We’re in Seattle to play the Seahawks, which is always one of our toughest games all season.
I’m excited about tonight. A rivalry game on Monday Night Football should make for great entertainment and a close battle. We just have to try to limit our mistakes and whoever plays sound clean football should win. I was disappointed that I missed our Monday Night game in New York in Week 2, but things happen for a reason and hopefully I can take full advantage of this opportunity.
The Seahawks are very talented on the defensive side of the ball and I know they take pride in stopping the run. Their scouting department and their coaching staff do a great job of preparing their defense year-in and year-out when they face me to plan out how they want to attack our running game.
Since they’ve won our last several meetings up there, they also have this cockiness and ego to them. They feel that the NFC West goes through them. It just adds to the bitterness between the teams and makes for a fun game to be a part of.
The atmosphere in their stadium is always at a fever pitch. The Seattle fans are pretty enthusiastic and they take pride in their team as well as that title of “The 12th man” being one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL. They all take great pride in that. Whenever we play our rivalry game up there, I know what to expect. Their crowd is very well informed about us as their opponent. It just makes for a great atmosphere and gives almost a college feel to the game.
The fans up here always remind me that they get the best of me when we face each other. Many of them rooted for me in my collegiate years, but now that I’m a bitter rival with the St. Louis Rams, they’re always trying to find a way to remind me that they have the upper hand on me.
My best memory from playing here in Seattle is from 2006. I had a touchdown run late in the game and it put us up by two with 2:30 left. On that run, I was so determined to score that I dragged about five defenders into the end zone with me. It was a pretty emotional touchdown run and we thought we were going to put them away.
Unfortunately Josh Brown, who coincidentally is our kicker now, hit a long field goal at the end of regulation to win them the game. But that remains one of my all-time favorite runs of my career. It just feeds into the rivalry because both sides always come out throwing punches to put the other team away. It always makes for a good game.
Playing in the Northwest also brings back memories of leaving home after high school and going up to Oregon State to find myself. It reminds me of how I was not only pursuing a dream to play in the NFL, but also of receiving a higher education. Those things all play in my mind when I return to the Northwest.
It should be a fun night.