Seahawks' sense of urgency on the rise

RENTON — One win won't save Seattle's season.

It's going to take more than four quarters of work for the Seahawks to dig their way out of this 1-3 hole.

But the Seahawks have a lot to lose when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars today at Qwest Field.

"We've all got a sense of urgency," receiver Deion Branch said. "And I know you've been hearing this all week. That's because it's that serious."

The trajectory of a season hangs in the balance. A victory ensures Seattle a chance of getting back to even ground, at 3-3, by the end of October. A loss, however, would leave the Seahawks hip-deep in a four-game losing streak and staring at a schedule in which four of the next five games are on the road.

"We need a win," wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "I wouldn't say it's a must-win, because every game is a must-win. But we can't afford to lose."

This isn't a game, it's a line in the sand. Seattle can't go any further backward without suffering a terminal blow to its playoff hopes.

It's a game so important that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is playing despite a rib injury so painful he couldn't even throw a football on Monday. Six days later, he's expected to start against the Jaguars (2-2).

Earlier this year, coach Jim Mora stood in front of his team and asked the players what they would be willing to sacrifice individually for the collective accomplishments of the team. When this week began, he asked the question again.

Hasselbeck's presence at practice this week provided the answer at Seattle's most important position.

"Sometimes you just got to find a way, even if you don't know how," Hasselbeck said.

The quarterback returns to an offense that has scored just three touchdowns in the past 10 quarters after losing him to a fractured rib.

This is a game fit for a number of adjectives. Urgent, important, crucial — they all work.

The Seahawks play a Jacksonville team that started 0-2 but has scored more points with each successive game.

Seattle's season has come to a breaking point after last week's loss in which the Seahawks trailed the Indianapolis Colts by 31 points before scoring a touchdown, and appeared to sag emotionally on both sides of the ball.

"We didn't have the energy we needed to have and the emotion we needed to have," linebacker Will Herring said. "We have another chance to prove ourselves."

But a glance at the schedule shows those opportunities are running out.

"Right now, this day, this time, Jacksonville is the most important game," Branch said.

It could be Seattle's first step back from a ragged start, or it could be a final blow to the hopes of being .500 before the gauntlet that is the November schedule.

A win might not be enough to save the season, but a loss would go a long way toward sinking what hopes remain for a turnaround.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com