Looking At 2006 In The Rear View Mirror:

After getting robbed in Super Bowl XL, the Seattle Seahawks had a rough ride back to the 2006 playoffs.

It started in the offseason, where the Seahawks didn't cover themselves properly and allowed guard Steve Hutchinson to sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

Then they made a string of moves of their own, such as the signings of Tom Ashworth and Nate Burleson and acquisition of Deion Branch, which had a minimal impact on the team.

The Seahawks clearly didn't have the same rhythm or chemistry on offense last year, particularly when injuries started to pile up.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and league-MVP Shaun Alexander combined to miss 10 games while the front five in front of them struggled to find any sort of continuity.

Injuries ravaged the defense as well as defensive tackle, Marcus Tubbs, who is critical to stuffing the run, was lost to a knee injury after only five games.

In the five that he played, the Seahawks allowed only 82 yards rushing per game. In the games that he missed, that totaled ballooned to 147 yards per game.

But the truth about the Seahawks is that you can pin-point a number of other weaknesses, such as average play at safety, lack of depth at cornerback (evident in playoff game versus Dallas) and inconsistent playmakers on offense (Darrell Jackson and Jerramy Stevens dropped a ton of passes) - and even factoring all of those things in, the Seahawks still pushed the Chicago Bears to overtime in the second round of the playoffs.

While head coach, Mike Holmgren, takes a lot of the credit, the rest of the Seahawks coaching staff is fairly underrated.

Not many teams can go 10 games without their two best offensive weapons - and nine other starters for a total of 48 games - and still venture as far as the Seahawks did - even in the NFC.

Just because they tucked up in the Northwest, there's no need to keep sleeping on this team.

Has The Window Of Opportunity Closed?:

The Seahawks are no longer a group of young sprites on offense, although they do have a good nucleus of young players on defense.

But with Walter Jones hitting 33, Alexander now at age 30 and Hasselbeck to be 32 by the end of September, the three key components on offense are running out of time.

But the good news is none of them are out of their prime.

Jones, even at his age, was rated as the 10th-best player in the league in Peter King's recent Top 500 ranking. Hasselbeck will be fine as quarterbacks are typically in their prime at his age, while Alexander claims to be in the best shape of his career.

On defense, the window is definitely not closed as a young corps should only get better.

The linebacking corps is very strong while Kelly Jennings, Josh Wilson, Brandon Mebane and Darryl Tapp are quality contributors and the future cornerstones.

Losing Tubbs for the season is a huge blow and could derail Super Bowl plans, but Mebane has been a stout run-stuffer in camp, which might serve as a partial solution.

The window is definitely not closed but there are a number of really young players that have to get up to speed quickly before the veterans run out of time.

What Has To Happen To Get Back To The Super Bowl?:

In the NFC, even just on talent alone, the Seahawks are still one of the top units.

For them to get back to where they were, the offensive line has to gel first and foremost.

Rob Sims will try to secure the left guard spot, which was weakened after Hutchinson left. At center, Chris Spencer should be an upgrade. Locklear and Jones have to be the constants, while Gray should be as well, but Ray Willis can fill in if need be.

The talent is definitely there. Now they just need the chemistry and consistency.

If they get it, look for Alexander to be back to running downhill like he did in 2005. Don't forget, he set the regular season touchdown record before LaDainian Tomlinson shattered it last season.

At wide receiver, Deion Branch steps in full-time after Darrell Jackson was traded to San Francisco. It might seem odd that the Seahawks would trade D-Jack to a division rival, but the Seahawks - and their fans - were sick of key dropped passed and contract squabbling. His best days are likely behind him as well and his good days never included a 1200-yard season, so they can live without him.

Branch gives this offense a better threat than they have had in recent years and he's worked overtime with Hasselbeck to develop the chemistry. There is still skepticism as to whether he is a top-flight No. 1 receiver, but he is in an excellent environment to thrive.

Burleson will look to bounce-back after a sluggish first season and has had a good camp along with D.J. Hackett. With Bobby Engram back as well, the Seahawks have enough weapons at wideout, but once again, they need to get consistency.

That last word is also the reason why the Seahawks replaced tight end Jerramy Stevens, who has the talent to be an excellent tight end, with 35-year-old veteran, Marcus Pollard. Pollard is unspectacular, but he is far more reliable with his hands.

There is a lot the Seahawks have to put together, but when you consider that a lot of their pieces (Sims, Branch, Burleson, Hackett) were being groomed last year, it wouldn't be a surprised if this offense was fully clicking by mid-season.

On defense, the Seahawks only had 11 sacks in the second half of the season and addressed that problem by signing end Patrick Kerney. He'll also help shore up their run defense a little bit.

With Kerney, Bryce Fisher and Darryl Tapp and now Jason Babin, who led the Houston Texans in sacks last year, the Seahawks have a pretty good rotation at defensive end.

The key, though, is in the middle, where the Seahawks were gashed on the ground down the stretch of the season. The Seahawks have to be better and although Brandon Mebane will help, they need more than just him.

In the secondary, the only returning starter is Marcus Trufant but the unit as a whole should undoubtedly be better. Deon Grant and Brian Russell were very under-the-radar signings but will make this unit a whole lot better. Grant is a stud while Russell is the definition of dependable. Depth at corner is still a concern; beyond Wilson, there isn't much.

If the Seahawks can figure out how to slow the run, this defense should be a top-10 unit. And if the offense can assimilate the new pieces, there is not reason why this team won't be back competing in the NFC title game.

Biggest Weakness: Offensive Continuity/Chemistry: The offensive line and wide receivers have to rebuild the chemistry that was the foundation of their 2005 success.

Offensive X-Factor: Shaun Alexander: The o-line will be respectable this season after a year off. He says he is in the best shape of his career but he has to prove it on the field.

Defensive X-Factor: Defensive Tackles: The Seahawks need to stop the run somehow and losing Tubbs in a meaningless pre-season game is a back-breaker. They need to find a solution.

Fantasy Market: Buy Low

Deion Branch offers pretty good value considering where he is being drafted in comparison to other No. 1 wide receivers. Clearly, he is unproven in this offense but when they are a go on full cylinders, the Seahawks attack is among the best in the NFL. He has had a full offseason to work with the offense and has plenty of extra time working with Hasselbeck to develop the timing.

"Vegas" Dave Golokhov hosts "Hardcore Fantasy" on Hardcore Sports Radio, channel 186 on Sirius Satellite Radio. Catch it weekly on Saturdays at 12:00 PM ET.