Editing Seattle Seahawks (section)

==== Mike Holmgren years (1999–2008) ====
[[File:Matt Hasselbeck (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|247x247px|[[Matt Hasselbeck]] played as the Seahawks quarterback from 2001 to 2010 and led the team to six postseason appearances and a [[Super Bowl XL|Super Bowl]] appearance.]]
In [[1999 Seattle Seahawks season|1999]], [[Mike Holmgren]] was hired as head coach.<ref name="d978">{{cite web | last=Litsky | first=Frank | title=PRO FOOTBALL; Seahawks Make Holmgren Top Paid | website=The New York Times | date=1999-01-09 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/09/sports/pro-football-seahawks-make-holmgren-top-paid.html | access-date=2024-07-30}}</ref> He would coach for 10 seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mike Holmgren Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/HolmMi0.htm |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The Seahawks won their second division title, as well as a wild card berth in the playoffs, losing to the [[1999 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins]] 20–17.

In [[2002 Seattle Seahawks season|2002]], the Seahawks returned to the [[NFC West]] as part of an NFL realignment plan that gave each conference four balanced divisions of four teams each. This realignment restored the AFC West to its initial post-merger roster of original [[American Football League|AFL]] teams [[Denver Broncos|Denver]], [[San Diego Chargers|San Diego]], [[Kansas City Chiefs|Kansas City]], and [[Oakland Raiders|Oakland]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Farmer |first1=Sam |title=NFL Votes to Realign in 2002 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-23-sp-1400-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=December 31, 2019 |date=May 23, 2001}}</ref> That same year, the team opened its new home stadium, Seahawks Stadium, after spending the last two seasons at Husky Stadium after the Kingdome's implosion in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gabel |first1=Sue |title=History of Tailgating in Seattle |url=https://seattle.cbslocal.com/2012/12/30/history-of-tailgating-in-seattle/ |publisher=CBS Seattle |access-date=December 31, 2019 |date=December 30, 2012 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231070541/https://seattle.cbslocal.com/2012/12/30/history-of-tailgating-in-seattle/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[2005 Seattle Seahawks season|2005 season]], the Seahawks had their best season in franchise history (a feat that would later be matched in 2013) with a record of 13–3,<ref name="KitsapSun">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Scott M. |title=Home Cooking, Northwest Style |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2005/12-25/85717_home_cooking__northwest_style.html |website=Kitsap Sun |access-date=December 31, 2019 |date=December 25, 2005 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231070543/https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/2005/12-25/85717_home_cooking__northwest_style.html |url-status=live }}</ref> which included a 42–0 rout of the [[2005 Philadelphia Eagles season|Philadelphia Eagles]] in a ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' game.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Defensive Showcase, Seahawks Rout Eagles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/06/sports/pro-football-in-defensive-showcase-seahawks-rout-eagles.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=December 31, 2019 |agency=Associated Press |date=December 6, 2005 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231070540/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/06/sports/pro-football-in-defensive-showcase-seahawks-rout-eagles.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The 13–3 record earned them the number one seed in the NFC.<ref name="KitsapSun"/> They defeated the [[2005 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] in the Divisional Round and won the [[NFC Championship Game]] against the [[2005 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers]], but lost in [[Super Bowl XL]] against the [[2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season|Pittsburgh Steelers]]. The loss was controversial; NFL Films has Super Bowl XL at number 8 on its top ten list of games with controversial referee calls.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d8187af4c/Top-10-controversial-calls |title=Top 10 controversial calls |work=NFL.com |date=June 3, 2010 |access-date=August 10, 2013 |archive-date=October 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006162016/http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-total-access/09000d5d8187af4c/Top-10-controversial-calls |url-status=live }}</ref> Referee Bill Leavy later admitted that he missed calls that altered the game.<ref>{{cite web|title=NFL ref admits mistakes in Super Bowl|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=5444048|website=ESPN.com| date=August 7, 2010 |publisher=August 7, 2010|access-date=November 17, 2017}}</ref> Before 2005, the Seahawks had not won a playoff game since the [[1984–85 NFL playoffs|1984 season]], a streak of 21 years (five teams had ever had a drought of twenty years [[List of NFL franchise post-season droughts#Most consecutive post-season losses in team history|at the time]], with their six straight losses being tied for third-most in history). That drought was ended with a 20–10 win over the [[Washington Redskins]] in the [[2005–06 NFL playoffs|2005 playoffs]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jenkins |first1=Lee |title=Streak of Futility Is Put to Rest |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/sports/football/streak-of-futility-is-put-to-rest.html |access-date=December 31, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=January 15, 2006 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231072048/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/sports/football/streak-of-futility-is-put-to-rest.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 2006 season, the Seahawks finished 9–7 and won the NFC West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2006 Seattle Seahawks Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/2006.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The defeated the Dallas Cowboys 21–20 in the Wild Card Round before losing to the Chicago Bears 27–24 in the Divisional Round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wild Card - Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks - January 6th, 2007 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200701060sea.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears - January 14th, 2007 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200701140chi.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> In the 2007 season, the Seahawks finished 10–6 and won the NFC West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007 Seattle Seahawks Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/2007.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The team defeated Washington in the Wild Card Round 35–14 before losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round 42–20.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wild Card - Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks - January 5th, 2008 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200801050sea.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Divisional Round - Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers - January 12th, 2008 |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200801120gnb.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> The 2008 season saw the team go 4–12 and finish third in the NFC West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2008 Seattle Seahawks Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/2008.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Holmgren departed from the team after the [[2008 Seattle Seahawks season|2008 season]], following the end of his contract.<ref name="k183">{{cite web | last=Bell | first=Gregg | title=Exiting Holmgren keeps promise to family | website=Spokesman.com | date=2008-12-25 | url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/dec/25/exiting-holmgren-keeps-promise-to-family/ | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> Defensive backs coach [[Jim L. Mora]] was named as Holmgren's successor.<ref name="x662">{{cite web | title=Mora will replace Holmgren | website=Spokesman.com | date=2008-02-07 | url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2008/feb/07/mora-will-replace-holmgren/ | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> [[2009 Seattle Seahawks season|In 2009]], the Seahawks finished 3rd in the NFC West with a 5–11 record.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2009 Seattle Seahawks Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/sea/2009.htm |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> Shortly after, Mora was fired on January 8, 2010 <ref name="r449">{{cite web | last=Mortensen | first=Chris | title=Seahawks fire coach Mora; Carroll courted? | website=ESPN.com | date=2010-01-08 | url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=4808557 | access-date=2024-08-05}}</ref> and [[Pete Carroll]] was hired.