Seattle’s most important foot

By Michael Murillo  |   Thursday, October 19, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Seattle Seahawks
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The most important foot in the Seattle Seahawks organization is not Shaun Alexander's left one, which might be healing well enough to carry him onto Qwest Field for a Nov. 6 contest against Oakland. Instead, it belongs to kicker Josh Brown, whose game-winning field goal in Week 6 gave the Seahawks a much-needed road victory against the only real threat in their division, the St. Louis Rams.

Brown's performance is especially impressive considering a couple of kickers--Miami's Olindo Mare and Arizona's Neil Rackers-- failed to make tying or winning field goals in Week 6 that were shorter than Brown's 54-yarder. This isn't the fist time Brown has rescued Seattle this season, either: His three field goals against Detroit in Week 1 (including a 51-yarder in the first half and a 42-yarder on the game's final play) accounted for all of Seattle's points. Even in an embarrassing loss in Chicago on Oct. 1, Brown's two kicks saved the Seahawks from a shutout.

Going strictly by the numbers, Brown looks pretty mediocre: His 36 points are good for just 17th in the NFL and he's connecting on just two-thirds of his field goal attempts. But it's when he makes them that really counts: His pressure kicks have accounted for half the team's wins in 2006, taking enormous pressure off an offense that's missing its most famous player.

Even without Alexander, Seattle is sound enough on both sides of the ball to keep games close. But to actually win them, the 'Hawks will need to rely on difference makers like Matt Hasselbeck, Darrell Jackson...and yes, Josh Brown. While the Seahawks wait for Alexander to rejoin the starting lineup, Brown is the reason they haven't lost a close game this year.

A good test is on the schedule this week, when they face the Minnesota Vikings. It's not hard to imagine that field goals will play a role in the matchup. Each of Minnesota's first three games were decided by exactly three points, and the Vikings' largest margin of victory this season is just nine points.

The Seahawks have survived some close contests, and now they'll face a team whose games go down to the wire nearly every week. With a 4-1 record and plenty of talent, the Seahawks can afford to let Alexander kick back for a couple of weeks. But if Josh Brown's foot isn't busy, Seattle will have trouble pulling out a victory and earning a one-game lead in the NFC West.

Get weekly Seattle Seahawks coverage at RealFootball365.com
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