Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, September 19, 2008

Seahawks smart to lock Mora up early

By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer

 Who knows how good a coach Jim Mora will be? His only stint as an NFL head coach, with the Atlanta Falcons was a bipolar affair that saw an impressive first year get overshadowed by some serious dysfunction over the final two.

What is known is that the Seattle Seahawks like him. Enough to sign the Interlake High School and University of Washington graduate to a future head coaching contract before his predecessor even left town.

And as far as the Seahawks are concerned, thanks goodness they did.

Several NFL teams will be looking for head coaches in the near future. And by near, we might mean Monday morning.

Reports out of Oakland are that Lane Kiffin is on his way out. If the Seahawks beat St. Louis this Sunday, Rams coach Scott Linehan might also get the ax. That's two openings, and two potential phone calls to Mora's cell phone that can't be made now that his future is settled.

It's no guarantee that either the Raiders or Rams would have inquired about Mora's services if he were available, but his resume does have some elements of temptation. He's shown the ability to turn around a franchise, having inherited a 5-11 Falcons team and taken it to the NFC Championship game the following year. He's still young -- at 46 -- and has more head coaching experience at this level than the Jason Garretts and Urban Meyers of the football world.

In a sport that is obsessed with hot seats, football has plenty of singed tails already. Linehan isn't the only coach reeling from an 0-2 start. Marvin Lewis, Herm Edwards, Rod Marinelli and Brad Childress might not be sleeping well right about now. Wade Phillips is a playoff loss away from losing his job, and Jon Gruden's tush has been on fire for two or three years.

If Mora was out there, his name would be a popular one right about now.

The most interesting part is that the team that might need Mora most come next season is the Seahawks. As much as Holmgren has done for this franchise, and this city, the time might be ripe for a change. Some of the team's stars are either gone (Shaun Alexander, Mack Strong, Chris Gray) or aging (Bobby Engram, Walter Jones), and the 2008 season appears to tearing apart at the seams -- or, at least, the knee ligaments.

This isn't to say that the Seahawks would be better off with Mora guiding the ship this season. Many of the problems that have plagued the team are either injury-related, youth-related or on the defensive side of the ball. You could make an argument that Holmgren is as at-fault for the 0-2 start as Sarah Palin is.

But Holmgren is 60, and the team could be on the verge of a serious transition. The 0-2 start might not be reason for panic, but the upcoming schedule is. After Sunday's likely win against the Rams -- and, trust us, if the Seahawks lose that one, there might be some fans calling for the Mora Era to begin sooner rather than later -- Seattle has a series of opponents that could leave the Seahawks feeling like road kill.

The Seahawks follow their Sept. 28 bye with -- in order -- a road game against the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, a home date with unbeaten Green Bay, a road trip to Tampa Bay to face a third consecutive playoff team, a trip to San Francisco for a rematch with the team that just beat them, and then a home date with the Philadelphia Eagles. While the team should have Engram and Branch back for those games, it might not be enough for the Seahawks to still be in serious playoff contention.

Had it not been for the Seahawks' decision to lock up Mora last winter, they could be nearing a precarious decision of when to pull the plug and find the future. Even if Mora was still on the staff, he'd probably be fielding offers from other teams looking for a head coach. This way, the Seahawks' future is already in his hands.

Time will tell whether that's a good or bad thing. But at least the Seahawks, unlike most of this town's other high-profile teams, have a direction.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA