The final shot seemed entirely Seattle's when the Seahawks had a third-and-1 at the Chicago 44 as the two-minute mark approached. A first down, and the Seahawks would need only a couple more positive plays to put Brown in position for another clutch kick.

But not only did running back Shaun Alexander, who had an otherwise substantial game of 108 yards rushing, get stuffed, he was set back on fourth down after Hasselbeck, of all things, fumbled the snap before recovering.

It was yet another unforced error that undercut a good thing.

Then even after the undersized, underrated defense came through with another three-and-out stop, the Seahawks' final possession fizzled after getting a first down at the Bears 45 with 30 seconds left. A down wasted with a clock-stopping spike, a pass to nowhere when Hasselbeck was fooled by the Bears' defensive look, and a third-down coverage sack squandered the last, best chance.

The Bears remain a potent defensive team, but the sequences epitomized a Seattle season compromised by small shortcomings, odd personnel combinations and a general grinding of gears that supplanted the rhythm of last season's run to the Super Bowl.

"Things came easier for us last year," Hasselbeck said. "We got all the good bounces, kicked a number of game-winning field goals, very few guys got hurt, and our offensive line was healthy all season. I felt a lot better last year."

The season was hardly devoid of fortune. It is not unreasonable to suggest the Bears kicked the field goal that a week earlier the Cowboys should have kicked, but didn't, for reasons perhaps better explained in monasteries, synagogues, bars and other places of worship.

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But the arrhythmia of 2006 finally proved fatal in early 2007, however noble may have been the final swordplay. The Bears were, to echo former Arizona coach Dennis Green, who the Seahawks thought they were -- a beatable team. But neither Arizona nor Seattle could prove the point in the showdown moments.

"I knew we believed that we could do this," Hasselbeck said. "It was right there for us."

The consolation prize is that, in spite of the convulsions that ripped the roster all season long, playing two good teams to a playoff standoff says the Seahawks were as good as any team in the NFC.

One more first down, one more field goal, and it would have been Bourbon Street. Instead, well, Chicago has always been a great town for blues.