We get a heck of a matchup tonight and I know you'll stay with me throughout its entirety! Actually I don't blame you if you skip this one entirely. Emmitt is already in rare form tonight and hopefully Tony and the guys will be too!

“Adrian didn’t see, Al umm uh, Jackson coming from his blindside.”- Emmitt Smith describing Purple Jesus' injury (Via Myles)

Umm Emmitt, that's Pro Bowler Al HARRIS. You know dreadlocks, intercepted Matt "We want the ball and we're going to score" Hasselbeck for six in the 2004 playoffs, and likes pressed fruit bowls.

And Jaws is ready to go as well....via Mookie

"Marc Bulger was stroking it from the pocket"- Jaws talking on PTI about Marc Bulger

So I've got HD hooked up at home for the first time ever, and it's amazing...but I have one question. Is Bill Parcells face always this read in High Def or is it the lighting in the studio?

Great audio mistake there as Stu Scott shouted something while Berman was throwing it to the booth. You think having 40 people on mic in 15 different locations is a bad idea now ESPN?

Wow Emmitt almost messed up Al Harris' name AGAIN! He's a beacon of consistency....consistently terrible.

Deon Grant wins the Fish Catching competition, and I'm better for watching that. Hey Rainn Wilson! What can you tell me about Seattle???

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And we're live and in HD from Seattle, Washington! Tirico, Jaws, Kornhole, Tafoya, and Kolber are all here! Tirico relays the information that we've been hearing about Mike Nolan's dad passing away yesterday, and like Mike...AA's condolences go out to the Nolans.

Yay! Drew Carey is there and raising the 12th Man flag for the 'Hawks and we're ready to go!!! 9ers get the ball first at the 30.

"12th Man, schmelth man....9ers one here last year."- Mike Tirico

Smith goes deep on the first play from scrimmage and D Jackson drops it. He had a step and Alex under-threw him a bit on that one. Still should have been caught. Gore runs for a couple, and it's third and long for SF. Smith overthrows everybody and the 9ers go three and out. I have a feeling you'll be hearing that a lot tonight.

Hasselbeck fumbles the snap, but recovers and hits Engram for a first down. That looked easy.

"Anybody else catch them KILLING Shaun Alexander on the pregame show?? Somebody said that tackling him is like tackling Charmin! Oh Snap!"- WCT

Sure did...they hammered him, and Smith even blamed it on the big contract.

An incomplete pass on third down to Burleson, but that appeared to be a catch, annnnnd we have our first challenge of the night. The catch would be good enough for a first down near mid-field, and Holmgren made the easy call to toss the Red Beanie.

Good comment by Tony on the difference between the old Seahawk style of Football by running the ball and the new gameplan tonight. Catch is good.....Jaws gets the call wrong after saying there wouldn't be enough evidence to overturn.

"Doesn't Jaws lose a timeout?"- Tony Kornheiser

Another passing first down for the Hawks as Hasselbeck is just playing catch down the field. Matt gets about 14 seconds to throw the ball and hits Burleson for another first, and follow it with a screen to Morris for about 3.

Morris goes out wide and tries a slant....he gets blasted. Incomplete. Heller catches a pass short of the first down, but a Roughing The Passer penalty on the 9ers will keep the drive alive. 1st down and goal for the 'Hawks....

Jaws completely doesn't see the penalty but Hasselbeck's helmet almost comes off. Don't know what he's watching.

"Helmet to helmet is a penalty always.....I'm going helmet to helmet on you Jaws."- Mike Tirico

"I think Jaws doesn't like Hassleback...it's not that bad when his helmet unsnaps and starts to fly off? I think Jaws took one to many helmet to helmet shots."- The Mez

Agreed.

Touchdown Seattle! 3rd and Goal pass to the TE Heller

7-0 Seahawks

And before I can blink Seattle sacks Alex Smith on 3rd down and recovers a fumble! This is going to be a blood bath. Before the series there was a good breakdown from Jaws on Alex Smith's overthrow earlier in the quarter.

Morris picks up a first on third and one as Suzy Kolber was blabbing about something and the 'Hawks have it right outside of the ten.

"I don't think we were going to have to go to the left-hander tonight."- Tony Kornheiser on Hasselbeck throwing the ball a lot tonight.

Hilarious Tony....shut up.

Seahawks miss on third down and Josh Brown has to come in for the FG. Good.

10-0 Seattle, 4:07 left

Good return by Hicks as he gets it to the 40 and maybe the 9ers can try to not go three and out this time. Not that they're not trying, but you know what I mean.

Yeah, doesn't look like that's happening. Penalty, Penalty, Penalty and it's first and 30 for SF! Wow...the Skins couldn't even pull that off. Gore picks up 16 and is just short of a first. 9ers going for it in the hurry up, but the officials botch the spot of the ball....timeout Seattle. Nothing is going right for the 9ers.

Tennessee-Denver next week folks! Hooray!!!

9ers change their mind and punt it back to Seattle. It's like they had the safe play mode in Madden on and the game wouldn't let them go for it. Great shot of Tony's in-booth notes that seem to be written on a giant yellow writing pad. I'll try to get it up in a bit.

10-0 Seattle after the 1st.

Here come the Seahawks again, this is too easy for them. It seems like they have 9 receivers on the field every snap and they're all open.

"You think it's possible Holmgren waited until Week Nine to do this?"- Tony Kornheiser
"Yes."- Jaws

I agree with both of them for once, and Jaws does another great job in showing us the inner workings of a QBs mind. He showed each of Hasselbeck's progressions on a previous drive. I think I only want to pay attention when ESPN's Playbook pops up.

Kornheiser mentions Baseball and they lose me again. First down on a nice third down pickup from Engram and the Seahawks are prepping to score again. The 9ers almost get a pick on a tip, but alas....no such luck. An illegal contact penalty from the $80 Million Dollar Man, Nate Clements keeps the drive alive.

The 9ers finally get some pressure on the Seahawks on back to back drives and they'll hold Seattle to a FG. The kick is good, but a holding penalty on Seattle drops them back five and out of FG range. The Seahawks punt, and about nine of their Special Teamers get together to down it at the one.

"Anyone notice Hasselbeck truck stick that random person on the sidelien 5-10 yards after he was out of bounds?"- konck

Just went back and watched it....he just bowled that guy over as slow as he could. It must have been like running through cardboard.

"What was that word Tony?"- Jaws
"Inert..it's easy, it's only two syllables."- Tony Kornheiser

Here's that photo of Tony's notes....



Someone in the crowd is wearing a ref's uniform and Jaws makes an unfunny joke about the ref being in the crowd. It is LOUD at Qwest tonight....think there's artificial sound being pumped in?

Three and out for the 9ers.....again. Whoa, Tony and Jaws just went at each other and they were arguing the EXACT SAME THING! What the heck is going on. That's a video that will go up at halftime.

Touchdown Seahawks! Morris runs it in after a beautiful pass from Hasselbeck to Hackett to set it up.

17-0 Seahawks.

"Michael Lewis down in the box" - Jaws (Via Mookie)

Nice! Get in there Mike!!!

Oooh a flashback to Jaws on Monday Night Football allows us to hear Tony's Howard Cosell impression. Not bad actually. Hey! A three and out from the 9ers who have a staggering 0 First Downs, 34 Net Yards, and 6 penalties for 33 yards.

Jaws goes on a rant about scouting Quarterbacks, and Tony brings up Norv Turner. I don't even know what they're talking about anymore.

2 Minute Warning.

"There was no flag on the play, I threw my flag instead of my bean bag."- Referee

That would be in response to another Alex Smith fumble and recovery by the Seahawks. They get the ball in 9er territory with under a minute to go. Wow....Hasselbeck spikes the ball and points out a 12-Men on the Field penalty at the same time. Great move....another 5 yards is added for the FG try.

Another penalty on the kick by the Hawks and of course the 'Hawks miss it. 17-0 still and in a game in which San Fran has zero first downs....they somehow still have hope.

I take that back! The Niners pick up a first down in the oddest way possible. Smith throws a hail mary that's obviously incomplete, but the judge calls it a completion. The first half clock runs out, and thus there's no need to challenge. Great job Niners!

17-0 Seahawks at the half.

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