Seahawks primed for another tense playoff run

All around the region, antacids are flying off the shelves faster than a Hasselbeck strike to Bobby Engram for 13 yards and a first down. Tomorrow Seattle plays Washington in the first round of the NFL playoffs. Even though we're favored to win, playing in the loudest home stadium in football against a team that scraped into the playoffs by beating a nonchalant Dallas squad, led by a veteran QB and some absolutely killer defensive backs, coached by Seattle's all-time wins leader, we're still going to be watching with our knees at our elbows and our double venti mochas set to decaf. We're jittery enough as it is.

Why the angst? Shaun Alexander and the Cast Apparently Made of Spirit-Sapping and Not To Mention Extremely Heavy Uranium. Mike Holmgren's inexplicable clock non-management. Blown lead after blown lead, even in victories. The debacle in Pittsburgh. And, worst of all, we couldn't convert fourth-and-inches if Billy Graham was praying over the ball.

Bill Simmons sums it up:

By the way, this feels like the 27th straight year that the poor Seattle fans have talked themselves into the whole, "I know we're not that good, but if X happens, and Y happens, and Z happens, we might be able to sneak into the Super Bowl!" It's becoming a January tradition right up there with Vince Carter getting hurt and Fox kicking off a new season of "American Idol."

Even so, even so, even so...

Seahawks 24, Washington 21. Pass me the Rolaids. And don't bet on sports.

Update, 5:10 p.m., 1/5 I was too conservative, but the game was closer than the final score revealed. 35-14 the final. Go Hawks!

Also, here are my other first round predictions:

Steelers over Jaguars
I like Roethlisberger in the playoffs.

San Diego over Tennessee
Same reasons as the TRP's.

Tampa Bay over New York
Defense wins it. Eli Manning will throw at least three picks.