What has happened to the once great franchise that Mike Holmgren and Bob Ferguson built from 1999 to 2005 when the Seahawks went to their first and only Super Bowl?

The 2009 Seahawks have picked up were the “Ruskell disaster” left off in 2008. The Seahawks are currently 3-7, third place in the NFC West ahead of only the St Louis Rams who are a measly 1-9.

One of the Seahawks three wins has come against the Rams, back in week one when this team actually had passion and heart for both themselves and for their head coach Jim Mora Jr.

The Seahawks defeated the St Louis Rams 28-0 in what is still their worst win of the season. The entire first quarter looked like two teams playing hot potato, neither wanted to hold the ball for very long.

Here is how each drive in the first quarter ended up for both teams.

St Louis:

1) Punt 2) Punt 3) Punt 4) Missed FG (Note this doesn’t include the fumble on the opening kickoff)
Seahawks: 1) Interception 2) Punt 3) Fumble 4) Interception

In total between the two teams there were four punts, and four turnovers (including the KO fumble by Donny Avery).

Needless to say it’s a game in which the Seahawks won by shutout, but easily could have been the ones being shutout.

Now we come back to week 12 were the Seahawks and Rams are very similar teams now. Both are rebuilding or going into rebuilding. Both starting QB’s Marc Bulger and Matt Hasselbeck (Kyle Boller will be starting for the injured Bulger) are on their way out and both teams need a lot of help in a lot of areas.

Rebuilding aside, here are three reasons why the St Louis Rams will beat the Seattle Seahawks this week.

One, when you think St Louis Rams what comes to might right away? Running back Steven Jackson is usually the number one target for any defensive coordinator to watch out for.
Not for me.

Last week the Seattle Seahawks defense held All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson to only 80 yards on 24 carries. However backup running back Chester Taylor ran for 73 yards on 11 carries totaling 160 yards between the two backs.

Not the world’s greatest but holding Peterson to only 80 yards an also keeping him out of the end zone is a great accomplishment for this questionable Seahawk defense.

Now this week the Seahawks have Steven Jackson who I don’t see hurting the Seahawks defense as much as I see Kyle Boller throwing for at least 250 yards and a touchdown or two.

The Seahawks rank 23rd against the pass and 15th against the run so there is a considerable difference between to two. I expect that the Rams and Steve Spagnuolo will try to attack that horrendous Seahawks secondary.

Two, the Seattle Seahawks are 0-5 on the road this season and after going to Minnesota last week and getting humiliated by Brett Favre and the Vikings, you have to think that will set in for this Seahawks team.

Now yes the Rams are 0-5 at home this season so something has to give and right now I don’t see the Seahawks having the pieces to defeat the St Louis Rams.

That might come as a slap in the face to some with Hasselbeck, Houshmandzadeh, Burleson, Carlson and four of the original five offensive linemen starting for the fourth week in a row, minus LT Walter Jones all being healthy.

Over the last few weeks Matt Hasselbeck has just locked into one receiver the entire game. TJ Houshmandzadeh against Arizona (165 yards) and Burleson against Minnesota (100 yards). Matt has always had success when he spreads the ball around to all of his available wide receivers/tight ends but now that his career is dwindling down he’s starting to just throw to one receiver and the running backs out of the backfield.

So going on the road against an aggressive St Louis Rams defense led by DE Chris Long, LB James Laurinaitis and S Oshiomogho Atogwe I just don’t see Hasselbeck and this Seattle offense putting up the points needed.

So something will have to give in St Louis and I’m just betting it will be the Seahawks measly defense losing the battle.

The third and final reason why I see the Seahawks losing the St Louis Rams this week is because the Seahawks coaching staff and pretty much the entire organization is just in so many different places and pieces mentally that I don’t see the players buying into what Jim Mora and the rest of the coaching staff have been preaching this entire season.

In the beginning when everyone was on the same page I would say this game should be relatively easy for the Seahawks, now I don’t even see them winning.

The Seahawks organization is going to have to be completely overhauled by owner Paul Allen and there are going to be a lot of new faces in this organization come 2010. And that’s what everyone is thinking about in the city of Seattle. 2010, Mike Holmgren, high draft picks, a new franchise quarterback and a new head coach among other things.

The game should still be evenly matched but it won’t be anywhere near the 28-0 defeat like it was in week one. I’ll lay my prediction down.

28-21 Rams over the Seahawks. After the game someone will be fired.