Groz’s Week 7 Seahawks Memory: Slaying the Giants in 1986
Oct 21, 2020, 10:42 AM
Jacob Green had four sacks in a win over the eventual Super Bowl champs in 1986. (Getty)
(Getty)
The 1986 season was shaping up to be a good one for the Seahawks.
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Dave Krieg, Steve Largent and Curt Warner were in their prime on offense, and Chuck Knox had a defense led by Kenny Easley and with talent everywhere. After a 4-2 start with losses only to powerful Washington and the Raiders, they welcomed Bill Parcells’ Giants to Seattle.
The Giants were on their way to a 14-2 season and Super Bowl glory, but this October afternoon in the Kingdome belonged to the Hawks.
The Seahawks’ defense was dominant, forcing four Phil Simms interceptions (including one by our pal Paul Moyer) while sacking him seven times, with four by defensive end Jacob Green leading the way in a 17-12 win (see the box score here). After the game, Parcells said the Seahawks were the best team the Giants had seen, and at 5-2, Seahawks fans were dreaming Super Bowl dreams.
But then this became one of the more frustrating seasons in team history.
The following week they blew a two-touchdown lead to Denver, which started a four-game losing streak. Suddenly the Hawks were 5-6. But then just as suddenly they went on a tear, ripping off five straight wins, crushing the likes of the Raiders, Cowboys and Broncos to finish 10-6 and as the hottest team in football. But the team missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker, and perhaps the best team Chuck Knox ever had didn’t get a chance at the Giants again.
The year signaled a change in fortune as the Seahawks wouldn’t win 10 games in a season again for 17 years.
More Seahawks memories from Groz
• Unlikely hero gets 2005 Super Bowl run going in Week 5, 2005
• Super Bowl championship team shows it’s for real in Week 4, 2013
• Curt Warner establishes ‘Ground Chuck’ in Week 3, 1983
