °C, 80% humidity, wind SE 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
Game attendance: 54,983
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

GB – Barty Smith 1-yard run (Chester Marcol kick), 5:12 (GB 7–0)

Second quarter

SEA – Steve Raible 26-yard blocked punt return (John Leypoldt kick), 14:51(Tied 7–7)
SEA – John Leypoldt 48-yard field goal, 3:06 (SEA 10–7)
SEA – John Leypoldt 44-yard field goal, 0:02 (SEA 13–7)

Third quarter

SEA – Ralph Nelson 1-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 9:06 (SEA 20–7)
GB – Steve Odom 66-yard pass from Lynn Dickey (Chester Marcol kick), 1:57 (SEA 20–14)

Fourth quarter

GB – Barty Smith 6-yard run (Chester Marcol kick), 7:42 (GB 21–20)
GB – Willard Harrell 6-yard run (Chester Marcol kick is no good), 2:42 (GB 27–20)

Top passers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 17/32, 194 yds, 1 INT
GB – Lynn Dickey: 16/24, 215 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

SEA – Ralph Nelson: 14 car, 38 yds, 1 TD
GB – Barty Smith: 20 car, 84 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

SEA – Don Testerman: 3 rec, 54 yds
GB – Steve Odom: 3 rec, 92 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 169 – 58 – 227 – 2
GB – 193 – 187 – 380 – 3

After two home games in a row, the Seahawks were back on the road for the fifth week of the season, as they visited the Green Bay Packers at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Packers entered the game with a 1–3–0 record. Green Bay opened the scoring in the first quarter, when Barty Smith rushed for a yard into the Seahawks' end zone to give the Packers a 7–0 lead. The Seahawks responded with a big second quarter, as Steve Raible ran back a 26-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown to even the score at 7–7. The Seahawks took a 10–7 lead as John Leypoldt kicked a 48-yard field goal. Leypoldt kicked a second field goal, a 44-yard kick, to give Seattle a 13–7 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks took a 20–7 lead when Ralph Nelson ran for a one-yard touchdown. The Packers cut the lead to 20–14 when Steve Odom caught a 66-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to close out the third quarter. In the fourth, the Packers took a 21–20 lead when Barty Smith ran for a six-yard touchdown. Green Bay scored another touchdown, this time a six-yard rush by Willard Harrell, however, the extra point failed, as the Packers took the lead 27–20, and hung on to win the game.

With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 0–5–0.

Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit

Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	13	0	0	13
Buccaneers	3	0	7	0	10

at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Date: October 17
Game time: 1:06 pm local
Game weather: partly cloudy, 80 °F or 26.7 °C, 78% humidity, wind W 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
Game attendance: 43,812
Referee: Ben Dreith
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Tom Matte
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

TB – Dave Green 38-yard field goal, 7:22 (TB 3–0)

Second quarter

SEA – Sam McCullum 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 13:15 (SEA 7–3)
SEA – John Leypoldt 25-yard field goal, 1:59 (SEA 10–3)
SEA – John Leypoldt 39-yard field goal, 0:18 (SEA 13–3)

Third quarter

TB – Morris Owens 1-yard pass from Louis Carter (Dave Green (American football)

Top passers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 11/27, 167 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
TB – Steve Spurrier: 18/30, 170 yds

Top rushers

SEA – Sherman Smith: 10 car, 45 yds
TB – Louis Carter: 15 car, 66 yds

Top receivers

SEA – Sam McCullum: 5 rec, 64 yds, 1 TD
TB – Ed Williams: 4 rec, 42 yds

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 163 – 90 – 253 – 2
TAM – 140 – 145 – 285 – 1

The Seahawks remained on the road for the sixth week of the season, traveling to Tampa, Florida to face their expansion cousins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers entered the game with a 0–5–0 record. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the first quarter, when kicker Dave Green connected for a 38-yard field goal to give the Buccaneers a 3–0 lead. In the second quarter, the Seahawks took the lead when Sam McCullum caught a 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn to give the Seahawks a 7–3 lead. Before the quarter was over, Seahawks kicker John Leypoldt had two field goals, to give Seattle a 13–3 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers cut the Seahawks lead down to three when Morris Owens caught a one-yard pass from Louis Carter to make it 13–10 for the Seahawks. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks held off the Buccaneers, as Seattle held on for the win, the first in team history.

With the win, the Seahawks improved their record to 1–5–0.

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions edit

Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	13	7	14	7	41
Seahawks	0	14	0	0	14

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: October 24
Game time: 1:08 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 61,280
Referee: Cal Lepore
TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

DET – Benny Ricardo 25-yard field goal, 9:40 (DET 3–0)
DET – Benny Ricardo 44-yard field goal, 1:55 (DET 6–0)
DET – David Hill 20-yard pass from Greg Landry (Benny Ricardo kick), 0:15 (DET 13–0)

Second quarter

DET – Levi Johnson 70-yard interception return (Benny Ricardo kick), 13:17 (DET 20–0)
SEA – Hugh McKinnis 2-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 10:27 (DET 20–7)
SEA – Hugh McKinnis 9-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 7:57 (DET 20–14)

Third quarter

DET – Charlie Sanders 8-yard pass from Greg Landry (Benny Ricardo kick), 7:55 (DET 27–14)
DET – Lawrence Gaines 9-yard pass from Greg Landry (Benny Ricardo kick), 3:53 (DET 34–14)

Fourth quarter

DET – Lem Barney 24-yard interception return (Benny Ricardo kick), 4:03 (DET 41–14)

Top passers

DET – Greg Landry: 18/27, 233 yds, 3 TD
SEA – Jim Zorn: 18/37, 249 yds, 6 INT

Top rushers

DET – Dexter Bussey: 7 car, 37 yds
SEA – Sherman Smith: 15 car, 62 yds

Top receivers

DET – Charlie Sanders: 4 rec, 89 yds, 1 TD
SEA – Sherman Smith: 7 rec, 93 yds

Team – pass – rush – total – to

DET – 217 – 152 – 369 – 1
SEA – 242 – 97 – 339 – 8

The Seahawks returned home after two consecutive road games, and faced the Detroit Lions, who had a 2–4–0 record in their first six games of the season. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter when kicker Benny Ricardo had a 25-yard field goal. Ricardo then kicked a 44-yard field goal to give Detroit a 6–0 lead. The Lions then took a 13–0 lead when David Hill caught a 20-yard pass for a touchdown from quarterback Greg Landry at the end of the first quarter. The Lions stretched their lead to 20–0 when Levi Johnson intercepted a pass from Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn and ran it back 70 yards into the Seahawks' end zone in the second quarter. Seattle cut into the Lions lead when Hugh McKinnis rushed for a two-yard touchdown, to make the score 20–7 for Detroit. Before halftime, McKinnis ran for another touchdown, this time a seven-yard run, to make the score 20–14. The Lions took control of the game in the third quarter when Charlie Sanders caught an eight-yard pass for a touchdown to give the Lions a 27–14 lead. Lawrence Gaines then caught a nine-yard pass for a touchdown as Detroit took a 34–14 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Lions Lem Barney had a 24-yard interception and ran it back for a touchdown, as the Lions won the game 41–14. Jim Zorn threw six interceptions in the game, and in total, the Seahawks had eight turnovers.

With the loss, the Seahawks record dropped to 1–6–0.

Week 8: at Los Angeles Rams edit

Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	3	3	0	6
Rams	24	7	0	14	45

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

Date: October 31
Game time: 1:09 pm local
Game weather: hazy, 80 °F or 26.7 °C, 68% humidity, wind W 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h; 1.7 kn)
Game attendance: 52,035
Referee: Red Cashion
TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Alex Hawkins
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

LA – Tom Dempsey 20-yard field goal, 9:13 (LA 3–0)
LA – Monte Jackson 41-yard interception return (Tom Dempsey kick), 7:43 (LA 10–0)
LA – Lawrence McCutcheon 6-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick), 4:43 (LA 17–0)
LA – Ron Jessie 15-yard pass from James Harris (Tom Dempsey kick), 1:04 (LA 24–0)

Second quarter

SEA – John Leypoldt 43-yard field goal, 13:35 (LA 24–3)
LA – Harold Jackson 20-yard pass from James Harris (Tom Dempsey kick), 2:09 (LA 31–3)

Third quarter

SEA – John Leypoldt 41-yard field goal, 4:17 (LA 31–6)

Fourth quarter

LA – Rob Scribner 1-yard rush (Tom Dempsey kick), 8:16 (LA 38–6)
LA – Tom Geredine 23-yard pass from Pat Haden (Tom Dempsey kick), 3:06 (LA 45–6)

Top passers

SEA – Bill Munson: 9/19, 147 yds, 1 INT
LA – James Harris: 14/25, 208 yds, 2 TD

Top rushers

SEA – Don Testerman: 5 car, 15 yds
LA – Rod Phillips: 12 car, 86 yds

Top receivers

SEA – Sam McCullum: 3 rec, 70 yds
LA – Harold Jackson: 5 rec, 85 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 144 – 50 – 194 – 2
LA – 223 – 206 – 429 – 1

The Seahawks headed back on the road for the eighth week of the season, traveling to Los Angeles to face the NFC West Division leading Los Angeles Rams, who entered the game with a 5–1–1 record. The Rams opened the scoring in the first quarter, when Tom Dempsey kicked a 20-yard field goal to make it 3–0 Los Angeles. The Rams then took a 10–0 lead when Monte Jackson had a 41-yard interception for a touchdown from Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn. Los Angeles took a 17–0 lead when Lawrence McCutcheon had a six-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a touchdown by Ron Jessie as he caught a 15-yard pass from James Harris, giving the Rams a 24–0 lead after the first quarter. The Seahawks broke the shutout in the second quarter, when John Leypoldt was good on a 43-yard field goal attempt to cut the Rams lead to 24–3. Los Angeles took a 31–3 lead into halftime after Harold Jackson caught a 30-yard pass from Harris. In the third quarter, John Leypoldt connected for his second field goal of the game for the Seahawks, making the score 31–6 for the Rams. Los Angeles took a 38–6 lead in the fourth quarter when Rob Scribner rushed for a yard into the Seahawks' end zone. The Rams capped off the scoring when Tom Geredine caught a pass from Pat Haden, giving the Rams the victory by a score of 45–6.

With the loss, the Seahawks record fell to 1–7–0.

Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons edit

Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	3	7	13
Seahawks	0	14	16	0	30

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: November 7
Game time: 1:01 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 57,985
Referee: Bob Frederic
TV announcers (CBS): Bob Costas and Tom Matte
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 18-yard field goal, 12:18 (ATL 3–0)
SEA – Sherman Smith 21-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 6:55 (SEA 7–3)
SEA – John McMakin 31-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 6:37 (SEA 14–3)

Third quarter

SEA – Safety, Dave Brown tackled Rolland Lawrence in end zone, 12:23 (SEA 16–3)
ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 21-yard field goal, 10:25 (SEA 16–6)
SEA – Al Matthews 40-yard interception return (John Leypoldt kick), 8:48 (SEA 23–6)
SEA – Sherman Smith 53-yard rush (John Leypoldt kick), 8:12 (SEA 30–6)

Fourth quarter

ATL – Alfred Jenkins 15-yard pass from Kim McQuilken (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 7:08 (SEA 30–13)

Top passers

ATL – Kim McQuilken: 5/15, 34 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
SEA – Jim Zorn: 12/23, 125 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

ATL – Sonny Collins: 17 car, 100 yds
SEA – Sherman Smith: 14 car, 124 yds, 1 TD

Top receivers

ATL – Alfred Jenkins: 2 rec, 34 yds, 1 TD
SEA – John McMakin: 2 rec, 42 yds

Team – pass – rush – total – to

ATL – 90 – 148 – 238 – 6
SEA – 153 – 196 – 349 – 4

The Seahawks returned to Seattle for their ninth game of the season, as they hosted the Atlanta Falcons, who entered the game with a 2–6–0 record. After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons opened the scoring in the second, when kicker Nick Mike-Mayer was successful on an 18-yard attempt to give Atlanta a 3–0 lead. The Seahawks responded when Sherman Smith caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn, as Seattle took a 7–3 lead. The Seahawks upped their lead to 14–3 by halftime, when John McMakin had a 31-yard touchdown reception. In the third quarter, Seahawks cornerback Dave Brown tackled the Falcons Rolland Lawrence in the Falcons' end zone for a safety, giving Seattle a 16–3 lead. Nick Mike-Mayer of the Falcons kicked his second field goal of the game later in the quarter to cut the Seahawks lead to 16–6, however, Al Matthews of the Seahawks intercepted a pass from Falcons quarterback Kim McQuilken and ran it 40 yards into the Falcons' end zone, giving the Seahawks a 23–6 lead. Before the end of the third quarter, the Seahawks added another touchdown when Sherman Smith had a 53-yard rush, as Seattle took a 30–6 lead. Alfred Jenkins of the Falcons scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, however, the Seahawks won the game 30–13 for their first ever victory at the Kingdome.

With the win, Seattle improved to 2–7–0.

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings edit

Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	7	0	7	7	21
Vikings	7	7	6	7	27

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

Date: November 14
Game time: 1:00 pm local
Game weather: clear, 38 °F or 3.3 °C, 53% humidity, wind SW 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
Game attendance: 45,087
Referee: Gordon McCarter
TV announcers (CBS): JimThacker and Tom Matte
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

MIN – Brent McClanahan 1-yard run (Fred Cox kick), 9:07 (MIN 7–0)
SEA – Jim Zorn 12-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 6:59 (Tied 7–7)

Second quarter

MIN – Sammy White 29-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick), 6:04 (MIN 14–7)

Third quarter

SEA – Steve Raible 80-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 12:30 (Tied 14–14)
MIN – Fred Cox 43-yard field goal, 9:23 (MIN 17–14)
MIN – Fred Cox 39-yard field goal, 0:49 (MIN 20–14)

Fourth quarter

SEA – Sam McCullum 7-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 11:19 (SEA 21–20)
MIN – Stu Voigt 5-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick), 4:52 (MIN 27–21)

Top passers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 17/29, 278 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT
MIN – Fran Tarkenton: 26/31, 274 yds, 2 TD

Top rushers

SEA – Sherman Smith: 17 car, 62 yds
MIN – Chuck Foreman: 17 car, 100 yds

Top receivers

SEA – Steve Raible: 3 rec, 112 yds, 1 TD
MIN – Ahmad Rashad: 9 rec, 93 yds

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 278 – 108 – 386 – 4
MIN – 244 – 180 – 424 – 0

The Seahawks were on the road for their tenth game of the season, as they headed to Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota to face the Minnesota Vikings. It was a very cold day, as the temperature at kickoff was 24 degrees, 16 with the windchill. Heading into the game, the Vikings had a 7–1–1 record. Minnesota took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter when Brent McClanahan rushed for a yard into the Seahawks' end zone. Seattle responded and tied the game at 7–7 when quarterback Jim Zorn rushed 12 yards into the Vikings' end zone. Minnesota re-took the lead in the second quarter when Sammy White caught a 29-yard pass for a touchdown from Fran Tarkenton, giving the Vikings a 14–7 into halftime. Seattle tied the game early in the third quarter, when Jim Zorn threw an 80-yard pass to Steve Raible, making the score 14–14. Vikings kicker Fred Cox broke the tie with a 43-yard field goal to give Minnesota a 17–14 lead, and then connected on a 39-yard attempt before the end of the quarter as the Vikings led the game 20–14. Seattle took their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter when Sam McCullum caught a seven-yard pass from Zorn, as the Seahawks took the lead 21–20. The Vikings avoided the upset though, as Stu Voigt caught a five-yard pass from Tarkenton, giving the Vikings the victory by a score of 27–21.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 2–8–0.

Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints edit

Week Eleven: Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Saints	3	17	28	3	51
Seahawks	6	0	7	14	27

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: November 21
Game time: 1:02 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 61,865
Referee: Fred Silva
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Bob Lilly
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

SEA – Sherman Smith 1-yard run (John Leypoldt kick is no good), 11:24 (SEA 6–0)
NO – Rich Szaro 46-yard field goal, 0:08 (SEA 6–3)

Second quarter

NO – Bobby Douglass 1-yard run (Rich Szaro kick), 4:54 (NO 10–6)
NO – Bobby Douglass 3-yard run (Rich Szaro kick), 2:02 (NO 17–6)
NO – Rich Szaro 36-yard field goal, 0:04 (NO 20–6)

Third quarter

NO – Chuck Muncie 3-yard rush (Rich Szaro kick), 11:55 (NO 27–6)
SEA – Steve Largent 11-yard pass from Bill Munson (John Leypoldt kick), 7:52 (NO 27–13)
NO – Tom Myers 20-yard fumble return (Rich Szaro kick), 6:02 (NO 34–13)
NO – Elex Price 23-yard interception return (Rich Szaro kick), 5:34 (NO 41–13)
NO – Tony Galbreath 2-yard run (Rich Szaro kick), 1:12 (NO 48–13)

Fourth quarter

SEA – Sherman Smith 1-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 11:19 (NO 48–20)
NO – Rich Szaro 21-yard field goal, 4:34 (NO 51–20)
SEA – Jim Zorn 7-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 1:49 (NO 51–27)

Top passers

NO – Bobby Douglass: 12/21, 115 yds, 2 INT
SEA – Jim Zorn: 11/22, 106 yds, 1 TD

Top rushers

NO – Chuck Muncie: 12 car, 76 yds, 1 TD
SEA – Sherman Smith: 11 car, 60 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

NO – Henry Childs: 2 rec, 34 yds
SEA – Steve Largent: 6 rec, 101 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

NO – 141 – 258 – 399 – 2
SEA – 164 – 105 – 269 – 5

The Seahawks returned to the Kingdome for the eleventh week of the season, where they hosted the New Orleans Saints, who came into the game with a 3–7–0 record. Seattle opened the scoring when Sherman Smith had a one-yard rush into the Saints' end zone, however, the extra point failed, as the Seahawks had a 6–0 lead. New Orleans cut the Seahawks lead in half when kicker Rich Szaro had a 46-yard field goal, making the score 6–3 for Seattle. The Saints took full control of the game in the second quarter, as Bobby Douglass had two rushing touchdowns, followed by another field goal by Szaro, as the Saints scored 17 unanswered points to take a 20–6 lead. New Orleans kept coming on strong in the third quarter, as Chuck Muncie had a three-yard rushing touchdown to make it 27–6 for the Saints. Seattle cut into the Saints lead when Steve Largent caught an 11-yard pass from quarterback Bill Munson, making the score 27–13 for New Orleans. The Saints responded with three touchdowns before the end of the quarter, two of them on Seahawks turnovers. The Saints Tom Myers returned a 20-yard fumble into the Seattle end zone to make the score 34–13 for New Orleans. Elex Price then had a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown to give the Saints a 41–13 lead, followed by a Tony Galbreath three-yard run into the Seahawks' end zone to give New Orleans a 48–13 lead after three-quarters. In the fourth, the Seahawks Sherman Smith rushed for his second touchdown of the game, as the score was 48–20 for New Orleans. The Saints Rich Szaro kicked his third field goal of the game, this time from 21 yards, as New Orleans went ahead 51–20. Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn had a seven-yard touchdown rush late in the game, making the final score 51–27 for the Saints.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 2–9–0.

Week 12: at New York Giants edit

Week Twelve: Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	9	0	7	0	16
Giants	0	14	7	7	28

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Date: November 28
Game time: 1:06 pm local
Game weather: cloudy, 55 °F or 12.8 °C, 87% humidity, wind N 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
Game attendance: 65,111
Referee: Cal Lepore
TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Tom Brookshier
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

SEA – Sherman Smith 2-yard run (John Leypoldt kick is no good), 5:12 (SEA 6–0)
SEA – John Leypoldt 45-yard field goal, 1:54 (SEA 9–0)

Second quarter

NYG – Gary Shirk 3-yard pass from Craig Morton (Joe Danelo kick), 11:57 (SEA 9–7)
NYG – Gordon Bell 2-yard run (Joe Danelo kick), 4:35 (NYG 14–9)

Third quarter

NYG – Gordon Bell 21-yard run (Joe Danelo kick), 12:36 (NYG 21–9)
SEA – Jim Zorn 7-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 2:01 (NYG 21–16)

Fourth quarter

NYG – Ed Marshall 9-yard pass from Craig Morton (Joe Danelo kick), 11:11 (NYG 28–16)

Top passers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 14/32, 137 yds, 3 INT
NYG – Craig Morton: 15/21, 169 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

SEA – Don Testerman: 11 car, 51 yds
NYG – Gordon Bell: 10 car, 56 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

SEA – Sherman Smith: 5 rec, 54 yds
NYG – Ed Marshall: 3 rec, 44 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 116 – 128 – 244 – 3
NYG – 115 – 164 – 279 – 4

For the twelfth week of the season, the Seahawks traveled across the country to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Seattle faced the New York Giants, who entered the game with a 1–10–0 record. The Seahawks opened the scoring in the first quarter when Sherman Smith had a two-yard rushing touchdown, however, the Seahawks failed in the extra point attempt and took a 6–0 lead. Seattle stretched their lead to 9–0 by the end of the first quarter when John Leypoldt hit a 45-yard field goal. The Giants fought back in the second quarter, as Gary Shirk caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Craig Morton, cutting the Seahawks lead to 9–7. New York then took the lead when Gordon Bell ran for a two-yard touchdown, making the score 14–9 for the Giants at halftime. The Giants struck again to open the scoring in the third quarter, as Gordon Bell rushed for his second touchdown of the game, this time for 21 yards, as New York took a 21–9 lead. The Seahawks replied with their own rushing touchdown, as quarterback Jim Zorn rushed for seven yards into the Giants' end zone, cutting the New York lead to 21–16. The Giants put the game away in the fourth quarter, as Eric Marshall caught a nine-yard touchdown reception, making the final score 28–16 for New York.

The loss dropped the Seahawks to 2–10–0 on the season.

Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears edit

Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	6	21	7	34
Seahawks	0	7	0	0	7

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Date: December 5
Game time: 1:02 pm local
Game weather: indoors
Game attendance: 60,510
Referee: Jim Tunney
TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Sonny Jurgensen
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

CHI – Johnny Musso 2-yard run (Bob Thomas kick is no good), 7:34 (CHI 6–0)
SEA – John McMakin 14-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 3:42 (SEA 7–6)

Third quarter

CHI – James Scott 63-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick), 7:29 (CHI 13–7)
CHI – James Scott 30-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick), 5:42 (CHI 20–7)
CHI – Roland Harper 39-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick), 4:38 (CHI 27–7)

Fourth quarter

CHI – Randy Burks 55-yard pass from Virgil Carter (Bob Thomas kick), 1:39 (CHI 34–7)

Top passers

CHI – Bob Avellini: 12/24, 209 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
SEA – Jim Zorn: 15/34, 188 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT

Top rushers

CHI – Walter Payton: 27 car, 183 yds
SEA – Sherman Smith: 15 car, 71 yds

Top receivers

CHI – James Scott: 3 rec, 106 yds, 2 TD
SEA – John McMakin: 3 rec, 54 yds, 1 TD

Team – pass – rush – total – to

CHI – 250 – 259 – 509 – 1
SEA – 181 – 105 – 286 – 5

The Seahawks final home game of the season was against the Chicago Bears, who entered the game with a 6–6–0 record. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears opened the scoring when Johnny Musso rushed for two yards into the Seahawks end zone, however, Chicago failed on the extra point attempt to take a 6–0 lead. The Seahawks responded with their own touchdown, as John McMakin caught a 14-yard pass from Jim Zorn, giving Seattle a 7–6 lead at halftime. The Bears took control of the game in the third quarter, as James Scott had a 63-yard touchdown reception, followed by a 30-yard touchdown reception, both from quarterback Bob Avellini, giving the Bears a 20–7 lead. Before the quarter was over, Chicago took a 27–7 when Roland Harper had a 39-yard touchdown reception. In the fourth quarter, the Bears went up 34–7 when Randy Burks caught a 55-yard pass for a touchdown from Virgil Carter, as Chicago ended the game scoring 28 unanswered points.

The loss dropped Seattle to a record of 2–11–0.

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles edit

Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Seahawks	0	3	0	7	10
Eagles	7	7	10	3	27

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Date: December 12
Game time: 1:05 pm local
Game weather: rain, 41 °F or 5 °C, 80% humidity, wind NW 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
Game attendance: 37,949
Referee: Chuck Heberling
TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Sonny Jurgensen
Gamebook

Game information

First quarter

PHI – Tom Sullivan 4-yard run (Horst Muhlmann kick), 1:22 (PHI 7–0)

Second quarter

PHI – Tom Sullivan 1-yard rush (Horst Muhlmann kick), 6:13 (PHI 14–0)
SEA – John Leypoldt 24-yard field goal, 3:38 (PHI 14–3)

Third quarter

PHI – Horst Muhlmann 33-yard field goal, 6:03 (PHI 17–3)
PHI – Charlie Smith 3-yard rush (Horst Muhlmann kick), 2:15 (PHI 24–3)

Fourth quarter

PHI – Horst Muhlmann 37-yard field goal, 14:19 (PHI 27–3)
SEA – Steve Largent 9-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 3:53 (PHI 27–10)

Top passers

SEA – Jim Zorn: 24/49, 237 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
PHI – Roman Gabriel: 10/13, 121 yds

Top rushers

SEA – Sherman Smith: 8 car, 43 yds
PHI – Tom Sullivan: 23 car, 121 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

SEA – Steve Largent: 7 rec, 98 yds, 1 TD
PHI – Harold Carmichael: 4 rec, 65 yds

Team – pass – rush – total – to

SEA – 226 – 71 – 297 – 3
PHI – 142 – 270 – 412 – 0

Seattle headed on the road for the final game of the season, as they faced the Philadelphia Eagles on a cold day at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles entered the game with a 3–10–0 record. Philadelphia scored the lone touchdown in the first quarter, as Tom Sullivan had a four-yard rush into the Seahawks' end zone to give the Eagles a 7–0 lead. In the second quarter, Sullivan rushed for his second touchdown, this time a one-yard rush at the goal line, as Philadelphia took a 14–0 lead. The Seahawks got on the scoreboard when John Leypoldt connected for a 24-yard field goal, as the score was 14–3 for the Eagles at halftime. The Eagles took a 17–3 lead in the third quarter as Horst Muhlmann had a 33-yard field goal, then Philadelphia took a 24–3 lead as Charlie Smith rushed for three yards into the Seattle end zone. In the fourth quarter, Muhlmann had his second field goal of the game, making the score 27–3 for Philadelphia. The Seahawks cut the lead to 27–10, as Steve Largent caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn for the final score of the game.

The loss dropped the Seahawks' record to 2–12–0 for the season. It was also their last game as an NFC team for the next 26 years.

References edit

^ "This day in history: Seahawks franchise (Sort of) begins, now 45 years old". December 5, 2019.
^ "Herman Sarkowsky". Norm Evans' Seahawks Report. November 4, 1979. Retrieved November 12, 2007.
^ "Family Patriarch Elmer Nordstrom Dead At Age 88 | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
^ Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 610
^ 1976 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
^ 1977 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
^ 1976 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.

Sources edit

Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1994 ISBN 0-312-11435-4

[1] "This day in history: Seahawks franchise (Sort of) begins, now 45 years old". December 5, 2019.

[evans-2] "Herman Sarkowsky". Norm Evans' Seahawks Report. November 4, 1979. Retrieved November 12, 2007.

[3] "Family Patriarch Elmer Nordstrom Dead At Age 88 | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.

[4] Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 610

[5] 1976 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.

[6] 1977 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.

[7] 1976 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.

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[2]

[3]

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[7]

Summary

Draft edit

Personnel edit

Staff edit

Final roster edit

Schedule edit

Preseason edit

Regular season edit

Standings edit

Preseason edit

Week P1: vs. San Francisco 49ers edit

Week P2: vs. Chicago Bears edit

Week P3: vs. Los Angeles Rams edit

Week P4: at Denver Broncos edit

Week P5: vs. San Diego Chargers edit

Week P6: at Oakland Raiders edit

Regular season edit

Week 1: vs. St. Louis Cardinals edit

Week 2: at Washington Redskins edit

Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers edit

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys edit

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers edit

Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers edit

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions edit

Week 8: at Los Angeles Rams edit

Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons edit

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings edit

Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints edit

Week 12: at New York Giants edit

Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears edit

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles edit

References edit

Sources edit