As I sat watching the final seconds tick off the clock and the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New Orleans Saints I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sensation to call Pete Carroll, congratulate him and then tell him I’m truly sorry for undermining his team.

When I first heard that the ‘Hawks had made the playoffs with a 7-9 record, I was in disbelief. I wondered if the NFL had allowed a Pop Warner team to enter their 2010 playoff system.

But the icing on the cake was when I found out that these ‘Hawks were playing host to the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints.

With weapons such as quarterback Drew Brees, running back Reggie Bush and a admirable defense that made Peyton Manning look like a rookie at times in the Super Bowl, it only seemed fair to call this game a bust as surely the Saints would have what some would call a first round bye.

Sorry.

As I stand corrected by my first weapons choice, I should tell you that the biggest weapon of all was Seattle’s 12^th man. The fans were as rabid as a raccoon with rabies and most were foaming at the mouth for a victory when the cameras scanned the crowd.

But, the most sincere apology I would like to make is to 35-year-old Matt Hasselbeck.

Matt played the game and managed his team under pressure, which everyone is accustomed to seeing from All-Pro quarterback Drew Brees, but hardly anyone believed he could accomplish. The veteran quarterback threw for four touchdowns and only one interception.

When your team has only scored 310 points combined this season and you have given up over 400 points, things don’t seem to favor the first. Although it only matters that you score more than your opponent for that one game which is exactly what the ‘Hawks did.

So, as I sit here humbly today writing my apology e-mail to send to the Seattle Seahawks organization, I vow to not pick against any other 7-9 NFL team for the rest of these 2010 playoffs.

I leave you with this piece of advice; any team can beat another any given Saturday.

Patrick Bryant is the Multimedia Manager for the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald and Gates County Index. He can be reached via email at patrick.bryant@r-cnews.com.