KIRKLAND – Those Monday meetings were getting monotonous.
The players would file in, slap each other on the backs and wait for the inevitable praise from their coaches.
So if nothing else, last Monday’s defensive meeting marked a change in routine. One day after the Seattle Seahawks had suffered a humbling 35-13 loss at Green Bay, coordinator Ray Rhodes gave them another thrashing.
“We got chewed out pretty good,” middle linebacker Randall Godfrey said.
Rhodes, Seattle’s intense new defensive coordinator, tossed in his share of four-letter words to describe the effort he saw in Sunday’s loss. After three games of opportunistic defense, the Seahawks had their first major defensive letdown of the 2003 season.
“If we aren’t getting bitched out, then that means nobody cares,” defensive end Chike Okeafor said. “But did we need that to know that we played like crap? Definitely not. We know what we did, and we know what we’ve got to correct.”
It’s going to take more than a few well-placed f-bombs from Seattle’s foul-mouthed assistant coach to produce a better performance. So the Seahawks are preparing for this Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers with a few changes in store.
Wednesday’s practice provided a few clues, but it was difficult to ascertain what kind of personnel changes might be on tap because five defensive starters were held out due to injuries.
Of that group, cornerback Shawn Springs (shoulder) is the least likely to play, while rookie defensive backs Ken Hamlin (foot) and cornerback Marcus Trufant (knee) are listed as questionable on the injury report. Coach Mike Holmgren said he expects both rookies to play Sunday.
Linebacker Chad Brown (foot) and defensive tackle Norman Hand (toe) also were held out of Wednesday’s practice but aren’t listed on the injury report.
No one is using injuries as an excuse for Sunday’s performance. After stopping Green Bay on the opening drive, the Seahawks gave up touchdowns on five consecutive possessions in what was by far their worst defensive performance of the season.
“It’s like everybody played their bad game on the same day,” Okeafor said. “But teams aren’t going to win all their games. Not that we needed a wake-up call, but sometimes it’s OK to be reminded that you’re not invincible.”
Seattle (3-1) struggled with tackling and didn’t play with the same controlled aggressiveness as it had in the opening three games. While the Seahawks actually out-gained Green Bay 343-336 in total yards, the 35 points were two more than Seattle had allowed in its first three games combined.
“We didn’t play like we know we can play,” defensive tackle Rocky Bernard said. “Some guys came out kind of lackadaisical. You could kind of sense that the focus wasn’t there.”
The big question is whether Seattle’s defensive performance Sunday was a one-game lapse or a precursor of things to come. One school of thought is that perhaps the Packers exposed something by taking advantage of the Seahawks’ all-to-the-ball philosophy.
“In one respect, you get a game like that, and you call it a wake-up call,” Holmgren said. “It’s a wake-up call if you can bounce back and start playing again. If you don’t, then all of a sudden that confidence thing we had going can bite you a little bit.”
One problem that has been an ongoing one is Seattle’s pass rush. The Seahawks have just five sacks this season, which is less than all but two other teams.
“We have got to get more pressure on the quarterback,” Holmgren said.
Okeafor contends that the lack of consistent pressure has to do with the fact that the quaterbacks of Seattle’s first four opponents – New Orleans, Arizona, St. Louis and Green Bay – relied mostly on three-step drops. The Rams and Packers were especially quick to let the ball fly on pass plays.
“It’s not just Favre,” Okeafor said, referring to Packers quarterback Brett Favre. “Every team is doing the three-step drop. With Favre, sometimes he doesn’t even plant his feet, so you can’t even call them three-step drops. I don’t care if you have Carl Lewis out there on the end and he isn’t blocked, he ain’t getting him.
“It’s tough. But that’s what offenses are going to do to try to keep quarterbacks healthy. We’ve got to find a remedy for it.”
One thing the Seahawks have to keep in mind is that the same scheme and the same players were responsible for three consecutive wins to start the season, while giving up 11 points per game along the way. So they’re not ready to scrap the plan after one poor outing – no matter how mad Rhodes gets.
“I think we’re going to bounce back fine,” Holmgren said. “It’s going to be a very intense week of practice, and that I will guarantee you.”
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