With the Seahawks headed to Minnesota this weekend to face the Vikings Sunday, here's a blast from the past between these two teams.
Shaun Alexander won the NFL's MVP award in 2005 with 1,880 yards rushing and a then-NFL record 28 total touchdowns.
Something Alexander did three years earlier may be even cooler.
The Seahawks were playing their second game at the newly-built Seahawks Stadium, hosting the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 29, 2002. Alexander ran the ball for 139 yards in that game and caught three passes for 92 yards. Both impressive, but not legendary.
What stood out is Alexander scored five touchdowns – all in the first half. It started with a two-yard touchdown run and a 20-yard scoring run by halfway through the first quarter.
With 3:09 to go before halftime, Seattle had a seven point lead, the ball at their own 20-yard line, and the game remained in doubt approaching halftime.
Then this happened:
On a one-play drive, Alexander caught a short pass from Trent Dilfer, dodged a couple defenders and went all the way for an 80-yard touchdown.
Vikings receiver Nick Davis fumbled the ensuing kickoff after being hit by Seahawks linebacker Tim Terry. Seattle recovered at the Minnesota 29. Three plays later, Alexander ran three yards for the touchdown.
On the ensuing kickoff, Vikings receiver D'Wayne Bates fumbled the kickoff – again forced by Terry – and Seattle recovered at the Vikings' 14-yard line.
Alexander ran all those 14 yards on the next play for his fifth touchdown of the half.
It took 77 seconds from the time the ball was snapped to Dilfer on that touchdown pass to the last of those three Alexander touchdowns.
"I don't know if it was adrenaline," Alexander said after the game. "You know when everyone's watching, your mom and dad, your friends in high school who thought they were better than you. You get your chance to get in the spotlight and shine."
And the bleeding continued for the Vikings before the first half ended. Duante Culpepper was intercepted by Reggie Tongue who returned it 46 yards for the score. Seattle had scored 28 points in less than two minutes and extended its halftime lead to 44-10.
Seattle went conservative for most of the second half on the way to a 47-23 win.
The five touchdowns in one half remains an NFL record.
