SEATTLE – Kevin Bentley, one of the latest life preservers on the Seattle Seahawks’ deeper-than-Lake-Union defense, wasn’t satisfied.
His Seahawks had just held the San Francisco 49ers to 113 total yards – the least ever allowed by a Seattle defense – and one single field goal, and yet Bentley sat in the locker room and wished for better results.
Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald
“We’re frustrated because we gave up three points,” Bentley said with a straight face after a 41-3 win over San Francisco. “They came out on us and got a field goal on their first drive, and they shouldn’t have ever done that.”
Lofty goals, indeed.
But the way this Seahawks defense has played as of late, three points might have been a few too many.
Over the past two games, Seattle’s defense has given up measly totals of 303 yards, three points and not a single touchdown.
That’s the same defense that has featured several fill-in starters this year, including five players who started Sunday’s game in place of injured teammates.
“That’s what makes a good team a great team,” said cornerback Jordan Babineaux, who joined Bentley as a first-time starter because of Andre Dyson’s sprained ankle. “It’s what separates the teams throughout the league: teams that have players who can come in and make an impact even though they’re not the starter.”
Safety Ken Hamlin and linebacker Jamie Sharper have been lost for the season, while linebacker D.D. Lewis and cornerbacks Dyson and Kelly Herndon were sidelined for Sunday’s game. Still, the Seahawks gave up just three points.
“That’s how it is when you get a locomotive going that fast,” Bentley said. “When guys step out, guys are jumping on and we don’t stop rolling.”
Because of the way Seattle’s defense has played lately – the Philadelphia Eagles managed just 190 yards in a 42-0 Seahawks victory last Monday night – the single field goal that San Francisco scored on Sunday was seen as too much.
“Right now, any points are too much,” Bentley said. “That’s the way we’re going to take it. We’re going to fight to keep people off the scoreboard, because we know if we do that, we’ve got a great chance to win.”
“We have a high expectation level,” defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs added. “If we give up three points, even to the best team in the NFL, that’s still too much for us. We want to be the best out there.”
As far as the past two games are concerned, the Seahawks defense has played like the NFL’s best. While the offense hasn’t needed much help – the 83 points scored over the past seven days marks the second-highest two-game total in franchise history – Seattle’s defense has made sure to leave plenty of margin for error.
“The defense is really starting to peak, and we’re peaking at the right time,” Babineaux said. “We’re trying to make this push into January.”
Babineaux filled in admirably for Dyson on Sunday, giving up just one 13-yard pass to Brandon Lloyd while breaking up two passes. The 49ers tested him early in the game, but went away from him after he proved to be up to the challenge.
Bentley also held his own while filling in for Lewis on a linebacking corps that includes rookie starters Lofa Tatupu and Leroy Hill.
Of the 11 defensive starters who took the field for the season opener, six have now missed at least one start due to injury. But Seattle continues to go deeper and deeper into its bench without any falloff.
“Once again, a guy goes down, another guy steps up and you wouldn’t even know a guy was missing. That’s what this team is about this year,” Bentley said after Sunday’s win. “Guys go down, and another guy steps up. Hopefully, we’ll step our way to the Super Bowl.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
