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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Sunday's game Seahawks at Buffalo Bills When: 10 a.m., Sunday Where: Orchard Park, Buffalo TV: FOX (Ch. 13) Radio: KIRO (710 AM)   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, September 7, 2008 Opener is big ... but not that big The Seahawks say they know a loss today doesn't mean a wasted season and a win doesn't necessarily guarantee a playoff spot. By Scott M. Johnson Herald Writer BUFFALO -- And so it begins. Let this not be the day when it all comes to an end. For fans in almost every NFL city, today marks the day when life begins in ecstasy … or agony. Thirteen of the teams that open play today will have the unbridled optimism of the unbeaten, while the other 13 may well feel like the sky is falling. "The fact of the matter is, after the first week, half of the teams in the league will have lost," Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. "Do they take their ball and go home? No. It happens." While the first game of the season doesn't necessarily dictate the weeks to come -- four of the last seven Super Bowl champs lost their opener, and the 2005 Seahawks suffered a Week 1 loss in their most historic season -- the importance of getting off on the right foot is not lost on the players. "If you're playing in this sport or competing in anything, you don't want to start off losing," Seahawks safety Deon Grant said. "It's the most important game because it's the first game. But next week, the second game will be the most important game because it's the next one. "It's definitely important for us to come out and get a win." The Seahawks will face the Buffalo Bills today in a battle of optimistic teams. One of them will spend the next week feeling as if eight months of work have paid off, while the other will go back to the drawing board. What players and coaches have to keep in mind is that today's game, no matter how it looks one way or the other, is only the beginning. "It's a long season," said Walter Jones, the Seahawks' Pro Bowl left tackle. "One game isn't going to decide the season." For proof, Jones can take a few lessons from his own past. The Seahawks' 1999 team started with a thud when the Detroit Lions spoiled Holmgren's debut with a 28-20 win at the Kingdome. That Seattle team bounced back by winning eight of its next nine games on the way to the franchise's first playoff appearance in 12 years. Then there was 2005, which saw the Seahawks open with a 26-14 loss at Jacksonville but finish with a franchise-record 13 regular-season victories and a first-ever trip to the Super Bowl. So losing the first game of the season is certainly not the beginning of the end. "We have 16 games," Grant said. "You can count on your hand how many teams went undefeated the whole year. This game will be a real test, and hopefully we can have a great start to the season. But you can't come away discouraged if we do come away with a loss." Today's game against Buffalo has added pressure in that the Seahawks have struggled in road games over the years. The defense, in particular, was a shell of itself in road games last season. Holmgren said that coaches spent most of the offseason identifying the reason for that, and they believe they have found the source. "What we found was that, on the road when we got shocked, it took us awhile to recover," he said. Holmgren has also altered the road-trip schedule a bit, giving the players a later curfew on Friday nights. In today's opener, the stakes will be even higher because the Bills are playing their first game in front of the home fans. "I've always said that it's very difficult to go 2-0 in this league, because that means you have to spoil someone's home opener," Seahawks defensive end Patrick Kerney said. "Teams come out of the box in that home opener wanting to put their best foot forward in front of the fans." The Seahawks hope to put their best foot forward as well -- the right foot, that is. "When you're 1-0, and you're undefeated, your fans think you're the best thing ever," Kerney said. "But the mentality you have to have is that, despite all that attention from the fans and the media, you're never as good or as bad as they say. That way, you're either going to get complacent, or you're going to be too hard on yourself. "I always say that the difference between a Super Bowl champion and the worst team in the league is only an inch when people make it out to be a mile." So a loss won't necessarily be devastating to the Seahawks or Bills today. It will only be a one-week setback. "Good teams do lose their opener," Holmgren said. "The first game is a different game. You don't know the team very well. "Having said all that, it's important for us to get off to a good start." READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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