Jan. 8
Good times had by all at the tailgate and the game. Christine and I are still working on some idea to see if we can reserve a big area and invite everyone up our way for the Packers game. We'll let you know.

But the real question is, can the Hawks win on Sunday?
The Big Five I think have to happen for the upset:

Jan. 3
Remember when the Redskins came to Seattle in 2005 riding a six-game winning streak? Most of the experts predicted a Washington win -- after all, they are from the East Coast, where the media bias reigns supreme.

True, it's tough to travel cross-country to play in the cold and rain. True, the Redskins could again be mentally spent after a month-long emotional charge following Sean Taylor's death.

But there's also ample reason to be concerned.

The Redskins are much healthier this time around. In '05, their receiving corps was beat up and the offense was one-dimensional. This time around, they come to Seattle relatively healthy, and buoyed by 36-year-old QB Todd Collins running a very efficient offense.

The edge still goes to the 'Hawks because of the home-field advantage -- a league-leading 68 false starts at Qwest Field since 2005. So bring your good cheer on Saturday -- we're planning to kick-start the festivities around 9 a.m.!

Dec. 31
We're about to ring in the New Year 'Hawk style ... The Harpers, Brummetts and Dyle (that's my new nickname for Dave and Kyle, watcha think?) havin' some food and good times in Bellevue.

First, a few quick thoughts now that the postseason is finally here.

1. Mom Harper had a blast at the tailgate. She hasn't stopped talking about Andrew's sliders ever since, so apparently the bar has been set high. Or maybe it was just the free beers she was handed.

2. Don't worry too much about the defensive performance in Atlanta. They didn't just play without passion, they played a vanilla scheme, didn't blitz much and didn't want to show Washington much on film.

3. It's New Year's and I don't want to be on the computer any more! The best for 2008 to you and yours, and I'm outta here. See y'all Saturday!

Dec. 20
How could the No. 4 seed actually benefit the Seahawks more than the No. 3 spot?

I'm not exactly a fan of the thought of the Hawks traveling to Dallas for a second playoff game, and I still believe the Cowboys are a strong favorite in the NFC.

However, last week was a glaring example of how much trouble Seattle will have winning in poor weather conditions. When wind wreaked havoc with the passing game, the Hawks offense sputtered to a halt.

So if they can get past the Vikings or Giants in the first round, an upset Lambeau Field would be extremely difficult to pull off with no semblance of a running game

It's getting old watching Chris Spencer and Chris Gray get thrown back into Shaun and Mo, who rarely have a chance to hit the line of scrimmage with any steam.

Plenty of steam coming from Mad Mike these days. Ever notice how much space is cleared for Holmgren on the sideline when things are going well?

Well, enjoy the tailgate this week! Christine and I will be in Florida, hopefully soaking in a little sun. Somehow I don't think this year we're going to be able to bitch to the local radio TV stations about why they should show the Ravens-Seahawks tilt!

Take some pictures and we'll see you for the playoffs!

Merry Christmas to all our tailgating brethren ... and in our place this weekend, look for the face of Mom representing the Harper contingent. She promises to stop by!

Dec. 10
Will the Seahawks make a serious run at the Super Bowl? Probably not. Going through Dallas or Green Bay is going to be awfully difficult.

But not many NFL cities get to enjoy a run of four straight division titles, so we better enjoy the moment.

Seattle has taken advantage of a weak division, to be sure, but they still manage to take care of business and get to the postseason year after year.

Winning records, home playoff games, something to cheer for every January ... don't take it for graned. Matt's enjoying arguably his best season, but he's in his 30s and has a few more years at the top of his game. Walter and Bobby are in similar spots.

The good news is there is so much experienced talent just entering their primes to be excited about. Trufant, Tatupu, Hackett, Jennings, etc. join vets like Kearney, Branch, Peterson, Grant to form a nucleus that should keep the franchise competitive for many seasons to come.

Hmm... notice Shaun's name didn't appear on either list. Give him credit for running harder since he has returned, but his best days are in the rearview mirror and it's difficult to see him back with the team in '08.

Nov. 26
Thanksgiving provided a cornucopia of football frenzy in the Harper House.

At the end of the long weekend, all that really mattered was Gus Frerotte might have saved the Seahawks' season (Christine: "C'mon, just let him score a touchdown and celebrate by knocking his head into the wall again!"). The icing on the proverbial cake came when the Cardinals imploded with penalties, a missed field goal and Kurt Warner deciding to hold onto the ball in his end zone longer than Andrew smokes his brisket.

That helped make up for a Saturday in which Miami and Florida State fans actually commiserated together while watching their respective teams get smoked on national television.

Can't say I'm happy Ohio State might sneak in the back door of the national title game (Will the Big 10 man up and play a conference title game already? Don't care if the Pac-10 does, no one would notice anyway). But it is fun to see the traditional powers stumbling over themselves on a weekly basis. It has made for a highly entertaining season.

OK, on to some Seahawks observations:

On to Philly! Let's hope the boys decide to show up before Holmgren has to rip them another new one at halftime.

Nov. 15
The 'Hawks have a potential dilemma brewing if Shaun can play Sunday.

With the anemic running game, Holmgren threw on 10 of the first 11 plays against the 49ers, and Maurice Morris logged 28 carries only because the 'Hawks built a big lead and sat on it after a fumble and interception early in the second half.

Holmgren admitted last week that he's going to forego a balanced offense and go with a lot of three- and four-receiver sets to take advantage of the receiving corps being healthier and the fact the o-line is far better in pass blocking than it is in creating running lanes.

Shaun's going to try to practice Friday. If his knee/ankle/wussy issues are healed up enough for him to go, Holmgren has a few problems.

No, he doesn't care that fans have put Shaun ahead of Clay Bennett on their pecking order of lightning rod sports figures in the Northwest.

Everyone loves the backup to a struggling over-priced "star." But Morris can't hold up for 25 carries per game, and if the 'Hawks have any notion of winning on the road in January, they'll eventually have to build some semblance of a running game. Like it or not, Shaun is still the best option for making that happen.

However, as long as Holmgren sticks with the pass-heavy approach, Morris is a far superior pass blocker and receiver.

Holmgren said if Shaun is healthy, he'll devise some scheme that keeps Morris significantly involved.

The problem then becomes creating a game plan that alternates Shaun and Mo without making it obvious to defenses when the 'Hawks are running or passing based on who's in the game.

Early Thanksgiving

Oct. 18
There are no rose-colored glasses when I look at the Seahawks.

The flaws are there, and they seem to be multiplying by the week.

Mack is gone, Matt is frazzled, the receivers can't get separation and the offensive line can't pass or run block -- which has only proven what we all have known for years, that without a gaping hole the size of one of Andrew's briskets, he turns his back at the first sign of contact.

And while I commiserate with Mike Holmgren when he's puffs up like a blowfish on the sideline Sunday and Sunday, even he is contributing to the problem. His decision to go for it on fourth down with less than two minutes to go against New Orleans instead of kicking the field goal snuffed out the final chance of a miracle comeback.

So why am I still looking forward to Sunday's game against the hapless Rams with visions of the Seahawks making a playoff run?

Because as it stands right now, the Hawks are tied atop the NFC West with an Arizona team that for the next several weeks will start a quarterback that was out of football this time last week. And in the watered down NFC, there's no reason this seriously-flawed team can't out-race the other seriously-flawed teams for the right to get hammered in Dallas in the NFC Championship Game.

If they can manage to get it together long enough to beat arguably the league's worst, and most beat-up, team this Sunday, they'll hit their bye week no worse than tied for the division lead. Coming out of the bye, the Hawks expect to get WRs Deion Branch and D.J. Hackett back, and it gives FB Leonard Weaver another week of getting full reps with the first-team offense.

That doesn't fix the offensive line or an undersized defense that wears down when the Hawks fall behind and opponents grind out the game at will. But hey, we could be jockeying for draft position already.

Let's just hope the Rams don't hurt their chances for landing the No. 1 overall pick on Sunday.

Missed everyone at the tailgate Sunday night, but watching from home does give me the chance to analyze the team more in-depth. A few other thoughts: