1976 Seattle Seahawks season

1976 Seattle Seahawks season
Head coach Jack Patera
Home field Kingdome
Results
Record 2–12
Division place 5th NFC West
Playoff finish did not qualify
Uniform

The 1976 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's first season with the National Football League. The 1976 season was the team's only one in the NFC until the league realigned divisions before the 2002 season, at which point the Seahawks were once again placed in the NFC West. The Seahawks obtained a future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee from the Houston Oilers, who had drafted receiver Steve Largent in the 4th round in 1976. Largent would go on to be a first-ballot Hall-of-Fame wide receiver, making it to seven Pro Bowls and recording over 13,000 receiving yards in a 13-year career with the Seahawks.

Before the Seahawks even played their first game, Lloyd W. Nordstrom, the expansion team's owner died from a heart attack while vacationing in Mexico. Nordstrom had been instrumental in landing an NFL team in the Pacific Northwest, and hiring the front office, but he never had a chance to see his team take the field. The Seahawks, coached by Jack Patera, played their first game on September 12 in a sold-out Kingdome. The Seahawks played a solid game, but had their desperation final pass intercepted in the endzone in a 30-24 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Seahawks would go on to lose their first five games, before beating the Buccaneers, their brothers in expansion, 13-10 in Tampa on October 17. Three weeks later, the Seahawks would earn their first home victory by beating the Atlanta Falcons 30-13 behind the 12-yard effort of running back Sherman Smith. These two wins would be the only ones in the season, as the first-year team compiled a record of 2-12.

1976 draft class

Main article: 1976 NFL Draft
Round Selection Player Position College
1 2 Steve Niehaus Defensive Tackle Notre Dame
2 29 Sammy Green Linebacker Florida
2 58 Sherman Smith Running Back Miami (OH)
2 59 Steve Raible Wide Receiver Georgia Tech
3 62 Jeff Lloyd Defensive End West Texas State
3 89 Rick Engles Punter Tulsa
3 92 Don Bitterlich Placekicker Temple
4 93 Steve Myer Quarterback New Mexico
4 122 Randy Johnson Offensive Guard Georgia
4 123 Andy Bolton Running Back Fisk
5 126 Don Dufek Defensive Back Michigan
5 153 Ernie Jones Defensive Back Miami
5 156 Larry Bates Running Back Miami
6 157 Alvis Darby Tight End Florida
7 184 Dick Dixon Defensive Tackle Arkansas State
8 210 Larry Shipp Wide Receiver LSU
9 239 Bob Bos Offensive Tackle Iowa State
10 266 Randy Coffield Linebacker Florida State
11 293 Keith Muehr Punter Southwestern Louisiana
12 320 Ron Barnett Wide Receiver Texas–Arlington
13 349 Andy Reid* Running Back Georgia
14 376 Jarvis Blinks Defensive Back Northwestern State
15 405 Dan Smith Offensive Tackle Washington State
16 432 Jeff Urczyk Offensive Guard Georgia Tech
17 461 Chris Rowland Quarterback Washington

Personnel

Staff

1976 Seattle Seahawks staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches


Strength and conditioning

  • Head Trainer – Bruce Scott
  • Assistant Trainer – Jim Whitesel

Final roster

1976 Seattle Seahawks final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics
 52 Active, 0 Inactive, 0 Practice squad

[1]

Schedule

Preseason

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game Site Attendance TV Recap
Final score Team record
1 August 1 1:00pm PDT San Francisco 49ers L 20-27 0–1 Kingdome 60,825 KIRO [upper-alpha 1] Recap
2 August 7 7:00pm PDT Chicago Bears L 16-27 0–2 Joe Albi Stadium Spokane 14,484 KIRO Recap
3 August 14 7:30pm PDT Los Angeles Rams L 13-16 0–3 Kingdome 62,532 KIRO [upper-alpha 1] Recap
4 August 21 7:00pm PDT at Denver Broncos L 7-52 0–4 Mile High Stadium 24,852 KIRO Recap
5 August 29 1:00pm PDT San Diego Chargers W 17-16 1–4 Kingdome 57,082 KIRO [upper-alpha 1] Recap
6 September 4 6:00pm PDT at Oakland Raiders L 28-45 1–5 Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum 51,487 KIRO Recap
Source: Seahawks Media Guides [2][3]
  1. 1 2 3 Tape delay.

Regular season

In its first year, Seattle played all of the teams in the NFC as a member of the NFC West.

Week Date Kickoff Opponent Results Game Site Attendance TV Recap
Final score Team record
1 September 12 1:10pm PDT St. Louis Cardinals L 24–30 0–1 Kingdome 58,441 CBS Recap
2 September 19 10:05am PDT at Washington Redskins L 7–31 0–2 RFK Stadium 53,174 CBS Recap
3 September 26 1:05pm PDT San Francisco 49ers L 21–37 0–3 Kingdome 59,108 CBS Recap
4 October 3 1:05pm PDT Dallas Cowboys L 13–28 0–4 Kingdome 62,027 CBS Recap
5 October 10 11:05am PDT at Green Bay Packers L 20–27 0–5 Milwaukee County Stadium 54,983 CBS Recap
6 October 17 10:05am PDT at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 13–10 1–5 Tampa Stadium 43,812 CBS Recap
7 October 24 1:05pm PDT Detroit Lions L 14–41 1–6 Kingdome 61,280 CBS Recap
8 October 31 1:10pm PST at Los Angeles Rams L 6–45 1–7 Memorial Coliseum 52,035 CBS Recap
9 November 7 1:00pm PST Atlanta Falcons W 30–13 2–7 Kingdome 57,985 CBS Recap
10 November 14 11:00am PST at Minnesota Vikings L 21–27 2–8 Metropolitan Stadium 45,087 CBS Recap
11 November 21 1:00pm PST New Orleans Saints L 27–51 2–9 Kingdome 61,865 CBS Recap
12 November 28 10:05am PST at New York Giants L 16–28 2–10 Giants Stadium 65,111 CBS Recap
13 December 5 1:00pm PST Chicago Bears L 7–34 2–11 Kingdome 60,510 CBS Recap
14 December 12 10:05am PST at Philadelphia Eagles L 10–27 2–12 Veterans Stadium 37,949 CBS Recap
Bold indicates division opponents.
Source: 1976 NFL season results [4]

Standings

NFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Los Angeles Rams(3) 10 3 1 .750 5–1–0 8–2–1 351 190 W4
San Francisco 49ers 8 6 0 .571 4–2 5–5 270 190 W1
New Orleans Saints 4 10 0 .286 2–5 3–8 253 346 L3
Atlanta Falcons 4 10 0 .286 2–5 4–8 172 312 L3
Seattle Seahawks 2 12 0 .143 1–3 1–12 229 429 L5

Game summaries

Preseason

Week P1: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Preseason Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
49ers 7 10 10027
Seahawks 0 0 71320

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Week P2: vs. Chicago Bears

Preseason Week Two: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bears 0 10 71027
Seahawks 0 3 01316

at Joe Albi Stadium, Spokane, Washington

  • Date: August 7
  • Game time: 7:06pm local
  • Game weather: showers, 63 °F (17 °C), wind light
  • Game attendance: 14,484
  • Referee: Bob Frederic
  • TV: KIRO
  • Gamebook

Week P3: vs. Los Angeles Rams

Preseason Week Three: Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Rams 3 6 7016
Seahawks 0 0 01313

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Week P4: at Denver Broncos

Preseason Week Four: Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 7 007
Broncos 21 17 01452

at Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado

  • Date: August 21
  • Game time: 8:00pm local
  • Game weather: partly cloudy, 84 °F (29 °C), wind N 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 24,852
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • TV: KIRO
  • Gamebook

Week P5: vs. San Diego Chargers

Preseason Week Five: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Diego Chargers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Chargers 0 0 10616
Seahawks 0 3 7717

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Week P6: at Oakland Raiders

Preseason Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at Oakland Raiders – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 7 0 02128
Raiders 14 7 21345

at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California

  • Date: September 4
  • Game time: 6:09pm local
  • Game weather: partly cloudy, 63 °F (17 °C), 76% humidity, wind WNW 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 51,487
  • Referee: Gene Barth
  • TV: KIRO
  • Gamebook

Regular season

Week 1: vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Week One: Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Cardinals – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cardinals 3 10 10730
Seahawks 3 0 71424

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • STL – Ike Harris 12-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick), 13:05 (STL 10–3)
  • STL – Jim Bakken 22-yard field goal, 0:21 (STL 13–3)
Third quarter
  • STL – Pat Tilley 27-yard pass from Jim Hart (Jim Bakken kick), 12:51 (STL 20–3)
  • STL – Jim Bakken 26-yard field goal, 5:47 (STL 23–3)
  • SEA – Sam McCullum 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn 3:52 (Don Bitterlich kick), (STL 23–10)
Fourth quarter
  • STL – Jim Otis 1-yard run (Jim Bakken kick), 14:10 (STL 30–10)
  • SEA – Sam McCullum 72-yard pass from Jim Zorn 13:50 (Don Bitterlich kick), (STL 30–17)
  • SEA – Jim Zorn 8-yard run (Don Bitterlich kick), 5:09 (STL 30–24)
Top passers
  • STL – Jim Hart: 15/23, 180 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
  • SEA – Jim Zorn: 17/37, 292 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
  • STL – Jim Otis: 27 car, 140 yds, 1 TD
  • SEA – Andy Bolton: 12 car, 37 yds
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • STL – 175 – 281 – 456 – 2
  • SEA – 279 – 73 – 352 – 3

The Seahawks played their first game in team history on September 12, 1976, hosting the St. Louis Cardinals at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington. The Cardinals took a 3–0 lead after Jim Bakken kicked a 28-yard field goal, however, the Seahawks fought back and Don Bitterlich kicked a 27-yard field goal to earn the first points in team history, and to tie the game at 3–3. St. Louis took a 10–3 lead in the second quarter, as Ike Harris caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Jim Hart. The Cardinals then kicked another field goal to take a 13–3 lead into halftime. St. Louis stayed hot in the third quarter, as Pat Tilley caught a 27-yard pass for a touchdown, followed by another field goal by Jim Bakken, as St. Louis took a commanding 23–3 lead. The Seahawks cut into the lead late in the third quarter, as Sam McCullum scored the first touchdown in team history, completing a 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn, as Seattle narrowed the Cardinals lead to 23–10. In the fourth quarter, Cardinals running back Jim Otis scored a one-yard touchdown, as St. Louis took a 30–10 lead. The Seahawks made a late charge in the fourth quarter, as McCullum scored his second touchdown of the game, completing a 72-yard pass from Zorn, to make the score 30–17. Later in the quarter, Zorn had an eight-yard rushing touchdown, as the Seahawks cut the Cardinals lead down to six, 30–24, however, it would be too late, as the Cardinals hung on for the victory.

With the loss, the Seahawks began the season 0–1–0.

Week 2: at Washington Redskins

Week Two: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Redskins – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 0 077
Redskins 7 10 7731

at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C.

  • Date: September 19
  • Game time: 1:05pm local
  • Game weather: clear, 78 °F (26 °C), 68% humidity, wind NW 15 miles per hour (24 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 53,174
  • Referee: Bernie Ulman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Alex Hawkins
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • WAS – Mark Moseley 37-yard field goal, 12:48 (WAS 10–0)
  • WAS – Jean Fugett 12-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick), 2:29 (WAS 17–0)
Third quarter
  • WAS – Mike Thomas 10-yard pass from Billy Kilmer (Mark Moseley kick), 8:20 (WAS 24–0)
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 103 – 102 – 205 – 3
  • WAS – 155 – 273 – 428 – 3

The Seahawks played their first ever road game in week two, as they traveled across the country to Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Redskins. Washington opened the season with a 19–17 win over the New York Giants in the first week of the season. The Redskins opened the scoring in the first quarter, as Mike Thomas rushed for five yards into the Seahawks' end zone to give Washington a 7–0 lead. In the second quarter, Redskins kicker Mark Moseley kicked a 37-yard field goal to make the score 10–0. Jean Fugett then completed a 12-yard pass from Billy Kilmer to give the Redskins a 17–0 lead heading into halftime. In the third quarter, Mike Thomas earned his second touchdown of the game, as he caught a 10-yard pass from Kilmer to increase the Redskins lead to 24–0. The Seahawks got on the board in the fourth quarter, as Don Testerman rushed one yard into the end zone to cut Washington's lead to 24–7, however, the Redskins Frank Grant caught a five-yard pass from Kilmer, as Washington won the game easily by a 31–7 score.

Seattle fell to 0–2–0 with the loss.

Week 3: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Three: Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
49ers 17 14 0637
Seahawks 7 0 7721

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • SF – Gene Washington 15-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 12:05 (SF 24–7)
  • SF – Willie McGee 52-yard pass from Jim Plunkett (Steve Mike-Mayer kick), 1:05 (SF 31–7)
Third quarter
  • SEA – Hugh McKinnis 1-yard run (Don Bitterlich kick), 1:20 (SF 31–14)
Fourth quarter
  • SEA – Steve Largent 6-yard pass from Jim Zorn (Don Bitterlich kick), 7:37 (SF 31–21)
  • SF – Steve Mike-Mayer 45-yard field goal, 2:30 (SF 34–21)
  • SF – Steve Mike-Mayer 31-yard field goal, 1:00 (SF 37–21)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SF – 239 – 142 – 381 – 1
  • SEA – 291 – 130 – 421 – 3

The Seahawks returned home for the third week of the season, as they faced the San Francisco 49ers, who had a 1–1–0 record during their first two games. The 49ers took control of the game early, as in the first quarter, kicker Steve Mike-Mayer had a 45-yard field goal to give San Francisco a 3–0 lead. The Niners then took a 10–0 lead when Ralph McGill ran back a 50-yard punt return. Gene Washington completed a 38-yard pass from quarterback Jim Plunkett to give the 49ers a 17–0 lead in the first quarter. The Seahawks Hugh McKinnis had a one-yard rush into the 49ers' end zone to cut San Francisco's lead to 17–7 at the end of the quarter. The 49ers took a 24–7 lead when Washington caught his second touchdown completion of the game in the second quarter, followed by a 52-yard touchdown completion by Willie McGee as San Francisco had a 31–7 lead going into halftime. In the third quarter, McKinnis rushed for his second touchdown of the game to cut the 49ers lead to 31–14. In the fourth quarter, Seattle continued to come back, as Steve Largent caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn to make the score 31–21. The 49ers Steve Mike-Mayer then kicked two late field goals in the game, as San Francisco won 37–21.

The loss dropped the Seahawks to 0–3–0.

Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Four: Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Cowboys 0 14 7728
Seahawks 7 6 0013

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • DAL – Robert Newhouse 24-yard run (Efren Herrera kick), 1:48 (DAL 21–13)
Fourth quarter
  • DAL – Doug Dennison 1-yard run (Efren Herrera kick), 5:05 (DAL 28–13)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • DAL – Billy Joe DuPree: 5 rec, 77 yds
  • SEA – Don Testerman: 5 rec, 37 yds, 1 TD
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • DAL – 200 – 211 – 411 – 1
  • SEA – 140 – 103 – 243 – 1

The Dallas Cowboys came into the Kingdome for the Seahawks fourth game of the season. Dallas had a record of 3–0 to begin the year. The Seahawks took the lead in the game for the first time in team history in the first quarter when Don Testerman caught a seven-yard touchdown completion from Jim Zorn to give Seattle a 7–0 lead on the undefeated Cowboys. In the second quarter, the Seahawks continued to stun the Cowboys, as Jim Zorn threw his second touchdown completion, this time a four-yard pass to Steve Largent, however, the extra point convert failed, as Seattle took a 13–0 lead. The Cowboys began to comeback, as Drew Pearson caught an eight-yard pass from Roger Staubach for a touchdown to cut the Seahawks lead to 13–7. Dallas then took a 14–13 lead into halftime, as Charley Young caught a 25-yard pass by Staubach for a touchdown at the end of the quarter. The Cowboys scored another touchdown in the third quarter, as Robert Newhouse rushed for 24 yards into the Seahawks' end zone. Dallas put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, scoring their fourth touchdown in a row when Doug Dennison had a one-yard run, as the Cowboys won the game 28–13.

With the loss, the Seahawks record dropped to 0–4–0.

Week 5: at Green Bay Packers

Week Five: Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 13 7020
Packers 7 0 71327

at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  • Date: October 10
  • Game time: 1:07pm local
  • Game weather: hazy, 55 °F (13 °C), 80% humidity, wind SE 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 54,983
  • Referee: Gordon McCarter
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • SEA – Steve Raible 26-yard blocked punt return (John Leypoldt kick), 14:51(Tied 7–7)
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 48-yard field goal, 3:06 (SEA 10–7)
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 44-yard field goal, 0:02 (SEA 13–7)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • GB – Barty Smith 6-yard run (Chester Marcol kick), 7:42 (GB 21–20)
  • GB – Willard Harrell 6-yard run (Chester Marcol kick is no good), 2:42 (GB 27–20)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 169 – 58 – 227 – 2
  • GB – 193 – 187 – 380 – 3

After two home games in a row, the Seahawks were back on the road for the fifth week of the season, as they visited the Green Bay Packers at County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Packers entered the game with a 1–3–0 record. Green Bay opened the scoring in the first quarter, when Barty Smith rushed for a yard into the Seahawks' end zone to give the Packers a 7–0 lead. The Seahawks responded with a big second quarter, as Steve Raible ran back a 26-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown to even the score at 7–7. The Seahawks took a 10–7 lead as John Leypoldt kicked a 48-yard field goal. Leypoldt kicked a second field goal, a 44-yard kick, to give Seattle a 13–7 lead into halftime. In the third quarter, the Seahawks took a 20–7 lead when Ralph Nelson ran for a one-yard touchdown. The Packers cut the lead to 20–14 when Steve Odom caught a 66-yard pass from Lynn Dickey to close out the third quarter. In the fourth, the Packers took a 21–20 lead when Barty Smith ran for a six-yard touchdown. Green Bay scored another touchdown, this time a six-yard rush by Willard Harrell, however, the extra point failed, as the Packers took the lead 27–20, and hung on to win the game.

With the loss, the Seahawks dropped to 0–5–0.

Week 6: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Six: Seattle Seahawks at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 13 0013
Buccaneers 3 0 7010

at Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida

  • Date: October 17
  • Game time: 1:06pm local
  • Game weather: partly cloudy, 80 °F (27 °C), 78% humidity, wind W 8 miles per hour (13 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 43,812
  • Referee: Ben Dreith
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Tom Matte
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
  • TB – Dave Green 38-yard field goal, 7:22 (TB 3–0)
Second quarter
  • SEA – Sam McCullum 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 13:15 (SEA 7–3)
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 25-yard field goal, 1:59 (SEA 10–3)
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 39-yard field goal, 0:18 (SEA 13–3)
Third quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 163 – 90 – 253 – 2
  • TAM – 140 – 145 – 285 – 1

The Seahawks remained on the road for the sixth week of the season, traveling to Tampa, Florida to face their expansion cousins, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers entered the game with a 0–5–0 record. Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the first quarter, when kicker Dave Green connected for a 38-yard field goal to give the Buccaneers a 3–0 lead. In the second quarter, the Seahawks took the lead when Sam McCullum caught a 15-yard pass from Jim Zorn to give the Seahawks a 7–3 lead. Before the quarter was over, Seahawks kicker John Leypoldt had two field goals, to give Seattle a 13–3 lead at halftime. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers cut the Seahawks lead down to three when Morris Owens caught a one-yard pass from Louis Carter to make it 13–10 for the Seahawks. In the fourth quarter, the Seahawks held off the Buccaneers, as Seattle held on for the win, the first in team history.

With the win, the Seahawks improved their record to 1–5–0.

Week 7: vs. Detroit Lions

Week Seven: Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Lions 13 7 14741
Seahawks 0 14 0014

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

  • Date: October 24
  • Game time: 1:08pm local
  • Game weather: indoors
  • Game attendance: 61,280
  • Referee: Cal Lepore
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Johnny Unitas
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
  • DET – Benny Ricardo 25-yard field goal, 9:40 (DET 3–0)
  • DET – Benny Ricardo 44-yard field goal, 1:55 (DET 6–0)
  • DET – David Hill 20-yard pass from Greg Landry (Benny Ricardo kick), 0:15 (DET 13–0)
Second quarter
  • DET – Levi Johnson 70-yard interception return (Benny Ricardo kick), 13:17 (DET 20–0)
  • SEA – Hugh McKinnis 2-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 10:27 (DET 20–7)
  • SEA – Hugh McKinnis 9-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 7:57 (DET 20–14)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • DET – Lem Barney 24-yard interception return (Benny Ricardo kick), 4:03 (DET 41–14)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • DET – Charlie Sanders: 4 rec, 89 yds, 1 TD
  • SEA – Sherman Smith: 7 rec, 93 yds
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • DET – 217 – 152 – 369 – 1
  • SEA – 242 – 97 – 339 – 8

The Seahawks returned home after two consecutive road games, and faced the Detroit Lions, who had a 2–4–0 record in their first six games of the season. The Lions opened the scoring in the first quarter when kicker Benny Ricardo had a 25-yard field goal. Ricardo then kicked a 44-yard field goal to give Detroit a 6–0 lead. The Lions then took a 13–0 lead when David Hill caught a 20-yard pass for a touchdown from quarterback Greg Landry at the end of the first quarter. The Lions stretched their lead to 20–0 when Levi Johnson intercepted a pass from Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn and ran it back 70 yards into the Seahawks' end zone in the second quarter. Seattle cut into the Lions lead when Hugh McKinnis rushed for a two-yard touchdown, to make the score 20–7 for Detroit. Before halftime, McKinnis ran for another touchdown, this time a seven-yard run, to make the score 20–14. The Lions took control of the game in the third quarter when Charlie Sanders caught an eight-yard pass for a touchdown to give the Lions a 27–14 lead. Lawrence Gaines then caught a nine-yard pass for a touchdown as Detroit took a 34–14 lead. In the fourth quarter, the Lions Lem Barney had a 24-yard interception and ran it back for a touchdown, as the Lions won the game 41–14. Jim Zorn threw six interceptions in the game, and in total, the Seahawks had eight turnovers.

With the loss, the Seahawks record dropped to 1–6–0.

Week 8: at Los Angeles Rams

Week Eight: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 3 306
Rams 24 7 01445

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

  • Date: October 31
  • Game time: 1:09pm local
  • Game weather: hazy, 80 °F (27 °C), 68% humidity, wind W 2 miles per hour (3.2 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 52,035
  • Referee: Red Cashion
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Alex Hawkins
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 43-yard field goal, 13:35 (LA 24–3)
  • LA – Harold Jackson 20-yard pass from James Harris (Tom Dempsey kick), 2:09 (LA 31–3)
Third quarter
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 41-yard field goal, 4:17 (LA 31–6)
Fourth quarter
  • LA – Rob Scribner 1-yard rush (Tom Dempsey kick), 8:16 (LA 38–6)
  • LA – Tom Geredine 23-yard pass from Pat Haden (Tom Dempsey kick), 3:06 (LA 45–6)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 144 – 50 – 194 – 2
  • LA – 223 – 206 – 429 – 1

The Seahawks headed back on the road for the eighth week of the season, traveling to Los Angeles to face the NFC West Division leading Los Angeles Rams, who entered the game with a 5–1–1 record. The Rams opened the scoring in the first quarter, when Tom Dempsey kicked a 20-yard field goal to make it 3–0 Los Angeles. The Rams then took a 10–0 lead when Monte Jackson had a 41-yard interception for a touchdown from Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn. Los Angeles took a 17–0 lead when Lawrence McCutcheon had a six-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a touchdown by Ron Jessie as he caught a 15-yard pass from James Harris, giving the Rams a 24–0 lead after the first quarter. The Seahawks broke the shutout in the second quarter, when John Leypoldt was good on a 43-yard field goal attempt to cut the Rams lead to 24–3. Los Angeles took a 31–3 lead into halftime after Harold Jackson caught a 30-yard pass from Harris. In the third quarter, John Leypoldt connected for his second field goal of the game for the Seahawks, making the score 31–6 for the Rams. Los Angeles took a 38–6 lead in the fourth quarter when Rob Scribner rushed for a yard into the Seahawks' end zone. The Rams capped off the scoring when Tom Geredine caught a pass from Pat Haden, giving the Rams the victory by a score of 45–6.

With the loss, the Seahawks record fell to 1–7–0.

Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Nine: Seattle Seahawks vs. Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 3 3713
Seahawks 0 14 16030

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

  • Date: November 7
  • Game time: 1:01pm local
  • Game weather: indoors
  • Game attendance: 57,985
  • Referee: Bob Frederic
  • TV announcers (CBS): Bob Costas and Tom Matte
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
  • no scoring
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • SEA – Safety, Dave Brown tackled Rolland Lawrence in end zone, 12:23 (SEA 16–3)
  • ATL – Nick Mike-Mayer 21-yard field goal, 10:25 (SEA 16–6)
  • SEA – Al Matthews 40-yard interception return (John Leypoldt kick), 8:48 (SEA 23–6)
  • SEA – Sherman Smith 53-yard rush (John Leypoldt kick), 8:12 (SEA 30–6)
Fourth quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
  • ATL – Sonny Collins: 17 car, 100 yds
  • SEA – Sherman Smith: 14 car, 124 yds, 1 TD
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • ATL – 90 – 148 – 238 – 6
  • SEA – 153 – 196 – 349 – 4

The Seahawks returned to Seattle for their ninth game of the season, as they hosted the Atlanta Falcons, who entered the game with a 2–6–0 record. After a scoreless first quarter, the Falcons opened the scoring in the second, when kicker Nick Mike-Mayer was successful on an 18-yard attempt to give Atlanta a 3–0 lead. The Seahawks responded when Sherman Smith caught a 21-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn, as Seattle took a 7–3 lead. The Seahawks upped their lead to 14–3 by halftime, when John McMakin had a 31-yard touchdown reception. In the third quarter, Seahawks cornerback Dave Brown tackled the Falcons Rolland Lawrence in the Falcons' end zone for a safety, giving Seattle a 16–3 lead. Nick Mike-Mayer of the Falcons kicked his second field goal of the game later in the quarter to cut the Seahawks lead to 16–6, however, Al Matthews of the Seahawks intercepted a pass from Falcons quarterback Kim McQuilken and ran it 40 yards into the Falcons' end zone, giving the Seahawks a 23–6 lead. Before the end of the third quarter, the Seahawks added another touchdown when Sherman Smith had a 53-yard rush, as Seattle took a 30–6 lead. Alfred Jenkins of the Falcons scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter, however, the Seahawks won the game 30–13 for their first ever victory at the Kingdome.

With the win, Seattle improved to 2–7–0.

Week 10: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Ten: Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 7 0 7721
Vikings 7 7 6727

at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota

  • Date: November 14
  • Game time: 1:00pm local
  • Game weather: clear, 38 °F (3 °C), 53% humidity, wind SW 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 45,087
  • Referee: Gordon McCarter
  • TV announcers (CBS): JimThacker and Tom Matte
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • SEA – Steve Raible 80-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 12:30 (Tied 14–14)
  • MIN – Fred Cox 43-yard field goal, 9:23 (MIN 17–14)
  • MIN – Fred Cox 39-yard field goal, 0:49 (MIN 20–14)
Fourth quarter
  • SEA – Sam McCullum 7-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 11:19 (SEA 21–20)
  • MIN – Stu Voigt 5-yard pass from Fran Tarkenton (Fred Cox kick), 4:52 (MIN 27–21)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 278 – 108 – 386 – 4
  • MIN – 244 – 180 – 424 – 0

The Seahawks were on the road for their tenth game of the season, as they headed to Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota to face the Minnesota Vikings. It was a very cold day, as the temperature at kickoff was 24 degrees, 16 with the windchill. Heading into the game, the Vikings had a 7–1–1 record. Minnesota took a 7–0 lead in the first quarter when Brent McClanahan rushed for a yard into the Seahawks' end zone. Seattle responded and tied the game at 7–7 when quarterback Jim Zorn rushed 12 yards into the Vikings' end zone. Minnesota re-took the lead in the second quarter when Sammy White caught a 29-yard pass for a touchdown from Fran Tarkenton, giving the Vikings a 14–7 into halftime. Seattle tied the game early in the third quarter, when Jim Zorn threw an 80-yard pass to Steve Raible, making the score 14–14. Vikings kicker Fred Cox broke the tie with a 43-yard field goal to give Minnesota a 17–14 lead, and then connected on a 39-yard attempt before the end of the quarter as the Vikings led the game 20–14. Seattle took their first lead of the game in the fourth quarter when Sam McCullum caught a seven-yard pass from Zorn, as the Seahawks took the lead 21–20. The Vikings avoided the upset though, as Stu Voigt caught a five-yard pass from Tarkenton, giving the Vikings the victory by a score of 27–21.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 2–8–0.

Week 11: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Eleven: Seattle Seahawks vs. New Orleans Saints – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Saints 3 17 28351
Seahawks 6 0 71427

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • NO – Bobby Douglass 1-yard run (Rich Szaro kick), 4:54 (NO 10–6)
  • NO – Bobby Douglass 3-yard run (Rich Szaro kick), 2:02 (NO 17–6)
  • NO – Rich Szaro 36-yard field goal, 0:04 (NO 20–6)
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • SEA – Sherman Smith 1-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 11:19 (NO 48–20)
  • NO – Rich Szaro 21-yard field goal, 4:34 (NO 51–20)
  • SEA – Jim Zorn 7-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 1:49 (NO 51–27)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • NO – 141 – 258 – 399 – 2
  • SEA – 164 – 105 – 269 – 5

The Seahawks returned to the Kingdome for the eleventh week of the season, where they hosted the New Orleans Saints, who came into the game with a 3–7–0 record. Seattle opened the scoring when Sherman Smith had a one-yard rush into the Saints' end zone, however, the extra point failed, as the Seahawks had a 6–0 lead. New Orleans cut the Seahawks lead in half when kicker Rich Szaro had a 46-yard field goal, making the score 6–3 for Seattle. The Saints took full control of the game in the second quarter, as Bobby Douglass had two rushing touchdowns, followed by another field goal by Szaro, as the Saints scored 17 unanswered points to take a 20–6 lead. New Orleans kept coming on strong in the third quarter, as Chuck Muncie had a three-yard rushing touchdown to make it 27–6 for the Saints. Seattle cut into the Saints lead when Steve Largent caught an 11-yard pass from quarterback Bill Munson, making the score 27–13 for New Orleans. The Saints responded with three touchdowns before the end of the quarter, two of them on Seahawks turnovers. The Saints Tom Myers returned a 20-yard fumble into the Seattle end zone to make the score 34–13 for New Orleans. Elex Price then had a 23-yard interception return for a touchdown to give the Saints a 41–13 lead, followed by a Tony Galbreath three-yard run into the Seahawks' end zone to give New Orleans a 48–13 lead after three quarters. In the fourth, the Seahawks Sherman Smith rushed for his second touchdown of the game, as the score was 48–20 for New Orleans. The Saints Rich Szaro kicked his third field goal of the game, this time from 21 yards, as New Orleans went ahead 51–20. Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn had a seven-yard touchdown rush late in the game, making the final score 51–27 for the Saints.

With the loss, Seattle fell to 2–9–0.

Week 12: at New York Giants

Week Twelve: Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 9 0 7016
Giants 0 14 7728

at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 28
  • Game time: 1:06pm local
  • Game weather: cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C), 87% humidity, wind N 10 miles per hour (16 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 65,111
  • Referee: Cal Lepore
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender and Tom Brookshier
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
  • SEA – Sherman Smith 2-yard run (John Leypoldt kick is no good), 5:12 (SEA 6–0)
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 45-yard field goal, 1:54 (SEA 9–0)
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • NYG – Gordon Bell 21-yard run (Joe Danelo kick), 12:36 (NYG 21–9)
  • SEA – Jim Zorn 7-yard run (John Leypoldt kick), 2:01 (NYG 21–16)
Fourth quarter
  • NYG – Ed Marshall 9-yard pass from Craig Morton (Joe Danelo kick), 11:11 (NYG 28–16)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
  • SEA – Sherman Smith: 5 rec, 54 yds
  • NYG – Ed Marshall: 3 rec, 44 yds, 1 TD
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 116 – 128 – 244 – 3
  • NYG – 115 – 164 – 279 – 4

For the twelfth week of the season, the Seahawks traveled across the country to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Seattle faced the New York Giants, who entered the game with a 1–10–0 record. The Seahawks opened the scoring in the first quarter when Sherman Smith had a two-yard rushing touchdown, however, the Seahawks failed in the extra point attempt and took a 6–0 lead. Seattle stretched their lead to 9–0 by the end of the first quarter when John Leypoldt hit a 45-yard field goal. The Giants fought back in the second quarter, as Gary Shirk caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Craig Morton, cutting the Seahawks lead to 9–7. New York then took the lead when Gordon Bell ran for a two-yard touchdown, making the score 14–9 for the Giants at halftime. The Giants struck again to open the scoring in the third quarter, as Gordon Bell rushed for his second touchdown of the game, this time for 21 yards, as New York took a 21–9 lead. The Seahawks replied with their own rushing touchdown, as quarterback Jim Zorn rushed for seven yards into the Giants' end zone, cutting the New York lead to 21–16. The Giants put the game away in the fourth quarter, as Eric Marshall caught a nine-yard touchdown reception, making the final score 28–16 for New York.

The loss dropped the Seahawks to 2–10–0 on the season.

Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears

Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Chicago Bears – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Bears 0 6 21734
Seahawks 0 7 007

at Kingdome, Seattle, Washington

  • Date: December 5
  • Game time: 1:02pm local
  • Game weather: indoors
  • Game attendance: 60,510
  • Referee: Jim Tunney
  • TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Sonny Jurgensen
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
  • no scoring
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • CHI – James Scott 63-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick), 7:29 (CHI 13–7)
  • CHI – James Scott 30-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick), 5:42 (CHI 20–7)
  • CHI – Roland Harper 39-yard pass from Bob Avellini (Bob Thomas kick), 4:38 (CHI 27–7)
Fourth quarter
  • CHI – Randy Burks 55-yard pass from Virgil Carter (Bob Thomas kick), 1:39 (CHI 34–7)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • CHI – 250 – 259 – 509 – 1
  • SEA – 181 – 105 – 286 – 5

The Seahawks final home game of the season was against the Chicago Bears, who entered the game with a 6–6–0 record. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears opened the scoring when Johnny Musso rushed for two yards into the Seahawks end zone, however, Chicago failed on the extra point attempt to take a 6–0 lead. The Seahawks responded with their own touchdown, as John McMakin caught a 14-yard pass from Jim Zorn, giving Seattle a 7–6 lead at halftime. The Bears took control of the game in the third quarter, as James Scott had a 63-yard touchdown reception, followed by a 30-yard touchdown reception, both from quarterback Bob Avellini, giving the Bears a 20–7 lead. Before the quarter was over, Chicago took a 27–7 when Roland Harper had a 39-yard touchdown reception. In the fourth quarter, the Bears went up 34–7 when Randy Burks caught a 55-yard pass for a touchdown from Virgil Carter, as Chicago ended the game scoring 28 unanswered points.

The loss dropped Seattle to a record of 2–11–0.

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Fourteen: Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Seahawks 0 3 0710
Eagles 7 7 10327

at Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Date: December 12
  • Game time: 1:05pm local
  • Game weather: rain, 41 °F (5 °C), 80% humidity, wind NW 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h)
  • Game attendance: 37,949
  • Referee: Chuck Heberling
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Thacker and Sonny Jurgensen
  • Gamebook
Game information

First quarter
Second quarter
  • PHI – Tom Sullivan 1-yard rush (Horst Muhlmann kick), 6:13 (PHI 14–0)
  • SEA – John Leypoldt 24-yard field goal, 3:38 (PHI 14–3)
Third quarter
  • PHI – Horst Muhlmann 33-yard field goal, 6:03 (PHI 17–3)
  • PHI – Charlie Smith 3-yard rush (Horst Muhlmann kick), 2:15 (PHI 24–3)
Fourth quarter
  • PHI – Horst Muhlmann 37-yard field goal, 14:19 (PHI 27–3)
  • SEA – Steve Largent 9-yard pass from Jim Zorn (John Leypoldt kick), 3:53 (PHI 27–10)
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Team – pass – rush – total – to
  • SEA – 226 – 71 – 297 – 3
  • PHI – 142 – 270 – 412 – 0

Seattle headed on the road for the final game of the season, as they faced the Philadelphia Eagles on a cold day at Veterans Stadium. The Eagles entered the game with a 3–10–0 record. Philadelphia scored the lone touchdown in the first quarter, as Tom Sullivan had a four-yard rush into the Seahawks' end zone to give the Eagles a 7–0 lead. In the second quarter, Sullivan rushed for his second touchdown, this time a one-yard rush at the goal line, as Philadelphia took a 14–0 lead. The Seahawks got on the scoreboard when John Leypoldt connected for a 24-yard field goal, as the score was 14–3 for the Eagles at halftime. The Eagles took a 17–3 lead in the third quarter as Horst Muhlmann had a 33-yard field goal, then Philadelphia took a 24–3 lead as Charlie Smith rushed for three yards into the Seattle end zone. In the fourth quarter, Muhlmann had his second field goal of the game, making the score 27–3 for Philadelphia. The Seahawks cut the lead to 27–10, as Steve Largent caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn for the final score of the game.

The loss dropped the Seahawks' record to 2–12–0 for the season.

References

  1. ↑ Neft, Cohen, and Korch. pg. 610
  2. ↑ 1976 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
  3. ↑ 1977 Seahawks Media Guide, accessed February 14, 2015.
  4. ↑ 1976 NFL season results, NFL.com, accessed February 14, 2015.

Sources

  • Neft, David S., Cohen, Richard M., and Korch, Rick. The Complete History of Professional Football from 1892 to the Present. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1994 ISBN 0-312-11435-4
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