Seahawks fans returning to Seattle from London dazzled by the reception they and the team received need to know that 21 years ago, the franchise was about to be toe-tagged, the remains likely sold to swells from Hollywood. After seasons of 7-9, 2-14, 6-10, 6-10, 8-8, 7-9, 8-8 and 7-9, no local rich guy wanted to be within a mile of the stink created by the franchise's cretinous owner, Ken Behring.

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To paraphrase a famous English athlete with jersey number 007, the Raiders were shaken, the Brits were stirred.

In London this week, the Seahawks found two things: A home away from home, and a turning point.

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It's a shame that the Seahawks didn't play the Rams in London. The underground there has a famous visual and audio warning to tube riders about the space between the cars and the station platforms: "Mind The Gap."

Had the Seahawks followed the legendary British admonition at the Clink Sunday, they likely would have delivered the season's first loss to the Rams. If the defense again mishandles the space between the run stoppers and the long-ball defenders Sunday against Oakland at Wembley Stadium, the Seahawks likely will be 2-4.

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To this day, the biggest single difference in the Seahawks from the glory days is the absence of RB Marshawn Lynch. Coach Pete Carroll and management won't admit to that publicly, and there's only eight of his teammates remaining, so the internal eyewitnesses dwindle. But one, WR Doug Baldwin, was willing Tuesday to testify to Lynch's ability to command a field and a locker room.

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Russell Wilson said he suspects the Seahawks are about to turn a corner, but the agonizing 33-31 loss to the undefeated Los Angeles Rams Sunday (box) denied him the pleasure of conclusive evidence. Nevertheless, RG D.J. Fluker made a blunt point about progress that suggests Wilson was closer to the truth than anyone suspected Sunday morning.

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Ten months after Hurricane Ram blew through football Seattle, there's still plywood on the windows, car parts on the side of the road and clothing hanging from trees. But despite the evidence, no Seahawk wants to talk about the damage to their NFC West world.

Asked if the 42-7 beatdown Dec. 17 was a major reason behind the many coaching and player-personnel changes in the off-season, coach Pete Carroll said simply, "No."

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As long as the topic isn't about house secrets or the latest national story about team dissension, Pete Carroll usually has an answer for just about every question. But as to the question of losing to injury the foundational Legion of Boom in a space of 11 games over two seasons, the Seahawks coach offered little but a shrug Monday.

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BY TERRY BLOUNT

As he was carted off the State Farm Stadium field in the fourth quarter Sunday with a broken leg, Earl Thomas gave the one-figure salute to the Seahawks bench, a symbol of all that has gone wrong between the star free safety and the team.

But as the game clock flashed :00, Sebastian Janikowski was mobbed by joyous Seattle teammates, redeeming himself with a game-winning 52-yard field goal on the final play, a hope of what still can go right in 2018.

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“The values to which people cling most stubbornly under inappropriate conditions are those values that were previously the source of their greatest triumphs.” ― Jared Diamond

Pete Carroll and his staff aren't the first and won't be the last sports coaches to speak from both sides of their mouths when it comes to special treatment for superstar athletes. Practice is important, they say, but there's Earl Thomas, helmetless, vowing to stay out of physical contact in practice if he, in his own words, has so much as a headache.

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We pause a moment in the breathless accounting of Earl Thomas's thoughts and deeds to consider another bit of Seahawks preposterousness: Sunday against a solid Dallas defense, they allowed only two sacks of Russell Wilson and had a 100-yard rusher for what is believed to be the first time since Fred Flintstone's rookie year.

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The Seahawks offered up a multi-layered response Sunday to the crappiness of the season's first two weeks, including a run-game renaissance behind a Hobbit-sized backup center. But the 24-13 victory (box) over the remarkably inept Dallas Cowboys shivered in the shadow cast by the latest twists in the saga of FS Earl Thomas.

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As if moving the ball this season wasn't sufficiently difficult, the 0-2 Seahawks officially will be without WR Doug Baldwin (knee) and LG Ethan Pocic (ankle) Sunday, joining LB K.J. Wright on the sidelines for the home opener against the Dallas Cowboys. There's a chance C Justin Britt, listed as questionable, may not play because of a shoulder injured chasing a fumble Sunday in Chicago.

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Over the first two games, the Seahawks have converted 28 percent of their third downs. Not only is that 29th among 32 NFL teams, it's 10 percent less than in 2017, a year so unproductive that in the off-season, coach Pete Carroll trap-doored his top two offensive coaches and drafted a running back in the first round.

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Turns out Chris Carson did not retire at halftime of the Monday night game. Instead,  coach Pete Carroll admitted Tuesday that he mishandled the Seahawks' starting running back. Perhaps it was the football equivalent of losing a baseball pop-up in the lights. Monday night TV, and all.

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Looking at chances for the shorthanded Seahawks against the Bears Monday night, I was reminded of the trenchant mission assessment provided by Dan Aykroyd's character in a parallel bit of cinematic theater set in Chicago, The Blues Brothers.

"There's 106 miles to Chicago," Elwood told John Belushi's Jake as they sat in a car. "We've got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark out, and we're wearing sunglasses."

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The Seahawks' injury list grew this week to include LB Bobby Wagner (groin), who along with LB K.J. Wright (knee) and WR Doug Baldwin (ankle) will not play Monday night in  Chicago. Listed as doubtful after practice Saturday was rookie CB Tre Flowers, who started his first career game last week in Denver, as well as RG D.J. Fluker and reserve FS Delano Hill, all three with hamstring injuries.

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It's rarely a good sign when an NFL team's latest acquisition is addressed by a statement from the league office: “The matter is under review. He is currently permitted to sign and participate in activities including games.”

That's what happens when a team scavenges from the convicted-felons-awaiting-sentencing list for emergency hires.

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On the Seahawks' first scrimmage play at Denver Sunday, the Broncos got to QB Russell Wilson for the first of six sacks. The play was mostly forgotten in the subsequent litany of mistakes and misplays that cost the Seahawks a large road win. But I'm not sure that a first-play sack has happened in the Wilson era.

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As has been said around the Seahawks for years, they can't rely on Will Dissly to carry the team all the time.

Wait. Scratch that. Not even his University of Washington coach, Chris Petersen, said that about his tight end.

It was said about QB Russell Wilson. Was it ever true Sunday in Denver.

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Ahead of the Super Bowl in New York, I asked TE Zach Miller, in his third year as Seahawks tight end after four seasons with the Raiders, what made the Seahawks organization seem different than what he's seen and heard around the NFL.

"No politics," he said. "It's pure competition. Best man wins."

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