KIRKLAND — The film don’t lie.
It’s a common phrase in NFL practice facilities, serving to explain that whatever happens on the game film is more important than the excuses that follow.
And yet some Seattle Seahawks are treating the video of last Sunday’s Cleveland-Cincinnati game as if it were a promise from the lips of O.J. Simpson. That film, they say, is full of non-truths.
“They’re a better defense than that,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said after watching film of the Bengals’ 51-45 loss to Cleveland.
Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck watched the Browns pile up 554 yards of offense on Cincinnati and had a similar reaction.
“They’re actually a really good defense,” Hasselbeck said of the Bengals. “You look at the stats, and they’re ranked 30th in total defense, but they play well. Their problem has been mental errors and missed assignments. If they can clean that up, they’re going to be a good defense.
“… We expect to see a much better defense than (Cincinnati showed) last week.”
Seattle’s offensive players swear they’re not licking their chops this week, even though the film of Sunday’s game shows the Cincinnati defense getting carved up by the Browns and little-known quarterback Derek Anderson. That same Bengals defense will be at Qwest Field to face the Seahawks this weekend, but nobody in the Seahawks locker room is making any promises about putting a 50 on the scoreboard.
“We look at some of the things Cleveland did, and hopefully (the Bengals) didn’t correct it so we can execute some of the same things,” Seahawks tight end Marcus Pollard said. “But we’re definitely not licking our chops. It’s not going to be a cakewalk by any stretch.”
As for the other side of the coin, film of the Browns-Bengals game may have sent a shiver down the spine of a few Seahawks defenders. Cincinnati’s high-powered offense piled up 531 yards of its own, led by quarterback Carson Palmer’s six touchdown passes.
While the defensive players only watched situational parts of that game — Cleveland’s 3-4 scheme has very little in common with Seattle’s 4-3 defense, thereby limiting the usefulness of the video — the Seahawks’ defenders saw enough to make them sit up and take notice.
“It was pretty much a shootout,” linebacker Julian Peterson said. “You saw points going up every time they changed possessions.
“That was very weird. It was like you were playing a video game, where no one cares about the defense. But if we can slow them down, with our offense taking care of the ball and using the clock, we should be very successful.”
With former Seahawks assistant Bob Bratkowski running the show, and Palmer and receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh piling up the numbers, the Bengals have boasted one of the top passing offenses in the NFL over the past two seasons.
Asked Wednesday what makes his team’s offense so prolific, Cincinnati’s Johnson said the obvious.
“We’re good,” he said during a conference call with Seattle reporters, “all across the board. … We have the best quarterback. Our depth at receiver is ridiculous right now; it’s beautiful.”
Johnson is so confident in Cincinnati’s offensive firepower that he took the blame for last Sunday’s loss to Cleveland, saying his unit underachieved despite putting up more than 500 yards and 45 points.
“It’s our fault,” Johnson said, “because (if the Browns) scored 51, we should’ve had 52. I’m serious; that’s the way I look at it.
“Some of the defensive players say, ‘Oh, it’s our fault.’ Man, don’t worry about it. This is how our mindset has to be: we have to score our opponent, period, regardless of what the score is.”
The signs points toward an offensive shootout this Sunday at Qwest Field. But the Seahawks aren’t going in with any expectations.
“We’re not going to do anything any different offensively,” Hasselbeck said. “We’re going to do our thing, and we have confidence in our defense. Sometimes you win 9-6, and sometimes you’re in a shootout. Who knows?”
Until Sunday, despite what recent film might show, nobody really does.
And that’s no lie.
Notes: Linebacker Kevin Bentley (back) and tight end Ben Joppru (ankle) joined wide receiver Ben Obomanu (hamstring) and running back Maurice Morris (hip) on the sideline during Thursday’s practice. The official status for all of Seattle’s injured players will be revealed this afternoon. … Cincinnati practiced without three starters: right tackle Willie Anderson (foot) and linebackers Ahmad Brooks (groin) and Lemar Marshall (groin). Their statuses for Sunday’s game will also be known this afternoon. … Rookie receiver Courtney Taylor was misidentified as Courtney Alexander in Thursday’s Herald.
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