For the entire month of August, the Sportable Staff will look at one National Football League team a day. We?ll look at their offense, defense and in the end, assess their playoff chances. Previews will be done by division, starting with the NFC East. Each new division will also feature a new podcast devoted entirely to that division.

Can the 12th Man Take the Seahawks to another Super Bowl?
The Seahawks have spent the last few years beating up on the weak NFC West division and will look to continue that trend. As we have become used to, the Seahawks are among the favorites to win the NFC and the Super Bowl. They just have to get out of their funk of under performing.

Offense.
The success of the Seahawks offense is going to be based largely upon the health and performance of Shaun Alexander. He is the cornerstone of this offense, and without him, this team simply isn’t the same. Having an all-pro left tackle in Walter Jones certainly helps the running game, and Jones and the rest of the offensive line also have another big responsibility in keeping Matt Hasselbeck healthy. Seneca Wallace has proved that he is a backup quarterback and won’t ever be more than that, so Hasselbeck getting the protection he needs will allow this offense to run smoothly. The “loss” of Jerramy Stevens is immediately offset by the acquisition of Marcus Pollard and with the emergence of D.J Hackett as a receiving threat, the Seahawks have enough weapons to score with anyone in the league.

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If you ask any NFL fan what their favorite stadium beverage is, they would obviously answer any sort of alcohol Coke or Pepsi, the two soft drink giants. But Seattle Seahawks fans will have another option: Seattle-based Jones Soda. Jones secured the exclusive rights to sales at Qwest Field for the next five years, according to SeattlePI. It’s the first time an NFL stadium has poured something other than Pepsi or Coke.

“It’s exciting. It shows we have the confidence of the Seahawks and their management team that we can deliver. We feel very comfortable. We will create an opportunity for them and exceed their expectations,” Jones Chief Executive Peter van Stolk said in a phone interview.

To say this is a surprise for NFL business is an understatement. Jones’ 2006 sales were a meager $39 million compared to Coca-Cola’s sales of $24 billion and Pepsi’s $12 billion. Their sales power is evident in the number of commercials and all-around dominance of the soft drink market throughout the league. 17 stadiums in the NFL sell Coke products while 14 stadiums sell Pepsi. Then there’s Seattle, who will now offer a company that’s more known for gimmicky flavors than traditional drinks.

Jones is famous for selling a 2004 Holiday Pack of sodas, with flavors that included Turkey and Gravy, Green Bean Casserole, and Mashed Potatoes. While we only expect those flavors to be delivered to Mike Holmgren’s office bloodstream, the company plans on selling six flavors at Qwest Field. As part of the promotion, Jones bottles will feature various pictures of Seahawks players and fans. Maybe this will be one of the designs.

It’s been a pretty rough year for Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander. After setting the touchdown record in 2005, Alexander reached the Super Bowl, was named the coverboy for Madden 2007, and was rewarded with a $62 million contract extension. He followed it up by breaking his foot and missing six games, as well as seeing his touchdown record get broken by LaDainian Tomlinson. Months later, Alexander’s foot might still be busted. But don’t tell him yet!

“I don’t even want to get another X-ray until after this camp,” a smiling Alexander said after his fourth consecutive day of occasionally carrying the ball during no-contact, no-pads drills. “If the X-ray shows it’s still cracked, it’s like, ‘OK. What does that mean?’”

That’s right, Alexander doesn’t want to even check if his foot is still broken. He wants to run and cut on it first, which probably won’t help matters if it’s indeed broken. What does that mean, Shaun? It means you’re a fool. The smart player would take his X-rays now and if they came back positive, he’d sit out a meaningless spring camp. After all, veterans only show up to sign autographs and get a tan.

Even if Alexander’s foot is still a bit banged up, there’s no doubt he’ll be ready for training camp in a couple of months. So why bother running on the foot? Just let the damn thing heal completely. You’re not going to re-set that touchdown record in May. Just continue to rehab and join your head coach in bitching about Super Bowl XL. I’m sure those wounds haven’t healed.

Earlier today, we got reports of Randy Moss being shipped off to New England for a paltry 4th round pick. But we’ve also got confirmation of a move that had been swirling around the rumor mill for a few days. Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Darrell Jackson has been shipped off to the San Francisco 49ers for…guess what? A damn 4th round pick.

“You know that makes it that much sweeter that I can go back and face my old team,” said Jackson, who’s signed through 2009. “I’ve been looking forward to becoming a 49er ever since I heard the talk about the trade.”

So let’s get this straight. The Seahawks gave the Patriots a first round pick last year for Deion Branch. Denver gave up a second round pick for Javon Walker. But these two guys are being moved for 4th rounders? I can see Moss being moved at a discount because of his issues in the locker room. But Jackson? He’s been among the most productive receivers in the NFC and was the league leader in touchdowns before he got injured.

Seattle used that 4th round pick to select Mansfield Wrotto, which sounds more like a Polish town in the 1940s than a guard out of Georgia Tech. I understand the Seahawks are very deep at wide receiver but that doesn’t make it necessary to trade one of the best receivers in the NFC for the rights to Poland. But the Seahawks failed to give in to Jackson’s desire to renegotiate his contract. Then they shipped him off to a team they’ll face twice a year. Smart.

You should never want to trade with a division rival because you know that player will have plenty of opportunities to prove you wrong. Jackson has two opportunities: September 30th and November 12th. With the pick-up of Jackson and Washington State receiver Jason Hill, the 49ers are continuing to build an offense that could be among the league’s best.

If I was an NFL free agent, I’d try to imitate Jerramy Stevens’ conduct in every way possible. Stevens likely signed his walking papers out of Seattle after being arrested yesterday for driving under the influence. Stevens was also charged with possession of marijuana.

This is the same Jerramy Stevens who in 2000, drove through a nursing home and then quickly drove away while at the University of Washington. This is the same Jerramy Stevens who spent a couple of days in the clank back in 2003 for reckless driving and suspicion of drunken driving. Clearly, Stevens should keep his ass out of a car and look into public transportation options.

Stevens was taken into custody Tuesday after being stopped by police officers near downtown Scottsdale and telling them he had “four or five margaritas” at a local bar. According to the police report, Stevens was driving erratically and, when stopped, police noticed his eyes were “bloodshot, watery and half-closed.”

Fantastic judgement Jerramy. By the way, was your mother drunk when she thought that “Jerramy” was a proper spelling for Jeremy? If you’ve had a few margaritas and ripped a few bowls, maybe you should call up Mike Holmgren’s fat ass for a ride. After seeing Stevens drop countless passes the last few years, it’s surprising that he can even hold onto a drink or a bong.

Seattle responded to Stevens’ arrest by LOLing and then signing veteran Marcus Pollard. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are said to be suitors for Stevens but why in the hell would they go through with it now? Stevens is lousy on the field and he’s a reckless dumbass off of it.

Before I start this preview, I want to discount the importance of the October 1st game between Chicago and Seattle. That 37-6 win is history. It made a definite statement; no doubt about that. But tomorrow’s game starts 0-0 and it doesn’t make a damn difference what happened three months ago. Both teams are far different than they were on October 1st and more importantly, Shaun Alexander is in the lineup for this one. The rematch will take place tomorrow at 1:00 PM EST on FOX.

This Bears season has been defined by their dominant defense, of course. The Bears gave up just 15.9 points a game, the third best in the league. Injuries really hurt Chicago’s defense late in the year, which may make them look a bit vulnerable. Fortunately for Chicago, they’re getting most of those guys back for tomorrow’s game. Tommie Harris isn’t one of them. A vital part of that Bears defensive line, Harris was put on injured reserve with injuries to his knee and hamstring. He had two sacks on October 1st and he’s real important in stopping the run. That could be a problem against Shaun Alexander.

Then there’s Rex Grossman. Grossman had some great performances throughout the year, finishing with 23 touchdown passes. Then he had horrific performances. He had five games with three or more interceptions. I don’t know what to expect from Rexy. Neither do you. I do know the night will probably end with Captain Morgan but before that, it’s anybody’s guess. Grossman’s mission in the postseason is simple: don’t single-handedly lose us the game. Read the rest of this entry »