When any football fan sees a 10-13 score, they know it must have been a bad game. Sunday’s Seattle at Carolina game was no exception. Even the score was deceptive, as the Seahawks’ only touchdown came with one second left in game to give the game the appearance of something competitive.

Despite the loss, not much damage was done to the NFC West champs. If anything, some good can come out of this loss. That good is a dedication to the run game the final two weeks of the season. If the Seahawks plan to make any noise in the playoffs, they need to get their once-vaunted run offense back in form. At least some playoff-ready form. Seattle gained only 44 yards on the ground but this was due in part to the complete abandonment of the run by Coach Holmgren. While Coach Holmgren deserves part of the blame, the rest of it lies solely on Seattle’s running backs and offensive line. Seattle must gain more than 44 yards on the ground if they plan to win any playoff games.

With two games remaining (against Baltimore and Atlanta), the Seahawks have time to get Shaun Alexander and Maurice Morris and the offensive line ready for a playoff run (run, literally). If the Seahawks were smart, they’d think about getting FB/RB Leonard Weaver a little more involved in the running game (he didn’t have a single rushing attempt in Sunday’s game).

Unfortunately for the Seahawks, there is no chance for a first-round bye this season. On the bright side, none of the teams against whom Seattle might play in the post season really promoted themselves to THE unstoppable team in the NFC. With Dallas’ loss and Green Bay’s less than spectacular win, Seattle still looks to be a team that can and will compete in the playoffs. So while Sunday’s game might have been a loss, there is still a lot for the Seahawks to look forward to.