The Seahawks shocked many NFL fans by knocking off the New Orleans Saints, the Super Bowl defending champions, over the weekend.

It’s even more surprising when you consider the talent they have shipped or lost to Detroit in the last two seasons.

When left guard Rob Sims was traded to Detroit from Seattle in the offseason he marveled at how thrilled he was to get back to football country. After all, in Seattle all they do is drink coffee. OK, drink coffee and win wild card playoff games.

Sims is one of seven Lions on the roster who came to Detroit either in a trade or signed with the Lions as a free agent out of Seattle in the past two years.

Along with Sims, they include: WR Nate Burleson (free agent 2010), RB Maurice Morris (free agent 2009), TE Will Heller (free agent 2009), DE Lawrence Jackson (trade 2010), LB Julian Peterson (traded 2009) and QB Zac Robinson who was picked up off waivers in November to provide backup for the Lions’ injured quarterbacks.

It’s quite a connection.

Lions general manager Martin Mayhew traces it back to Tim Ruskell, the Seahawks general manager who resigned toward the end of the 2009 season and is now the Bears’ director of player personnel.

Ruskell and Mayhew had worked together in Tampa.

“We liked the same kind of players,’’ Mayhew said.

No doubt.

(Follow me on Twitter @PaulaPasche.)