Seattle stands on brink of Super Bowl goal

SEATTLE – Standing in the way of the Seattle Seahawks and the NFL’s ultimate destination will be the shortest player on the field, Carolina receiver Steve Smith, one of the top-rated postseason quarterbacks in Jake Delhomme and a dominant Panthers defense.

Standing with the Seahawks as they chase their first Super Bowl appearance will be roughly 67,000 rabid fans, white-hot quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and, coach Mike Holmgren hopes, Shaun Alexander’s return to Most Valuable Player form.

This should be good.

“It’s fun is all I can say,” Holmgren said of what Seattle’s magical season has meant to the region. “The people seem very, very excited. If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it 100 times: ‘I’ve been a Seahawks fan since the inception of the team.’ I’ve said before one of the joys of being able to take a team all the way, whether it was with Green Bay or San Francisco, was the joy it gave the community.”

Seattle and Carolina square off today at 3:30 p.m. at Qwest Field with NFC supremacy at stake. The Seahawks have advanced this far once in the franchise’s 30-year history, losing to the Oakland Raiders in the AFC title game following the 1983 season. That game was played in Los Angeles. This one takes place at Qwest Field, where Seattle is 9-0 this season, including a 20-10 win over Washington last week, despite losing Alexander to a concussion in the first quarter.

Carolina has made a habit of winning road games in hostile environments. In the playoffs, fifth-seeded Carolina shut out the No. 4 New York Giants and solved No. 2 Chicago’s supposedly impenetrable defense. In the regular-season finale, the visiting Panthers crushed Atlanta.

Carolina has won four straight road playoff games, dating back to a 2003 march to the Super Bowl. No team has won five consecutive road playoff games.

As Holmgren has said countless times, success usually follows when a team’s best players have to have their best seasons. That applies, perhaps more so, in the playoffs.

Hasselbeck was once known as “Mr. August” for his spectacular preseason statistics, but he’s evolved into a leader and one of the league’s most efficient quarterbacks. He had the highest completion percentage (76.1) in the month of December of any quarterback in NFL history. He’s been solid in January, too, completing 8 of 10 second-half attempts against Washington.

Hasselbeck’s first playoff win came after two deflating postseason losses – to St. Louis last year and Green Bay two years ago.

“In our locker room (prior to the Green Bay game) we felt like we could probably win,” Hasselbeck said. “Part of me just felt like we were just happy to be there back then. I don’t think that’s the case on this team. This team talks about it less and in a funny way I think we believe it more. Back then we talked about it more and believed it less. I like it better this way.”

Alexander, who has been cleared medically to play, ran for 1,880 yards in the regular season and set an NFL record with 28 touchdowns. In three postseason games, though, he’s gained just 94 yards on 41 carries.

The Panthers are ranked fourth in rush defense in the NFL, but defensive end Julius Peppers (shoulder) isn’t 100 percent healthy. He returned to practice Friday, but coach John Fox was coy about Peppers’ playing status. At running back, Carolina turns to Nick Goings, a capable replacement in the past, after losing starter DeShaun Foster to a broken ankle against Chicago. Stephen Davis is on injured reserve.

Delhomme is 5-1 in playoff games and has the highest passer rating (108.4) among quarterbacks with 150 postseason attempts. He has 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions in six playoff games.

Of Delhomme’s 39 completions the last two games, 22 have gone to Smith, who is a threat on reverses and returning punts. The 5-foot-9, 185-pound Smith piled up 1,563 receiving yards during the regular season. Smith played at the University of Utah, where his career crossed over with Seahawks cornerback Andre Dyson.

“I played with Steve for two years, so I think that should help me out a little bit,” said Dyson, who is an inch taller.

Depending on where Smith lines up, Dyson and opposite corner Marcus Trufant (Washington State University) can probably count on help from a safety or possibly a linebacker. Without identifying specifics, Holmgren said Smith has influenced Seattle’s game plan.

“I think if you don’t approach it that way, you’re making a huge mistake,” Holmgren said.

Mistakes were too common for Holmgren’s taste on special teams last week. He has replaced punt returner Jimmy Williams, who fumbled twice, losing one, with Peter Warrick.

Seattle is hoping for a quick start to turn up the volume in the stadium.

“It was awesome last week,” Hasselbeck said. “Set the bar a little higher – see if we can make it even better.”