RENTON, Wash. - Where others saw discord and dissention, and another Super Bowl champion headed down the path of an early end to their season, Pete Carroll saw a challenge.A challenge not much different from what Seattle went through on its way to the title a season ago. Call it the Seahawks version of the Super Bowl hangover.Theres an obvious effect because youre unique in what youve done, and we addressed it from the first meeting we got back here and ... we figured it out; it just took us a long time, Carroll said. It just took us longer than we would like, but the thing that happened this year just happened in different order than it did last year.After starting the season 3-3, the Seahawks closed with a six-game win streak to finish 12-4 and earn home-field advantage through the playoffs. The Seahawks will host either Detroit, Arizona or Carolina in the divisional round next Saturday.It was a stunning turnaround, considering Seattles pedestrian start to the season and the surprise October trade of Percy Harvin to the New York Jets.I hate to keep going back to last year, but we did win the Super Bowl last year. And through that process at the end of the season when you go through the parade and get the ceremony and get the ring, it makes you forget how hard it was to get to that point, to reach the mountaintop, Seattle wide receiver Doug Baldwin said. I think a lot of that pressure we had at the beginning of the season when we were 3-3 — from the media, from ourselves — we kind of let that feed into the negativity and forgetting that it wasnt easy last year.Seattle has already bucked the recent trend as the first Super Bowl champion to reach the post-season since Green Bay won the NFC North in 2011. That was the first layer of history the Seahawks had to overcome. Now is the chance to be the first team since New England in 2004 to repeat.When I went into this year with the thought that this is a very unique chance at showing that you can handle all of that, Carroll said. Its been difficult for people, and the history of it shows you that its hard to come back and get yourself back into this kind of position again.But being a Super Bowl winner has not equated to post-season success recently for those that have gotten back to the playoffs.The last defending champion to win a post-season game was New England in 2005. The Patriots beat Jacksonville in the wild-card round before being ousted by Denver in the divisional round. Since the Patriots win in 2005, four other defending champions have reached the playoffs. Three were division champions — Indianapolis in 2007; the Giants in 2008; Green Bay in 2011 — who were knocked off at home in the divisional round. New Orleans was a wild-card team in 2010 and lost at Seattle.Thats the next piece of history for the Seahawks to try to overcome.Many have pointed to the trade of Harvin as the turning point for Seattles season. The deal went down on a Friday as the team was leaving for St. Louis, and the Seahawks struggled in the first half of their 28-26 loss to the Rams. In-season trades in the NFL are scarce enough. Even rarer is an elite team giving away a key player rather than acquiring a need.Only four trades were made in-season in 2014, including Harvin being sent to the Jets. New England made a pair of deals, getting linebackers Jonathan Casillas from Tampa Bay and Akeem Ayers from Tennessee. St. Louis acquired safety Mark Barron from Tampa Bay.The only other team in the last three seasons to trade away a starter in-season and make the playoffs the same year was Philadelphia. It sent defensive tackle Isaac Sopoaga to New England in late October 2013.It would be far too simplistic to say Seattles turnaround was tied solely to the Harvin trade, but it did refocus the team offensively. Through the first five games with Harvin on the roster, Seattle averaged 28.2 carries and 149.8 yards rushing per game. In the 11 games after the trade, with the Seahawks relying more on the running of Marshawn Lynch, they averaged 34.9 carries and 183 yards rushing.Not surprisingly, the Seahawks went 9-2.I think we returned to the strength of knowing our guys, how to use them, and how to implement their strengths, Carroll said. We always talk about unique qualities that players have, and we may have lost connection with some of that.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Devante Smith-Pelly Jersey . The Sioux Falls Canaries scored two in the seventh and three more in the eighth to come back from a 3-0 deficit and defeat the Winnipeg Goldeyes 5-3 in front of 6,769 at Shaw Park on Sunday afternoon. John Carlson Jersey . In fact, with a few improvements, this could very well be a decent team over the next few seasons. I will go into more detail when digging into the Canucks Off-Season Game Plan, which will be coming earlier this year since they are part of the non-playoff contingent, there are some reasons to think this is a favourable situation for President of Hockey Operations Trevor Linden and whomever he selects to be the new general manager. http://www.authentichockeyshopcapitals.c...apitals-jersey/. Jones, from Winnipeg, built a 3-0 advantage after three ends by scoring two in the second and one in the third. Chinas skip Bingyu Wang cut that lead to 3-1 in the fourth before Canada added another three in the fifth for a 6-1 lead. Ilya Samsonov Jersey . -- Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been suspended two games for his hit from behind on Kevan Miller of the Bruins. Nathan Walker Jersey . Tortorella told The Vancouver Province hell be cheering for Team Sweden to win gold when they take on the defending Olympic champions on Sunday morning. "I hope Sweden wins, cause I dont think Hammer (Dan Hamhuis) is going to play, judging by whats happened.ATLANTA - Playing in the NFLs only division with no losing records, the Pittsburgh Steelers added another win to their resume.The Atlanta Falcons lost again, but still have a shot in the leagues only division with no winning teams.Ben Roethlisberger threw for 360 yards, LeVeon Bell ran for two touchdowns and the Steelers beat the Falcons 27-20 on Sunday.William Gay returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown for the Steelers (9-5), who remained a half-game behind Cincinnati in the AFC North.The Falcons (5-9) fell out of a first-place tie in the NFC South but would win the division by beating New Orleans and Carolina the next two weeks.For the Steelers, who lost to the lowly Jets and Buccaneers earlier this season, this ranked as a quality win.This was a big win against a division leader, Gay said. Thats something that you try to get in December football.Bell was limited to 47 yards rushing on 20 carries by an Atlanta defence that focused on stopping the run.They did a good job of neutralizing our running game, although we were able to run it in crucial moments, short yardage and goal line, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.The Falcons have a must-win game next week at New Orleans.That is the situation that we are in, Atlanta cornerback Robert McClain said. Obviously, a win today would have put us in better shape but ... we have to get a win next week.Bell had five catches for 72 yards but was denied in his bid to become the first NFL player with 200 total yards in four straight games.It was tough sledding running the ball but that opened up other things, Bell said. They had a lot of guys up front, a lot of guys in the box.Bells second touchdown run, a 13-yarder early in the fourth quarter, gave Pittsburgh a 27-13 lead.The Falcons answered with Matt Ryans 4-yard scoring pass to Roddy White but couldnt prevent the Steelers from running the final 4:34 off the clock. Pittsburgh converted twice on thiird down, the clincher coming on Roethlisbergers 25-yard pass to Heath Miller on third-and-1 from the Atlanta 39.ddddddddddddAnytime you can finish the game with the ball in your hands and not let the other offence get on the field, thats the ideal situation, Miller said.Here are some things to know after the Steelers improved to 5-3 on the road and the Falcons fell to 3-4 at home:RING THE BELL: Bells breakout performance has paid off with the Steelers record for most total yards in a season.Bell passed Barry Fosters mark of 2,034 yards from scrimmage in 1992. He began the day with 1,924 yards. He added 119 yards to lift his season total to 2,043.Bell also set the team record for yards receiving by a Pittsburgh running back. He has 765 for the season. Ray Matthews had the old record with 762 in 1955.REWRITING THE RECORDS: Roethlisberger has 4,415 yards passing, surpassing his previous franchise record of 4,328 in 2009. Antonio Brown had 10 receptions for 123 yards, giving him a franchise-record 115 catches for the year. Hines Ward had 112 receptions in 2002.NO JULIO: Ryan completed 26 of 37 passes for 310 yards, even though he didnt have his top receiver. Julio Jones, who began the day on top of the NFL in yards receiving, was held out with a hip injury.INJURIES: Steelers safety Mike Mitchell returned after leaving with a groin injury. Tomlin said the other injuries were only bumps and bruises. Falcons cornerback Josh Wilson was escorted to the locker room with a hand injury.ROAD-FIELD ADVANTAGE: Steelers fans made up perhaps half of the crowd of 71,161. They showed up early and were waving their yellow towels before kickoff.I love and appreciate the support we get from our fans when were on the road, Tomlin said. Were used to seeing it, but it never gets old.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Charles Odum on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CharlesOdum White NFL Jerseys Cheap Youth NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Stitched NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Discount Jerseys ' ' '