Week 17 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7

What you need to know

Seattle Seahawks

HC Mike Holmgren pledged to play his starters even though the outcome of this game would have no effect on the Seahawks’ playoff seeding. True to his word, QB Matt Hasselbeck played the full contest and RB Shaun Alexander didn’t hang up his cleats until midway through the fourth quarter. Both had decent, though unspectacular outings, with Hasselbeck completing 17 of 29 passes for 216 yards and Alexander notching 28 carries for 92 yards. Both players were credited with one touchdown each.

WR Darrell Jackson missed his third consecutive game with a turf toe injury and WR D.J. Hackett was the Seahawks’ leading receiver in his absence. While Hackett, WR Deion Branch and TE Jerramy Stevens all saw six targets in the game, Hackett made the most of his hauling in four passes for 63 yards and Seattle’s only receiving touchdown. Stevens also caught four passes for 54 yards while Branch made three grabs for 38 yards.

The Seahawks’ defense entered the game with CB Marcus Trufant out due to injury and they suffered several more blows in this game as CB Kelly Herndon broke his ankle, LB LeRoy Hill left the game with a concussion and CB Jimmy Williams was carted off with what was called a serious left knee injury. To say the Seahawks’ defensive secondary is in trouble might be an understatement.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RB Michael Pittman started for the injured Cadillac Williams and made the best of his 12 carries, racking up 73 yards. He also added 36 yards on three receptions, but was unable to score on any of his six red zone touches. Pittman had success early, recording runs of 32 yards and 15 yards on his second and third carries of the game, but the Bucs didn’t utilize him as much as they could have.

WR Joey Galloway had a solid game against his former team, recording 8 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. With this game, Galloway notched the fifth 1,000+ yard season of his 12 year career. No other WR caught more than one pass for Tampa Bay in this game.

FB Mike Alstott played in what was likely his last NFL game and nothing seemed to go his way. He carried the ball only six times for four yards and lost a fumble deep in Tampa territory.

What you ought to know

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Pass: 17 - 29 - 216 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - -1 - 0

Hasselbeck played the entire game, even though it had no implications on the Seahawks’ playoff seeding. Still wearing a brace on his previously injured knee, he moved up and around in the pocket well, avoiding Tampa’s pass rush and suffering only one sack. When situations were hopeless, he threw the ball away rather than trying to force it into traffic as he often does. Overall, it was a good tune-up game for Hasselbeck as he recorded 216 yards on 17 of 29 passing and a lone touchdown.

RB Shaun Alexander, Rush: 28 - 92 - 1, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets)

Alexander played until the midway point in the fourth quarter before giving way to back-up Maurice Morris, carrying the ball 28 times for 92 hard fought yards and a touchdown. Alexander is looking more and more like last year’s MVP as he is making quick, decisive moves and hitting his holes hard to get the most out of his carries. He appears to be in mid-season form after missing six games with a broken foot.

RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 10 - 39 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets)

Morris spelled Shaun Alexander as usual then cleaned up the fourth quarter as the Seahawks ran out the clock. He finished with ten carries for 39 yards.

RB Mack Strong, Rush: 1 - 2 - 0, Rec: 1 - 7 - 0 (1 targets)

Strong combined for nine yards on one catch and one carry.

WR D.J. Hackett, Rec: 4 - 63 - 1 (6 targets)

Hackett was the Seahawks’ leading receiver in this game and caught QB Matt Hasselbeck’s only touchdown pass. He showed excellent effort on more than one occasion, stretching out for a first quarter completion and then tracking down a tipped pass for an apparent touchdown in the second quarter. The score was negated by a booth challenge, but three snaps later Hackett found pay dirt on a brilliant catch in the end zone. Hackett ended his day with four catches for 63 yards and the aforementioned touchdown.

WR Deion Branch, Rec: 3 - 38 - 0 (6 targets)

Branch recovered well from the four crucial dropped passes of last week by catching everything within reasonable reach. He recorded three receptions for 38 yards.

WR Bobby Engram, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (4 targets)

Engram seems to have returned to his regular role of slot receiver after missing nine games due to an illness. That said, he isn’t getting as many opportunities with the emergence of D.J. Hackett. Engram finished with a pair of catches for 27 yards, one of those converting a third down.

WR Nate Burleson, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (2 targets)

Burleson was an afterthought in the passing game, recording only one catch for five yards on a pair of targets. He continues to contribute on punt and kickoff returns.

WR Darrell Jackson

Jackson missed his third consecutive contest because of a turf toe injury.

TE Jerramy Stevens, Rec: 4 - 54 - 0 (6 targets)

Stevens was Seattle’s second leading receiver with 54 yards on four catches. He showed some of the potential that has kept him on the Seahawks’ roster throughout a tumultuous five year career.

PK Josh Brown 3 - 3 FG, 2 - 2 XP, 11 points

Brown was responsible for the only points recorded in the second half for either team. He hit all three of his field goal attempts in this game.

SEA Rush Defense

Tampa Bay runners combined for 110 yards on 21 carries against Seattle’s defensive unit, most of those going to back-up RB Michael Pittman. Pittman exploited the left side of the Seahawks’ defense for a 32 yard gain on his second carry of the game and then picked up 15 yards on his next carry one possession later. He likely could have done more damage, but the Buccaneers inexplicably gave him only 12 carries in the game.

SEA Pass Defense

The story of this game for the Seahawks’ pass defense is injury. CB Marcus Trufant was inactive today because of an ankle injury and CB Kelly Herndon was carted off near the end of the first quarter with a broken ankle. LB Leroy Hill also left with a concussion and back-up CB Jimmy Williams left with a knee injury. For the second straight game, Seattle recorded only one sack.

QB Tim Rattay, Pass: 16 - 27 - 185 - 1 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 1 - 4 - 0

Rattay completed nearly 60 percent of his passes (16 of 27) for a modest 185 yards and one touchdown. Rattay obviously preferred veteran WR Joey Galloway as a primary target, with half of his completions and his only touchdown going to Galloway, and the two seemed to have the timing factor working in their favor. Rattay moved around well in the pocket and suffered only one sack, a blindside hit from former teammate Julian Peterson. It looks like Rattay could be a part of Tampa’s 2007 quarterback lottery.

RB Michael Pittman, Rush: 12 - 73 - 0, Rec: 3 - 36 - 0 (7 targets)

Pittman looked sharp playing for the injured Carnell Williams, but didn’t get enough rushing opportunities to have a big day. He recorded 47 of his 73 rushing yards on consecutive carries in the first quarter and added 36 receiving yards to his total for the day.

RB Mike Alstott, Rush: 6 - 4 - 0 (1 targets)

Alstott had a nightmare experience in what was likely his last NFL game, recording only four yards on six carries and losing a fumble deep in Buccaneers' territory. He developed into a fan favorite in Tampa over his 11 seasons there and nobody wanted to see him go out this way.

RB Cadillac Williams

Williams missed his second consecutive game with a foot injury.

WR Joey Galloway, Rec: 8 - 118 - 1 (11 targets)

Galloway was by far QB Tim Rattay’s favorite target and was the only Buccaneers’ WR to catch more than one pass. They obviously had their timing in sync as a handful of Galloway’s completions came on quick slant routes. Galloway finished with 118 yards on eight catches and the Bucs only touchdown.

WR Maurice Stovall, Rush: 2 - 29 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets)

The big rookie receiver caught only one pass on two targets, but added 29 yards on a pair of end around carries.

WR Ike Hilliard, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets)

The veteran was targeted only once in the first quarter and caught the pass for a four yard gain.

WR Paris Warren, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (2 targets)

Warren recorded his fifth catch of the season for Tampa Bay.

TE Anthony Becht, Rec: 1 - 5 - 0 (1 targets)

Starting in place of the injured Alex Smith, Becht caught his only target for a five yard gain.

TE Dave Moore, Rec: 1 - 9 - 0 (1 targets)

Moore caught his first pass of the season and lost it on a fumble. His number was not called again.

PK Matt Bryant 0 - 1 FG, 1 - 1 XP, 1 points

Bryant missed his only field goal attempt from 44 yards out.

TB Rush Defense

Tampa gave up 131 rushing yards on 38 attempts by Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris. Alexander ran hard, but the Buccaneers limited his longest run of the day to ten yards and stopped him for no gain or a loss on six occasions.

TB Pass Defense

Tampa Bay recorded only one sack on Seahawk QB Matt Hasselbeck, but they kept him moving around and hurried him on several occasions. They played tight coverage and allowed only a pair of 20+ yard completions.