FanHouse

The Seattle Seahawks' 20-6 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wasn't easy. The Bucs got off to an early 6-0 lead, were ahead until late in the second quarter, and were still very much in the game into the fourth.

But the Seahawks looked like real playoff contenders, and the Bucs looked like a team that should be heading toward rebuilding mode. Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had a very good game, completing 17 of 24 passes for 222 yards, with no turnovers, and Shaun Alexander had 105 yards on 27 carries. The sweetest play of the day was Hasselbeck's 34-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Morris. That one sealed the game in the fourth quarter.

As for Tampa Bay: Cadillac Williams got off to a solid start but missed the second half with a rib injury, and Jeff Garcia missed two series with what was euphemistically described on TV as "having his bell rung." When Garcia was playing, he dinked and dunked his way to a bunch of short completions without doing anything spectacular. When Garcia left, Luke McCown took over and completed one of four passes.

So it appears, based on one game, that both the Bucs and the Seahawks are who we thought they were. The Seahawks can further validate that belief next week with a win over the Cardinals, and the Bucs will take on the Saints next in a game that, for the loser, will set up a long year in the NFC South.