Like it says above. Leave the worst of the announcing team in comments, and OMDQ will be here for Jags-Patriots after this one. Oh, and the picture is from the last time these teams met in the playoffs, when Al Harris made Matt Hasselbeck eat his "We'll take the ball and we're gonna score!"

Over/under for Favre Fellating by announcers: 15.

I really thought long and hard about doing a live-blog and I just couldn't bring myself to do one. I'm going to be yelling and screaming all game long but I'll add your comments and Announcer quotes below the WWWWWH below.

Enjoy the game and S2N will be here later to give you your traditional live-blog for the Jags-Steelers.

Who: Redskins-Seahawks
What: NFC Wildcard Game #1
When: NBC 4:30pm
Where: Seattle
Why: You play to win the game!
How: Clinton Portis in the Laboratory with Spanky Janky
Spread: Seahawks -3.5
Weather: 42 Degrees, Cloudy and Winds 20-30 mph
_______________________________

"I thought you had a big head in person."- Tiki Barber to Chris Collinsworth

Jamie Moyer to raise the 12 flag? What, was Shawm Kemp busy? (Via Mal)

That thing is all tangled up too.

Ah, Tom Hammond. When will the NFL Network wake up? The NFL needs to give Gumbel, Kornheiser, & Emmitt mountain bikes a la The Simpsons -- then we can move forward. (Via Anon)

Ha....good pull.

Oooh Nirvana. They're breaking out all the Grunge. Seriously....first Pearl Jam now Teen Spirit. If they play Spoonman drink 10.

"Don't you have to wonder what Todd Collins' Mom is doing right now?"- Cris Collinsworth

"Clinton Portis has a way of getting small" - Cris Collinsworth (Via Mal)

"When that guy's coming in their face.....it's a whole different story for a Quarterback."- Cris Collinsworth

"He's finger lobbying."- Cris Collinsworth (Via Mal)

So that's what the kids are calling it these days.

"He's a business partner of Dan Snyder's, hoping it's not a Mission: Impossible for the Redskins." - Tom Hammond on Tom Cruise being at the game (Via S2N)

"Patrick Kerney sucking up some oxygen, but he's been sucking up some Quarterbacks today."- Cris Collinsworth

Okay folks I'm out of here to drink away my sorrows. Hang around for S2N's live-blog of the late game and stay safe tonight.

Hasselbeck starts by throwing it to Ingram again for another first down, as I consider where this disturbing photo originated from. Alexander gets mauled behind the line of scrimmage yet again. Nate Burleson gets the next pass in. Hasselbeck gets sacked on 3rd down, and another punt. Qwest Field is not happy at all. NO gets pinned at their own 2. Ah, "Sweet Child of Mine."

Baseball note: Rockies catcher Yorvit Torrealva just went three-run jackin' it on Livan Hernandez. Rox up 4-1.

Brees tosses for 17 out of his own end zone to the tight end. Bush gets bashed behind the line of scrimmage on his next rush. Stecker gets a screen pass to get some of those back, and I think it's 6 to go on third down here. No luck, and the Saints punt to Burleson, who tries to scramble away from a couple of tackles and winds up losing a yard or so on the return.

We've got 3rd and 3 after a drop off to the fullback for 7 and an incompletion. Weaver drops the 3rd down pass, and the Walrus sends in the punt team -- more boo-birds from Qwest Field, and Holmgren gives in -- but they have to blow a time out to do it.

That was kind of weird, seeing Pike Place markets hack at fish wearing Brees jerseys. 4th and 3, and they run Weaver, and it's short -- the Walrus' play-calling, suspect again. Hmmm....Hole's cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Gold Dust Woman" -- interesting choice for the bump, and despite my general dislike of Courtney Love, a great cover.

I'm pretty sure Coors got that commercial jingle from the "Our Country Clone Song Factory." Just as annoying, but much more anonymous.

Bush gets nothing on the next rush, and Andrea Kremer repeats the wire information we knew earlier about the allegations surrounding Reggie Bush and his NCAA days. The Saints' rushing game has gone kind of dead here, and they can't rush to run out the clock. Punt is a touchback, and we go out to the Police -- "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da."

Music video break: here's that "Gold Dust Woman" cover we heard earlier:



"It's more like the fish ate the chef! That's the metaphor."

Uh, thanks Al. - Oops Pow Surprise

I missed that; I saw an image of it coming back from baseball. Seattle goes no-huddle and starts hurling down field; they've really got no other measure of offense right now. The Saints will challenge that last completion ruling.

I'm just so used to seeing Peyton hawking something that I don't even bat an eye at how many commercials he's in any more. The call is reversed, so it's an incomplete pass as we return to coverage. Another incompletion, and we've got third down. Hasselbeck converts to in Saint territory to Ingram, and throws the next one to him again at the Saint 21. Flag on the play; illegal contact on the Saints -- first down.

Hasselbeck scrambles, hits Burleson, and the receiver runs and gets smacked up by Mike McKenzie -- but the ball crosses the plane. Brown's extra point is good. 28-17, Saints -- onside kick now, or still too early? Saints recover that onside kick, and Brees will get good field position to work with.

No rushing room for anyone on the first two plays, and Brees gets flagged for intentional grounding on 3rd down. Weatherford punts to Burleson, who fair catches at the 9.

"Winning always smells a lot better than losing." - JM
"It's a great deodorant." - AM.

Wow. Don't know quite what to say to that. Two consecutive passes for first downs by Seattle, then Roman Harper (I think I called him Fletcher earlier) gets his second sack of the game, forcing Seattle to take another time out. Weaver gets 20+ on a rush, but then Hasselbeck just goes all Sex Cannon on us, didn't even throw it near anyone on his own team -- and the Saints pick it off.

A couple of rushes, and the Saints can't pick up the 1st down -- now it's whether Holmgren can use his time well enough to get even close. Burleson takes the punt back to the Seattle 47.

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!! Possibly the worst pass EVER!!!!!! What was Hasselbeck doing????????????? Let me just close my eyes and launch this rainbow 80 yards in the air and hope it comes down near one of my guys. - Joe D

Hasselbeck got tired of the old in-out-in-out rhythm quarterbacking method, he just wanted to go long, hard, and deep.

Wow -- Seneca Wallace just reeled in a very nice catch at the 2 minute warning.

Is it just wrong that I'm dreading having the Broncos hosting the Steelers next week. I'm going to be a drunken mess for that game. Hasselbeck throws for the end zone and is incomplete; they're going to be aiming for it on pass plays from here on out. Wait, wait, wait -- they just ran a draw on 3rd down??? How dumb is that? Why not air it out for the back of the end zone -- and they throw it on 4th down for an incomplete and turn it over on downs????

This last series of play-calling has made no sense, and Al and John are perfectly right to beat this dead horse. That's your NFC West, people -- still the worst division in football. Guh...thank the football gods this game is over. All we're waiting for is the kneeling.

28-17, Saints will be your final score. Thanks to those of you who stuck it out with me. Join me next week as I brave live-blogging the team I pull for as the Broncos host the Steelers, and come on by Signal to Noise, if you're so inclined. Make sure to check in tomorrow for the Monday Night Football live-blog with AA, and have a good night!

John Madden would like you to know that he's not interested in this view of Reggie Bush and David Beckham, because he's opposed to doing things from the back.

Keith, that Worst Person in the NFL was absolutely horrific. Please kill the segment now. Please. Truly a "what the fuck" moment.

The Jones Soda rep that greenlighted that plug just committed suicide.

He's the lucky one. - RJ

Lance Moore hauls in a pass on first down, as New Orleans starts with the ball in the 2nd half. Mike Karney gets the carry and won't have the first. 3rd and inches. They don't get it on the next play, and Payton has brass ones by going for it this deep in his own territory -- and Brees gets it on the QB sneak. Bush gets a couple of yards on the 2nd down rush after getting stuffed on first. 3rd and 9 now, and David Patton hauls it in for a first down on the sideline. Brees wants to pick on the Seattle CBs badly, and he probably can do it as much as he likes right now, because the Seahawks are compensating to make sure Bush doesn't get his right now.

Bush burrows through for several more, and we hear more from Madden about Bush not being a power back. Aaron Stecker has gotten no yardage, yet Payton wanted him to bust it on 3rd and 3. The Saints punt it to Nate Burleson, who fair-catches on the 14 yard line. Pearl Jam's "Alive" -- what took you guys so long?

Hasselbeck goes to Ingram on 1st down and moves the chains again. Alexander gets nothing as the Saints stuff the line. Hasselbeck gets sacked when trying to rush out of the pocket, and is taken down again on the next play by the unblocked Roman Fletcher. Here comes the punt team. It rolls down to the NO 29.

4 and 1 on your own 30. Go for it.
4 and more than 3 on the 50. Punt

Makes sense. - Hugging Harold Reynolds

Well, it's easier to a get QB sneak with the 4th and inches than try and get 3 near the 50, but point taken.

Why does Shuan Alexander BLOW???? He is absolutely pathetic. How about you try gaining 50 yds you loser. I frickin start you over ADP and you treat me like this??????? - Joe D

This is a condition we call "Roto-Rage." It is particularly prevalent among the many fantasy football owners who have owned Daunte Culpepper over the years, and we are seeing more and more of this among owners of formerly sure things like Steven Jackson and Larry Johnson (LJ's 100+ game today notwithstanding, because that was against the Cincinnati Bungles.)

The Saints are driving it down once again, and David Patton gets into Seattle territory on 2nd and 1 by taking in another Brees pass. Brees overthrows Patton after an offside penalty on Seattle. Aaron Stecker is lucky just to get back to the line of scrimmage on the next rush.

"hey, you have to give a guy a little blow once in a while." - JM (via HHR)

Madden would be familiar with that concept; he does it on the air all the time to Favre, Brady, Peyton Manning, Romo, etc. And we've got a FUMBLE on the part of Reggie Bush, which the Seahawks recover. Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" takes us to break; I'm sure Kurt would have loved being the soundtrack to a sporting event.

Hasselbeck throws it to Pollard for a gain. Alexander rushes for a couple more, and the third is done. 28-10, Saints.

I don't know why I like this picture of Shaun Alexander playing chess. I just do. Starting with a 2nd and 14, and Bush gets nearly all of that on the next rush, with a flag added for a 15-yard variety of face mask. Saints will have first and goal. Brees tosses it to Eric Johnson -- the TE who recovered the Patton fumble -- and it's end zone for New Orleans. Mare's kick is up and good, and it's 14-0, Saints -- tell me you saw this coming and I'd call you a liar.

Josh Wilson takes the kickoff from the Saints back, and this doesn't look good for Seattle right now, in terms of offensive consistency. All pass and no run right now. Alexander gets a couple and then Hasselbeck gets the first down rushing. Alexander falls on the next play, and the 12th man at Qwest Field has the boo-birds going already. Burleson pulls in a catch to set up a 3rd and 4. Burleson brings in another one to move the chains. The Seahawks get another first down on an NO illegal contact penalty.

"Matt Hasselbeck, he's a system guy, a rhythm quarterback." - JM. I am left to ponder this: Hasselbeck is a Boston College (Catholic school product), and he has three kids. Of course he's a rhythm quarterback!

Seahawks still moving it, now inside the Saints' 30. We have a Seneca Wallace sighting, as Hasselbeck is nearly picked after Obamanu falls on the pass play. Yet another pass is almost picked by the Saints, and Josh Brown will be coming on for a field goal. Brown's kick is blocked, and this is his first miss since Week 14 last year (so sayeth Al.)

Bush rushes for four on the Saints' first play of this possession. He then lines up outside and takes the screen for a first down with 17 yards gained. Next play is a Brees roll out pass to fullback Mike Karney for a few. Bush gets the next first down on another pass over the middle, and who needs wide receivers when you can split him wide right now? Reggie hits for 22 more on an outside rush that started outside the Seattle 20, and the Saints have a first and goal. WR Lance Moore gets the end-around and heads in for six.

Mare's kick is up and good. 21-0, Saints.

"Just when you thought the Saints were dead, out of the crypt they come." - AM.

The Seahawks bring the kickoff out to their own 37 or so. Hasselbeck hurls another incompletion downfield. Ingram takes in the next pass for a 1st.

What we need is a Reggie chant.

REGGIE! REGGIE! REGGIE! REGGIE! - Anon

Much appreciated (REG-GIE! REG-GIE! REG-GIE!), but I think we'd be better off with some form of life from the Seattle offense.

The Seahawks are getting into Saints territory more often than not, but they're just not doing a hell of a lot when they get there -- and if we get another reminder from Madden about Hasselbeck being a rhythm quarterback, something's getting thrown at the T.V. "Rhythm quarterback" should immediately translate to "you are unable to adjust at all." He then hurls another one for a crucial first down inside the Saint 20 for Seattle. Ben Obomanu takes the next pass in the end zone, and finally, the Hags are on the board.

Brown is up and good, 21-7, Saints. Maybe this might be worth watching after all.

Brees starts the next possession with a five-yard pass to Patton, and the two-minute warning is here.

Your mom is on my chalk Al Michaels - AA

That's a new one. Nice bomb from Brees to Patton for a big gain, and the Saints are quickly back in Seahawk territory. 36 yards on that one. Marques Colston drops a screen pass -- and I swear that's the first time I've heard his name called all night. Patton reels in another one for a first down at the Seattle 20. Patton gets another one at the 13, and gets out of bounds to stop the clock. 1st and goal as Eric Johnson catches the ball at the 3.

"That pass protection is special." - JM. Colston bobbles and drops a TD catch. Encroachment on Seattle before they could stop the clock, and NO gets closer. Incomplete to Johnson, and 3rd and goal comes. Colston nabs this pass from Brees, and it's another six. Kick is good.

Mike Holmgren looks angry enough to rush anyone who comes through his ice floe. Goo goo ga joob. 28-7, Saints, as the half continues to wind down.

The Seahawks are tossing it downfield and have gotten to just outside the Saint 30.

Devery Henderson owes me half of my fantasy league entrance fee....- Hugging Harold Reynolds

I dropped him three weeks ago. Inexplicable play calling on throwing a pass short of the end zone that was incomplete. Brown is on to try the field goal, and Sean Payton tries to freeze the kicker -- Madden is calling him out, saying Payton told him he wasn't going to pull a Shanahan. Still doesn't work, as Brown's kick is good. 28-10, Saints, and that will likely be the halftime score.

And it is. I'm gonna check on some baseball and see you in the third quarter thread.

John Madden was just talking about faking timeouts. He said he doesn't like it because it comes from behind the kicking team and...

"I don't like doing things from the back."

So many horrible images... - Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson

Nightmare fuel.

Drew Brees, if you continue to suck tonight, just know you always have a gorgeous wife to go home to, despite being winless. Since I'm going to be watching this game for the entire duration of the Arizona-Colorado NLCS game, any updates from the commentariat would be most welcome. Oh, and a prediction? OK. Seahawks 24, Saints 13.

Is it just me or is every time a team is struggling or inconsistent, the coach tells the analyst (who tells us) that they basically just need to run the ball? I know this is a football truism, but after hearing Madden repeat it with regard to the Seahawks, I think we can just take that as a given now.

I'd forgotten that Mack Strong is done due to that spinal column injury -- Shaun Alexander is going to miss him big-time. Fullbacks do not get enough love in this league. Saints kick off to the Hawks, and they're at the 23. Short out to Bobby Ingram on the first play, and since Deion Branch is gone too, this is going to be a tough slug-out. Hasselbeck slugs another pass to Ben Obamanu (sp?) for a quick first down. Next passing attempt is incomplete. Alexander gets his first carry for five for a third and three.

"He's not a north-south guy, he's a weave guy." - JM, on Shaun Alexander. Saints sack Hasselbeck on third down, and they'll be punting -- except the snap is fucked and the fumble goes all the way into the end zone, where Aaron Stecker picks it up for the score. Olindo Mare's kick is good, and it's 7-0, Saints -- as we're taken to break with Soundgarden's "Spoonman" (Alice in Chains' "No Excuses" played during a montage pre-snap.)

I sense I will be recognizing damn near all of the bump music today, given that the "grunge" era was during my very, very impressionable years musically.

Josh Lewis takes the kickoff back to the Seattle 24, and the Seahawks will try this offense thing again. Alexander gets one yard on his next carry. We've got third and long right now with a time out.

I believe that is the only way the Saints could possibly score a TD. - Matt

The way the Seahawks look right now on offense, the Saints' O may not have to do much. Another side note: when Sir Charles enters the booth on TBS, if any of you watching could leave any particularly funny moments in the comments here? I bet AA would love it.

I like that Vizio commercial with Tomlinson -- every time he gets his helmet out of the closet to watch football, I laugh, even though the joke is kind of lame. Delay on the field since the Cable Cam has apparently fallen on to the field. I'm sneaking looks at baseball until they fix the damn camera.

OK, we're back after watching an incredible line drive DP hit by Eric Byrnes to Josh Fogg, and he got it to Troy Tulowitzki, who nearly turned another triple play for the Rox this year. Seattle has punted, and the Saints offense has the ball for the first time. Reggie Bush just ripped it through for 20+ on his first carry. Bush gets it again for a short swing pass on the next play. Aaron Stecker will run it on 3rd down, but not get enough. Madden's right, that was a shitty play call on 3rd and long in Seattle territory. Saints punt, and it's a touchback.

Alexander picks up a 1st by rushing outside the tackles on some good blocking. The Hawks are driving, and Hasselbeck underthrows Ingram on a first in NO territory -- which he really should have gotten a lot more on, seeing that Ingram was being covered by an LB. Hasselbeck's timing is off again on 2nd, and they've got 3rd and 10 right now. (Baseball update: Matt Holliday just went yard off Livan Hernandez.) Hasselbeck goes end zone for Nate Burleson, and Mike McKenzie knocks it down. Here comes Seattle's third punt....yawn. Fair catch at the 13 yard line.

A Flock of Seagulls for the bump music? Really?

I'm hoping Madden will say that the best way for these teams to get some O going is to recruit Eric Gagne - Anon

I don't care who you are, that's just funny (unless you're a Red Sox fan.) Aaron Stecker is rumbling and stumbling for a first down on his first catch, but there's a flag on the play -- and it's called on the Saints for an illegal man downfield, which means "forget that play ever happened." Bush gets four yards on 1st and 15.

Could this be the worst combination of live-blogs ever? - AA

At least you will have some form of offense tomorrow from Eli and Plaxico. I don't know where the offense is coming from here -- oh wait, maybe Reggie will do it, he takes a screen pass for 11 yards when he was probably not going to get a damn thing when the play started. After that first down play, the Saints get stuffed twice and we've got another third and long.

"The Saints got nothing on Lofa Tatupu." - JM
"Not even half a loaf." - AM

Bizarre play as Brees throws to David Patton, and Jordan Babineaux punches it out -- but the Saints get the ball recovered further down. NO gets flagged for holding, so move it back 10 yards. Devery "Butterfingers" Henderson has an incomplete pass thrown his way. Brees hurls over to Lance Moore, who took Henderson's starting spot.

Reggie is picking up some serious rushing yards right now, and all we're hearing is about how he's not going to be your normal power guy, but he can run inside. If I'm not mistaken, isn't Seattle's D-line and linebackers one of the smallest of those groups in the league? It should be easier for Bush to break out, if that actually is the case. Never mind. He gets stopped at the line of scrimmage on the next play. Saints 7, Seahawks 0, as the first quarter ends.

Hey there, S2N back with you again, watching Pats-Cowboys on the Sopcast (damn CBS giving my TV OAK-SD) after watching it at the sports bar for a few hours (I forgot how many goddamned Raider fans there are in my part of California, but I wonder where all the Cowboy lovers came from. There were cheers every time Dallas scored that went the length of the bar. Does Patriot hate reach that level these days?)

Oh good, we just got switched over to NE-DAL, so we can watch the rest of the fourth quarter in peace. Anyway, we'll be here for Saints-Seahawks, which probably looked real good to NBC a while ago but not so much right now. So, leave your thoughts about the day's action, especially Pats-Cowboys, in the open thread (as well as admitting how many of you will be watching D-backs/Rockies instead), and I'll see you for the first quarter.

Also, Wes Welker is saving my ass in fantasy this week with Peyton Manning on the bye. I am loving this.