A Season Goes Bad in Seattle : Pro football: Fading Seahawks 6-8 as they play Raiders, who could clinch a playoff berth by winning today.

Sixteen weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks began the season as one of the promising young teams in the NFL. They featured a promising quarterback, Rick Mirer, who seemed poised to realize his potential in his second NFL season; a promising superstar, running back Chris Warren, who seemed ready to challenge for the rushing title after consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, and enough other promising talent to make a serious run at their first playoff berth in six years.

The Seahawks made good on that promise for the first two weeks, winning their first two games, one a 38-9 victory over the Raiders at the Coliseum.

Sixteen weeks into the season, however, the number 16 is a painful reminder of another year of unfulfilled promise and shattered dreams for the AFC West’s long-struggling franchise. Going into tonight’s game against the Raiders in the Seattle Kingdome, Seattle has lost 16 players to injury, 10 of them starters. The Seahawks no longer resemble a contender. They look more like a team trying to make it through the season.

Yet the physical pain pales in comparison to the mental anguish that has engulfed this club in the wake of the car accident 2 1/2 weeks ago that left defensive tackle Mike Frier paralyzed with a broken back, Warren with two cracked ribs and running back Lamar Smith with a chip fracture in his neck and an ankle injury.

Still, with all their problems, the Seahawks, inspired by Warren, managed to pull out a 16-14 victory last week over the Houston Oilers, running their record to 6-8. Warren, fighting to breath, wincing on every hit, rushed for a career-high 185 yards and dived into the end zone for a touchdown.

“You dedicate yourself to doing the best you can, and play for the others that can’t,” Seattle Coach Tom Flores said.

“I’m not a long pep-talk guy. But you have to just point out the issues and point out the facts and depend on some of your leaders to motivate and go on with business. Even though business isn’t as usual sometimes, you have to go on with it.

“Regardless of the tragedy, when your expectations haven’t reached what you thought they were, it can be a down time. We have a very young team. . . . They need guidance. We try to keep everything in house and not panic.”

The other major figures missing:

--Cornerback Nate Odomes, a projected starter who had knee surgery in June.

--Guard Mitch Frerotte, who suffered a neck injury in training camp.

--Cornerback Patrick Hunter, who suffered a torn hamstring in Week 3.

--Guard Bill Hitchcock, who injured his back in Week 6.

--Tight end Ferrell Edmunds, who was sidelined because of bulging back disks in Week 8.

--Defensive end Brent Williams, who suffered a sprained knee in Week 11.

--Cornerback Carlton Gray, who suffered a broken arm in Week 12.

--Mirer, who suffered a broken thumb in Week 14.

--Offensive tackle Ray Roberts, who suffered a broken leg in Week 15.

--Free safety Eugene Robinson, who suffered a torn Achilles’ tendon in Week 15.

The key replacement will be at quarterback, where Dan McGwire is filling in for Mirer, who passed for three touchdowns against the Raiders.

The 6-foot-8, 240-pound McGwire was a first-round draft choice of the Seahawks from San Diego State. Yet three years later, he is still best known as the brother of first baseman Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics. Injuries, inconsistency and the arrival of Mirer limited McGwire to only five games in his first three seasons.

This year, he had thrown only four passes in the regular season until Mirer was injured in the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. Relieving Mirer in that game, McGwire completed 15 of 24 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, with one interception.

But in getting the start last week against the Oilers, McGwire struggled, completing only eight of 17 passes for 95 yards and no touchdowns.

“He didn’t have that impressive a day as far as throwing the ball,” Flores conceded.

If McGwire is not the answer, it would appear the Seahawks’ best chance for victory would be to stay on the ground with Warren, cracke ribs and all.

But in doing so, Seattle will be running into the strength of the Raiders. Their run defense has been the most impressive part of a defensive unit that ranks second in the AFC behind the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Whatever their problems, the Seahawks will get no sympathy from the Raiders (8-6), who were struggling with an injured quarterback of their own in Jeff Hostetler when these teams last met, but have rebounded so well that they can clinch a playoff berth today with a victory if the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Oilers.

And, despite their early struggles, the Raiders are still alive in the race for the AFC West title, needing victories in their final two games, coupled with losses by the San Diego Chargers in their last two games.

Hostetler denied he had arm problems in the first two games this season, but team sources insist he did. Whatever his problems, he couldn’t seem to throw a spiral against Seattle, winding up with three interceptions in one of his worst performances of the season.

Whatever was troubling him then, Hostetler is back in form and the Raiders arrive at the Kingdome with only safety Eddie Anderson questionable among the starters. He has a groin pull.

One starter questionable?

The Seahawks haven’t had it that good since summer.