Decanonize with extreme prejudice... for real this time

We're in the playoffs!

The 7-9 Seahawks, as champions of the NFC West, get to host a wild card playoff game this afternoon against the 11-5 Saints, the defending Super Bowl champions. (When naming the football franchise of a notoriously sinful city, what ironist settled on "the Saints"?)

We are 10-point underdogs. This week's NFL Playbook power trio (Brian Billick, Joe Theismann, Sterling Sharpe) has unanimously predicted doom for Seattle, though they magnanimously concede that the home team has a chance against the Saints. (They needed that asterisk, because they--and nearly every other NFL prognosticator--gave us no chance to win last week. Props to the NFL Network's Rod Woodson, the only analyst I noticed picking Seattle to beat St. Louis last week. The Hall of Fame defensive back understands the power of the 12th Man.)

Although we lost in New Orleans earlier this year, we were uncharacteristically competitive for most of that contest.

Now the battle has shifted onto our turf, and for the first time in recent memory, our opponent's injury report is longer than ours. By a lot.

They are so thin at running back that Julius Jones figures to get significant playing time. Here is our opportunity to punish him for stubborn underachievement, for refusing to learn our zone blocking system, for sucking so badly that we had to cut him, and for laughing all the way to the bank.

Here is our opportunity to punish Reggie Bush for disgracing the Heisman Trophy. (Oh, wait. Our coach had something to do with that, too. Never mind.)

Here is our opportunity to show that we belong in the playoffs.

Drew Brees remains the league's most accurate passer, a clinical dissector of opposing defenses. We'll need a fierce pass rush and smothering coverage to shut him down. I trust that the 12th Man will restrict his options by making verbal audibles impossible.

Our ground game came alive last week with an improved performance by the offensive line and inspired playcalling by Jeremy Bates. Charlie Whitehurst managed the game effectively last week, but Matt Hasselbeck lit it up in New Orleans earlier this season.

My man Leon Washington is overdue to score a return touchdown.

I'm so psyched I can't sleep.

We're the NFC West champions. We've got nothing to lose, but we have a lot to prove.

A chorus of haters complain that we don't even belong in the playoffs, because we don't have a winning record.

So, let's win this one, just to piss them off.

Let's win, to bring back a healthy fear of Seahawks Stadium and the 12th Man.

Let's win, to make a case that this team really is better than its record.

Let's win, to show that last week's triumph wasn't a fluke.

Play loose. Hit hard. Play smart. Wrap up.

Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?

We dat.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Go, Seahawks!