The
2003 Seattle Seahawks season
was the franchise's 28th season in the
National Football League
(NFL), the second season in
Seahawks Stadium
and the 5th under head coach
Mike Holmgren
. After going 31–33 in his first four years as head coach, the Seahawks went undefeated at home for the first time in franchise history and improved to 10–6, thus making the NFC playoffs as a wild card team, the first of nine playoff appearances in twelve seasons. However, the team fell 33–27 to the
Green Bay Packers
in the opening round due to an interception returned for a touchdown by Green Bay's
Al Harris
in overtime. Following the season, Hall of Fame defensive tackle
John Randle
retired after 14 seasons.
Shaun Alexander
bulled the Seahawks to a 27–10 win as he rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown while also catching a touchdown. The Saints fumbled away the ball three times and also committed eleven penalties.
Week 2: at Arizona Cardinals
Week Two: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
– Game summary
After forcing four turnovers by the Saints, the Seahawks picked off
Jeff Blake
and
Josh McCown
four times while swallowing two fumbles en route to a 38–0 shutout win.
Maurice Morris
and
Shaun Alexander
split carries for 118 yards and a touchdown while
Matt Hasselbeck
ran in a touchdown and threw another.
Week 3: vs. St. Louis Rams
Week Three: Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams
– Game summary
The Rams and Seahawks began to build a bitter rivalry as the two clubs met with the Rams at 1–1 and the Seahawks 2–0. A Rams goalline fumble led to a Seahawks touchdown before the Rams reeled off 23 points by the fourth quarter. Then
Matt Hasselbeck
erupted to two fourth-quarter touchdowns and the 24–23 Seahawks win.
Week 5: at Green Bay Packers
Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
– Game summary
Former Seahawks coach
Dennis Erickson
came to Seattle and saw his 49ers fall behind 17–0 in the second quarter. The Niners clawed back but a failed point after kick left them trailing 17–16 in the third; it proved fatal as the Seahawks won 20–19 on a late 37-yard field goal.
Week 7: vs. Chicago Bears
Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears
– Game summary
Despite two
Chris Chandler
interceptions and just 211 yards of offense, the Bears erased a 17–6 Seahawks lead and tied the game in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks then finished it off on
Shaun Alexander
's 25-yard score and a 24–17 win.
Week 8: at Cincinnati Bengals
Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals
– Game summary
The Seahawks season began to take on a concerning problem of road performances. Their second straight road loss and sixth in their last two seasons came in a game where the lead tied or changed seven times; the Seahawks fumbled twice and
Matt Hasselbeck
was intercepted three times;
Chad Johnson
's 53-yard touchdown catch gave the Bengals the 27–24 win.
Week 9: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
– Game summary
The first three quarters were a battle of field goals, then in the fourth up 9–6 the Seahawks scored twice while
Tommy Maddox
had a touchdown. The 23–16 Seahawks win left them at 6–2 with the Steelers 2–6.
Week 10: at Washington Redskins
Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Redskins
– Game summary
For the third straight road game the Seahawks fell short, blowing a 14–3 lead as
Patrick Ramsey
and
Rod Gardner
combined for three touchdowns. The Seahawks lost two fumbles while
Matt Hasselbeck
was intercepted once.
Week 11: vs. Detroit Lions
Week Eleven: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions
– Game summary
Bobby Engram
scored twice, on a 34-yard catch from
Matt Hasselbeck
and an 83-yard punt return. The Seahawks and Lions combined for 49 points in the first half before being shut out in the second as Seattle won 35–14.
Former Seahawks beat writer Clare Farnsworth called this game "one of the monumental collapses in Seahawks history." After going 29 minutes with just a pair of field goals and resultant 3–3 tie, the Seahawks scored 14 points to end the first half, then built a 41–24 lead in the fourth quarter.
Ed Reed
scored on a blocked punt, then
Anthony Wright
erupted with huge throws to
Frank Sanders
and
Marcus Robinson
and the score was now 41–38 Seahawks. In the final 33 seconds an administrative mistake on a Seahawks run and a withdrawn ineligible player penalty by referee
Tom White
stopped the clock and saved the Ravens from using their final timeout; they stopped a
Matt Hasselbeck
sneak on fourth down, then a pass interference penalty set up
Matt Stover
's tying field goal. In overtime ex-Raven
Trent Dilfer
had to come in for one play but the Seahawks had to punt and the Ravens won on another Stover field goal. It was Seattle's fourth straight road loss.
Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns
Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Cleveland Browns
– Game summary
Still angry over the loss to the Ravens, the Seahawks finished the
AFC North
portion of their schedule by crushing the Browns 34–7;
Andre King
scored on a blocked Seahawks punt in the fourth quarter but by then
Matt Hasselbeck
had thrown three touchdowns and the Seahawks had forced three Browns turnovers.
Week 14: at Minnesota Vikings
Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings
– Game summary
The Seahawks fell out of contention for the
NFC West
as the Rams won 27–22 to go to 11–3 with the Seahawks clawing for a wildcard spot at 8–6 with their sixth straight road loss. The deciding play came in the final seconds when Hasselbeck launched a Hail Mary pass from the 50; a referee stumbled and
Bobby Engram
tripped over him short of the goalline as the pass was nearly intercepted.
Week 16: vs. Arizona Cardinals
Week Sixteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals
– Game summary
The Seahawks climbed back into wildcard contention as they sacked
Josh McCown
eight times,
Shaun Alexander
rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns,
Matt Hasselbeck
and
Trent Dilfer
combined for a touchdown and an interception apiece, and Seattle won 28–10. Seattle stood tied with the Vikings (45–20 winners over
Kansas City
) and Green Bay (who would blast the Oakland Raiders 41–7 on
Monday Night Football
the next night) all at 9–6 with the
Cowboys
holding the first wildcard at 10–5.
Week 17: at San Francisco 49ers
Week Seventeen: Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
– Game summary
Seattle finally won a second road game as they clawed from down 17–14 with a
Matt Hasselbeck
touchdown and a field goal;
Jeff Garcia
's 4th down incompletion sealed a 24–17 Seahawks win. The game was the second of a pre-New Year's Saturday triple header; the Seahawks thus had to wait until Sunday before a win by Green Bay, a loss by Dallas, and a last-second loss by Minnesota sorted out the NFC playoff picture, putting Seattle as the conference's fifth seed.
With
Nate Poole
of the
Cardinals
in attendance (a result of knocking the
Vikings out of the playoffs the week before
) in a mild snowstorm, the Packers hosted the upstart Seahawks. Green Bay clawed to a 13-6 halftime lead, but in the third quarter
Shawn Alexander
touchdowns put the Seahawks up 20-13. Two
Ahman Green
touchdown rushes in the fourth quarter put the Packers back up 27-20. After the Seahawks tied the game
Brett Favre
completed three straight passes for 41 yards in Green Bay's final drive, but
Ryan Longwell
misfired on the ensuing 47-yard field goal attempt. For the overtime coin toss the Seahawks won;
Matt Hasselbeck
brashly stated to referee
Bernie Kukar
"We want the ball and we're gonna score!" The boast was picked up on stadium and
FOX Sports
television microphones and became a source of infamy; after completing two passes for twelve yards Hasselbeck targeted
Alex Bannister
but the ball was intercepted by
Al Harris
at the Packers 48-yard-line and Harris scored, ending the game 33-27 and ending Seattle's season.