Sports

<< Previous   of   Next >> Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge) Head coach Jim Mora is still trying to figure out a formula that will turn around the Seahawks, who limped through seven games with a 2-5 record.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, November 6, 2009 Why are Seahawks struggling? Maybe they’re just not very good By John Boyle Herald Writer RENTON — Ever since the Seahawks lost in embarrassing fashion at home to Arizona last month, we’ve been hearing plenty about what isn’t the problem for Seattle, which now sits at 2-5. Lack of Effort? “No. No, there’s not an effort issue with this football team,” Seahawks coach Jim Mora said a day after that loss to the Cardinals. “I would tell you if I felt like there was ... The effort is not an issue. The concentration is not an issue. The commitment is not an issue. These guys are all in, and they’re all rowing in the same direction.” OK, so that’s not the problem. Following the Seahawks’ latest loss, Mora talked about jobs being on the line if players weren’t accountable. Get on board, he warned, or heads will roll. So finger-pointing is the problem, right? It’s a divided locker room? “Absolutely none,” Mora said when asked if there has been finger-pointing on his team. “Absolutely zero. As a matter of fact, I’ve said this and I’ll be consistent in this: there’s been none. These guys are hanging in there and they’re fighting their tails off, and there’s a good attitude. We’ve got to maintain that.” Um, let’s see here. How ’bout injuries? That’s the real culprit, right? Well despite the ridiculous number of starters that have missed games this year, Mora and his players say injuries can’t be an excuse. I’d contend injuries are very much an excuse when — and I’m just throwing out an example here — Kyle Williams (1) and Brandon Frye (3) have twice as many combined starts at left tackle this season than do Walter Jones (0) and Sean Locklear (2). But if Mora wants to say injuries can’t be an excuse, then so be it, we’re crossing that off the list. Mora also has said a certain demonstrative receiver isn’t causing problems within the locker room, that the current systems his coaching staff has in place are proven winners that will work over time, and that he believes the Seahawks will right the ship and fix whatever it is that’s broken. So what the heck is it then? “That’s the billion dollar question,” defensive end Patrick Kerney said. “You or I would be really wealthy men if we had the right answer to that and we’d be in high demand. I only know one formula, and that’s to go out and lock it in even more on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Fridays, practice cleaner and have the confidence to go out Sunday, have that swagger and perform better.” Never mind that Kerney seemed to forget that one person in that conversation — namely Patrick Kerney — already is a really wealthy man. His point is this: if the Seahawks have any hope of turning things around starting this Sunday, it should have started Wednesday. “(Defensive coordinator) Gus Bradley had a great quote,” Kerney said. “He said, ‘Don’t keep pounding a bent nail. Pull it out, hit it straight and do it the right way.’ That’s been the focus this week, more emphasis on walk-throughs and getting things right.” Now, it’s hardly a revolutionary approach for a struggling team to say it needs to practice better, but that seems to truly be the focus of the team this week, especially for a defense that alternates between pitching shutouts and pitching like Carlos Silva. “Well (shoot), we know what it is on D,” safety Deon Grant said. “We’re making too many mistakes. Too many simple mistakes. That’s the problem on D.” And while it seems to make sense for a struggling team to get back to basics and make sure practices are going smoothly, these aren’t steps the Seahawks should have to be taking eight weeks into the season. “It’s sad that the coaches had to take that approach, because the things that we’re going back and paying more attention to detail on is stuff that we’re supposed to be doing in our sleep,” Grant said. “But if that’s what they have to do in order for us to get back to winning and get the mentality of doing things naturally, hey, that’s what it takes.” The Seahawks players as well as their bosses had better hope the solution is as simple as better practice. A win this week against Detroit seems inevitable — in fact the way this season is going, the Seahawks probably will win 35-0 — but the real test will come they resume play on the road in Arizona and Minnesota. For the better part of three weeks, we’ve heard what isn’t wrong. If the Seahawks can’t figure out the solution soon, the only explanation will be that this simply isn’t a very good football team. And maybe after looking so many places for reasons, the answer is as simple as that. Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more Seahawks coverage, check out the Seahawks blog at heraldnet.com/seahawksblog READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Overpaid Atheletes The biggest problem with professional sports is the overpay structure. Some guy making millions per year can play like a junior high kid for the whole game and his salary remains intact leaving no incentive to feel bad about it. If a surgeon that makes tons less money than these primadonnas made as many mistakes as these ball players do he would be fired and in jail. Rich Kruml | Nov 6, 2009 8:30 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

1. Arlington brothers’ fight led to death, police say 2. Detectives consider slaps to father lethal 3. Woman found dead at Bothell house fire 4. Two teens hurt in collision near Granite Falls 5. Lottery win helps Lake Stevens convenience store owner pay bonuses 6. Everett man shot in groin; two men, one woman are arrested 7. I-5 car chase was result of driver's medical condition 8. CBS cancels ‘As the World Turns’ 9. Jail inmates’ meal complaint omits a crucial fact 10. Locker dips toe in NFL pool 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Zambian woman thanks students for their help • Food banks see rise in use • ‘Making Spirits Bright’ in Edmonds • Wolfpack takes aim at state • Seahawks help students smile • 95 and still volunteering • Sno-King joined by local TV king • Veterans back for Wildcats • Lynnwood seeks to plug $2 million budget gap • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million