• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Healthy again, Seahawks open against Buccaneers

Sep 9, 2007 - 10:26 AM Tampa Bay (4-12) at Seattle (9-7) Sunday 4:15 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- The Seattle Seahawks entered the 2006 season with the goal of returning to the Super Bowl, but a couple of key injuries shelved those plans.

The Seahawks, coming off three consecutive NFC West titles, host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in the season opener for both teams.

Despite winning the division in 2006, Seattle never got untracked offensively, losing All-Pro running back Shaun Alexander for six games with a broken bone in his foot and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck for the final four games with a knee injury.

With both players healthy, the Seahawks have the pieces in place to duplicate the success of the 2005 squad, which lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL. Seattle was held to 17 points or fewer seven times in 2006 after leading the league in scoring with 452 points the previous season.

Alexander, who accounted for 98 touchdowns in a superb five-season stretch (2001-2005), was limited to seven and a career-low 3.6 average per carry last season.

Hasselbeck threw for just 2,442 yards and, forced to carry the offense without Alexander, threw 18 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions. In the Super Bowl season, Hasselback had 24 TD passes vs. just nine picks.

The Buccaneers have their own issues, tumbling to a 4-12 mark in 2006, including a season-ending 23-7 loss at home to the Seahawks.

Starting quarterback Chris Simms suffered a spleen injury, forcing Tampa Bay to go with three signal-callers during the season.

All three have been relegated to backup duty this season, as coach Jon Gruden brought in free agent Jeff Garcia to take the reins of the offense.

Garcia revived his career with the Philadelphia Eagles following a season-ending injury to Donovan McNabb in 2006.

The 37-year-old Garcia directed Philadelphia to five straight wins to close out the season and Gruden is hoping for a similar effect on his offense.

The Buccaneers were held to seven points or fewer six times en route to an NFC-low 211 points.

Tampa Bay also retooled its defense, bringing in former Indianapolis Colts linebacker Cato June and drafting defensive end Gaines Adams with the the No. 4 overall pick. The Bucs also added Ryan Sims and Kevin Carter to bolster a defensive line that managed only 25 sacks in 2006.