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[Seattle Seahawks]

Looking back on previous Seahawks special anniversary seasons

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How will the Seahawks’ 50th season stack up when compared to prior anniversary seasons?

An anniversary season is upon us, and you know what that means: it’s time to dig up the history books and take a trip down memory lane.

As many of you know, the 2025 season will be the 50th season of Seattle Seahawks football. That means 50 years of gridiron battles in the Pacific Northwest, and the countless memories that have been made as a result.

That got me thinking about how this year will compare to the anniversary seasons of years past, which have been anywhere from really good to underwhelming, depending on which season you’re looking at.

Today, we’re looking back on some past anniversary campaigns for our beloved ‘Hawks—the good, the bad, and the ugly. Without further ado, let’s take a look through some of the pages of this big book of records.

1985 (10th season) - 8-8, 3rd in AFC West, no playoffs​

Photo by George Rose/Getty Images

Seattle’s decennial season was a bit of a letdown considering what had come right beforehand. Year three of the Chuck Knox era was not as fulfilling as the first two seasons, as the Seahawks missed the postseason after back-to-back wild card berths in 1983 and ‘84.

This season was quite the roller coaster, as Seattle would win the first two games and immediately lose the next two in a row, a trend that persisted for the entire year. The Seahawks’ consistent inconsistency ultimately cost them a shot at a playoff berth, as they proceeded to lose four of their final six games to finish 8-8 following a 6-4 start to the season. During this stretch, Seattle went 1-3 against would-be playoff teams, losing to the 49ers, Raiders, and the eventual AFC champion Patriots.

On the bright side, Steve Largent had perhaps the best year of his 14-year NFL career in his age-31 season, earning All-Pro first-team honors at season’s end. Largent amassed a career-high 1,287 receiving yards in 1985, which would stand as a franchise record until DK Metcalf eclipsed this mark with 1,303 receiving yards 35 years later.

1995 (20th season) - 8-8, 3rd in AFC West, no playoffs​

The Seahawks’ 20th season in the NFL served as a small glimmer of hope in a time of darkness for the organization. Seattle had climbed above .500 just once since the team won the 1988 AFC West division title, finishing either last or next to last in the division five times between 1989 and 1994.

After three horrendous years under Tom Flores as head coach (including a franchise-worst 2-14 showing in 1992), the Seahawks hired former University of Miami (FL) head coach Dennis Erickson for 1995. Though the year began poorly at just 2-6, Seattle did not throw in the towel, winning six of the next seven games to improve to 8-7. In the midst of this turnaround, the Seahawks had what was then the largest comeback in franchise history in a Week 15 matchup at Mile High Stadium against the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos jumped out to a 20-0 lead in the second quarter, with Seattle quarterback Rick Mirer going 4-for-11 passing with an interception. Erickson replaced Mirer with backup John Friesz, who helped to lead the Seahawks’ comeback attempt in the second half. Down 27-17 in the fourth quarter, Friesz threw a pair of touchdown passes to Joey Galloway and Chris Warren, which gave Seattle a 31-27 edge with under five minutes to play. Denver’s final drive stalled out, and the Seahawks prevailed to pull even at 7-7.

Encouraged by his performance versus the Broncos, Erickson gave Friesz the nod for the next game, a 44-10 victory against the Oakland Raiders. Seattle did not claim a spot in the postseason, however, losing 26-3 against the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in Week 17 to fall to 8-8 on the year. With the loss, the Seahawks finished one game outside of a playoff spot, extending their playoff appearance drought to seven years.

2000 (25th season) - 6-10, 4th in AFC West, no playoffs​

After four years of finishing no higher than 8-8, Seattle fired Erickson during the 1998-99 off-season, replacing him with former Green Bay Packers head coach and Super Bowl XXXI champion Mike Holmgren. In year one under Holmgren, the Seahawks ended their playoff appearance drought, winning the AFC West for the first time in 11 years. The season ended in a wild-card loss to the Miami Dolphins, but there was reason for hope in the coming years, especially after the team had not even sniffed the postseason for much of the last decade.

Unfortunately, some sequels are not quite as good as the originals. Seattle was unable to build on the success of 1999, beginning the 2000 season at just 2-7 through the first nine weeks. Unlike in the team’s 20th season, the Seahawks were unable to bounce back during their 25th season, losing three of their last five games to finish 6-10. Needless to say, year two of the Holmgren era was not quite what Seattle hoped it would be.

2000 was the Seahawks’ seventh sub-.500 finish since 1989, and the 11th time in 12 years that the team had finished third or worse in the AFC West. This would be the Seahawks’ second-to-last season in the AFC, as the team moved back to the NFC during the 2002 realignment after 25 years in the AFC.

2005 (30th season) - 13-3, 1st in NFC West, lost Super Bowl XL​

Photo by Robert Giroux/Getty Images

Seattle’s transition back to the NFC began quite well, with the team obtaining back-to-back playoff berths in 2003 and 2004. Team owner Paul Allen fired general manager Bob Whitsitt during the 2004-05 off-season and brought Mike Reinfeldt back into the front office, tasking him and new GM Tim Ruskell with re-signing several key pieces in Matt Hasselbeck, Shaun Alexander, and Walter Jones.

All three were eventually brought back by the organization, going on to represent the Seahawks at the Pro Bowl. Upon re-signing, Alexander had a career year on the ground, achieving new highs in rushing yards (1,880), touchdowns (27), and attempts (370); all three of these totals led the league, and they still stand as franchise records today. In recognition of his outstanding performance, Alexander was named Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP.

On the back of Alexander’s MVP run, Seattle won 11 consecutive games from Weeks 5 to 16, finishing the year 13-3 and winning the NFC West by a whopping seven games. The Seahawks did not disappoint in the playoffs, either, defeating the team now known as the Washington Commanders in the Divisional round by a score of 20-10. With the victory, Seattle ended a 21-year playoff win drought and advanced to the conference championship for the first time since 1983.

The ride continued into the NFC Championship Game, as the Seahawks handily beat the Carolina Panthers, 34-14, leading by as many as 27 points during the contest. Alexander continued his MVP showing into the postseason, tallying a pair of rushing touchdowns in the conference title game. For the first time in franchise history, Seattle was in the Super Bowl.

Sadly, the Seahawks’ run came to an end against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who, thanks to a bit of help from some questionable officiating, defeated Seattle by a score of 21-10 to win their fifth Super Bowl. Nevertheless, 2005 remains one of the best seasons in Seahawks history, and was the best season overall until Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII during the 2013 campaign.

2015 (40th season) - 10-6, 2nd in NFC West, lost in Divisional round​

Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Coming off back-to-back NFC Championships and two years removed from a Super Bowl victory, expectations for the 2015 Seahawks were pretty lofty. Sitting at the height of the Pete Carroll era, Seattle was the preseason favorite to win Super Bowl 50, entering the year with +450 odds to claim the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three seasons.

Unfortunately, the Seahawks could not live up to those expectations. Over the first six weeks, Seattle stumbled out of the gate, blowing four late leads to fall to 2-4. However, the team recovered, salvaging the season by going 8-2 over the final 10 games to finish 10-6. Seeing as the Cardinals had won nine in a row from Weeks 7 to 16 and were 13-2 through 15 games, the Seahawks were unable to win the NFC West for the third straight year and instead settled for a wild card berth.

Seattle narrowly prevailed over the Minnesota Vikings in the wild card round thanks to a missed field goal by future Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh. With the win, the team moved on to the Divisional round, advancing in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

Seattle traveled to Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium to face the 15-1 Panthers, the NFC’s top seed. The game was a tale of two halves—Carolina scored four touchdowns in the first half, including a Luke Kuechly pick six in the first quarter, to build a 31-0 lead by halftime. The second half was all Seahawks, with Russell Wilson tossing three touchdown passes to bring Seattle within 10. Despite Wilson’s efforts, though, the Seahawks lost, 31-24, effectively ending their chances of becoming the first team since the 1990-1993 Buffalo Bills to play in three consecutive Super Bowls.

Wilson had one of the best stretches by a quarterback in NFL history, earning a passer rating of at least 120 in every game between Weeks 11 and 15. During this time, Wilson went 110-for-148 passing for 1,420 yards and 19 touchdowns with no interceptions, helping Seattle to five consecutive wins and a 9-5 record.

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Milestone seasons, while fun, can be a bit of a mixed bag. Although some anniversary celebrations have been lackluster, like in 1985 and 2000, others have been quite successful, as seen in 2005. While the ones that have been plentiful will have fans fondly remembering them for years to come, others will fall by the wayside, never to be spoken of again.

Considering how 2024 went, it is not unreasonable to think that Seattle will be back in the postseason conversation during the golden anniversary celebration. Mike Macdonald will have a clearer vision for the Seahawks going forward, and perhaps Seattle will finish atop the NFC West for the first time in five years.

What are some of your favorite memories from past anniversary seasons? How do you think the Seahawks will fare during their 50th season? Tell us in the comments below!

Source: https://www.fieldgulls.com/2025/6/6...ack-past-seattle-seahawks-anniversary-seasons

 

[Seattle Seahawks]

Seahawks vs. Buccaneers announced as ‘50th Season Game’

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Hey, the Seahawks aren’t the only ones celebrating 50 seasons in the NFL!

What better way to celebrate 50 seasons in the National Football League than to host a game against the other team celebrating their own special anniversary?

The Seattle Seahawks announced on Friday that their Week 6 home game on Oct. 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the designated ‘50th Season Game.’ There will undoubtedly be a host of special commemorative festivities, of which we know one will be Seattle honoring the top 50 Seahawks of all-time.

Seattle’s first win in franchise history came on Oct. 17, 1976 against the Buccaneers. Sam McCullum’s touchdown catch and two John Leypoldt field goals were enough for the Seahawks to prevail 13-10 on the road over the Steve Spurrier-led Buccaneers. Tampa Bay, of course, famously lost its first 26 games over its first two seasons.

The Seahawks’ third win also came against the Buccaneers on Oct. 16, 1977, with Steve Myer serving as starting quarterback and Steve Largent snagging a couple of touchdown grabs. Seattle forced six turnovers on its way to a 30-23 victory.

In more recent times, the last two Seahawks home game versus the Bucs have resulted in Seattle overtime victories. Russell Wilson’s touchdown to Jacob Hollister gave Seattle a 40-34 comeback win in November 2019, while the eventual Super Bowl champion ‘Hawks won 27-24 against a horrendous Bucs team that somehow raced out to a 21-0 lead. Wilson threw for two TDs, ran for another, and Steven Hauschka sealed the deal in OT in an unexpected thriller.

I don’t know whether or not double throwbacks are allowed by the NFL, but the only way for this 50th anniversary game to work is if the Buccaneers are also allowed to wear their classic ‘Creamsicle’ uniforms.

Source: https://www.fieldgulls.com/2025/6/7...awks-vs-buccaneers-announced-50th-season-game