Last week, NSS compared the 1992 Seahawks with the 2008 in their respective games. Which team played better? Or more importantly, which team played worse? This week we compare both teams’ week 15 matchups.
Background. 1992 saw the worst Seahawks team in franchise history. It was a team that finished 2-14, ranked dead last in the league in points per game (8.8). It was the least entertaining Seahawks offense ever and the only saving grace was a decent defense led by Cortez Kennedy and his 14 sacks. They used their no. 2 draft pick to select one of the biggest busts in NFL history, Rick Mirer. The season epitomized the Seahawks of the 90’s: terrible.
Fast forward to the 2008 season and we see a similar team. Up until this week, 08’ had the same record as the 92’ team with just three games remaining. This week was 08’s best chance to avoid tying the record for the worst Seahawks team in franchise history as they took on the god-awful Rams. We all saw what happened yesterday, so let’s recap the Dec. 13, 1992 game.
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The 1992 game. The 92’ 9-5 Eagles had everything to play for, still fighting for a slight chance at the division and in the hunt for a wildcard spot. They would eventually get to playoffs and lose to the Cowboys in the first round. So, a playoff contending team would obviously smother the lowly 2-11 Seahawks, right?
Wrong. The Seahawks hung with the Eagles during the whole game, ending each quarter tied and sending the game into overtime. In fact, the Eagles had to score a touchdown in the 4th quarter to tie the game. We all know the 92’ Hawks never made it past two wins, so we know they lost that game in overtime.
The 2008 Hawks played a horrible 1st half and barely beat what might be the worst team in the NFL. The 92’ team lost, but lost in overtime to a playoff worthy team. So, which team was worse?
Quick answer: The 1992 team was a lot worse.
Is it possible to win a game with 87 yards of total offense? Maybe. Is it possible to win a game with 87 yards of total offense when the other team gains 466 yards? Nah ah. That’s what happened in the 92’ game, and you can be sure the 92' Seahawks never really had a chance, although the Eagles made the game interesting with 17 penalties for 191 yards, ouch!
The 1992 team once again was carried by their defense, who scored a touchdown to take a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter. The 92' offensive line played even worse than the 2008 team filled with backups. They gave up 10 sacks for minus 89 yards! As you can see in the chart above, the 92' team performed worse in most of the key statistical categories and tied in four of them.
The 2008 team actually won their game and had a level of consistency on offense never realized by the 92' team. They also had a good defensive effort to match, making them the more balanced team in this game, and in their respective seasons.
Conclusion. It's safe to say the 1992 team was worse than this year's unlucky group of injured starters as they accrued their third win, avoiding the shame that comes with being named the worst Seahawks team in history. Next year, hopefully we'll be comparing the 2009 crew with the 84' or 05' Hawks...
