Holmgren can take a few hits, even from media

Chin straps are no match for a glass jaw. The game of football requires toughness.

Mike Holmgren found that out early in his career at San Francisco’s Lincoln High School, when he realized that having the build of an offensive lineman wouldn’t necessarily protect a quarterback from weekly punishment.

The abuse continued after his playing career came to an end. It turns out football players aren’t the only ones who get beat up on a weekly basis. Coaches receive their share of jabs, too.

So go ahead and take your shots at the Seahawks’ head coach. Tell him he’s in over his head. That his ego has gotten in the way of too many decisions. That he shouldn’t have attempted a field goal down four points with two minutes to go.

He’s been through it before.

This is the man who spent his first seven years as a head coach working in the shadow of Vince Lombardi, with ex-players like Ray Nitschke and Paul Hornung and Bart Starr looking over his shoulder.

Coaching football in Green Bay is sort of like playing basketball in the Naismith house.

So a few fans questioning a play call won’t break Holmgren’s psyche.

Not that he’s the only coach to have detractors. The criticism that has befallen Holmgren this season looks like an episode of “Sesame Street” compared with what Washington Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer has been hearing. The longtime Kansas City coach, who will face Holmgren this weekend, has taken a worse beating than Peter McNeeley.

Fans were calling for Schottenheimer’s job after two weeks. When the ‘Skins fell to 0-5, they were calling for his head.

“In my opinion,” Schottenheimer said during a conference call this week, “it is far better that way than apathy.”

Schottenheimer has seen both sides of the criticism fence, having spent the past two years as an analyst for ESPN. His story mirrors that of the struggling boxer who spent his career taking too many punches, then missed the daily beatings after they were finished.

Just a few weeks ago, fans and outsiders were calling for both these coaches’ jobs. But here they are, with eight more lives. And their teams are back on track.

Despite the fact that he led a struggling Green Bay franchise to back-to-back Super Bowls, Holmgren took his share of abuse when the Seahawks got off to another poor start this season. Consecutive blowout losses to Philadelphia and Oakland had some fans ready to fire him a few weeks ago. A Sports Illustrated article made him look like Andrew Dice Clay with a whistle.

And then came Sunday’s game, when Holmgren blatantly botched a call in the final two minutes. As he walked off the field, a handful of fans unleashed verbal tirades in his direction that essentially likened Holmgren to a vacuum cleaner. The next day, phone lines lit up at local radio stations (one local talk-show host took up much of his show computing the mathematical probabilities of Sunday’s call). Fans sent in e-mails that made it sound as if Holmgren had the same intellectual capacity as a kicking tee.

Yet somehow, Holmgren was able to keep a confident disposition. He didn’t back down from media inquiries, and said that he completely understood the criticism.

He admitted that his decision in the Miami game, and its subsequent result, weighed on him longer than usual. By Wednesday, Holmgren professed that he was ready to move on.

“I am pretty thick-skinned,” Holmgren said, “but it still bothers me.”

What bothers Holmgren is losing. His decision in last week’s game may have been the wrong one, but his only regret is that it cost the Seahawks a chance at victory.

The criticism? That’s all part of the profession.

Lombardi took his share. Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Tom Landry … the list goes on.

So don’t expect a few shots to bring Holmgren to his knees. After nine-plus years as an NFL head coach, he’s proven he can take it.

Kickoff: 1:15 p.m. Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

TV: CBS (Channel 7).

Radio: KIRO (710 AM).

Stars to watch: Seahawks – QB Matt Hasselbeck had his most effective game as a starting quarterback last week, and should be able to do some things against a bad Washington defense. WR Darrell Jackson has two 100-yard receiving games this season, which are two more than he had all of last year. MLB Levon Kirkland led the Seahawks with 11 tackles last week, and is tied for the team lead with 46 tackles on the season. LB Chad Brown has 5 1/2 sacks this season, but he has not recorded one since Oct. 7.

Redskins – RB Stephen Davis is second in the NFC with 524 rushing yards. WR Rod Gardner leads all rookie wideouts with 24 receptions and 437 receiving yards. LB Levar Arrington led a strong defensive effort last week, as the Redskins upset the New York Giants. Washington’s defense also got a boost in that game with the return of DE Bruce Smith.

Breaking down the game: The Redskins are suddenly playing with confidence, which seemed to be the only thing missing during an 0-5 start. That could be bad news for the Seahawks, who a few weeks ago may have been looking at this game as a gimme.

Containing Stephen Davis will be the Seahawks’ No. 1 priority, and considering their recent success against top runners, Davis might be in trouble.

The Redskins’ defense has a lot of talent, but has been exposed often this season. Hasselbeck and the Seattle offense should have a pretty good week.

If the Seahawks can continue to come out on the plus side of turnover ratio, they should be able to pull off their third win in four games.

Pick: Seahawks, 31-24.

Injury report: Seahawks – RB Ricky Watters (shoulder) is out; KR Charlie Rogers (toe) and FS Marcus Robertson (hamstring) are questionable. Redskins – TE Stephen Alexander (ankle) is doubtful; DE Dorian Boose (knee) and CB Fred Smoot (knee) are questionable; LS Ethan Albright (ankle), DL Kenard Lang (ankle) and T Chris Samuels (ankle) are probable.

Little-known fact: Seventeen of Washington’s 22 starters were originally drafted in the first two rounds of the NFL draft, including 11 first-rounders.

Baltimore (4-3) at Pittsburgh (5-1), 10 a.m. Sunday: Quick trivia question – Who has the best defense in the NFL? Answer – We’ll find out after this game. The Steelers have allowed fewer yards than any team in the NFL, but the Ravens are a close second. The over-under on this game should be three points. Pick: Ravens, 6-3.

N.Y. Jets (4-3) at New Orleans (4-2), 5:30 p.m. Sunday: The final two quarters of last week’s Saints-Rams game have to rank among the most unbelievable the NFL has seen in a long time. The fact that the listless Jets have won four games is almost as shocking. Pick: Saints, 31-13.

Denver (4-3) at Oakland (5-1), 6 p.m. Monday: With all due respect to the San Diego Chargers, the Raiders appear on the verge of running away with the AFC West. As well as San Diego has played, Denver should represent Oakland’s toughest challenge. Without Ed McCaffrey, the Broncos’ offense hasn’t been as potent this season. And the defense hasn’t gotten that much better despite several offseason additions. Pick: Raiders, 28-24.