KIRKLAND – The post-game call-in shows and local sports bars were littered with criticism, which even a 3-0 start can’t avoid.
Why, fans have been asking since late Sunday afternoon, did Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren throw the ball on a key fourth down late in his team’s 24-23 win over St. Louis?
The person who is easily the head coach’s toughest critic chimed in Monday with a rather surprising admission.
“Bad call,” Holmgren said nearly 24 hours after calling a play that resulted in an incomplete pass.
An interception by the Seahawks’ defense saved Holmgren from even more criticism, as Seattle eventually got the ball back and went on the game-winning drive. But even he couldn’t hide the fact that the play he called may have been the wrong one.
Holmgren said his biggest regret was the four available plays that were on the play card for that exact situation. He put them in the game plan earlier in the week, but never really felt confident with any of them.
Still, he opted to call the short pass play to Darrell Jackson. Rams safety Aeneas Williams knocked the ball away, giving St. Louis possession of the ball at the Seattle 41-yard line with 4:12 remaining in the game.
“I’ve made a lot of bad calls in my day, but that one I’ve thought about,” Holmgren said. “I wasn’t sure we’d get the ball back. Going for it was not the thing that kept me up (Sunday) night. It was the play I called. But it won’t be the last time that I second-guess myself on a play like that.”
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck defended the call Monday, even though it didn’t work.
“The play call surprised me at first, but it was a great call,” he said. “We had our two best route runners, Bobby (Engram) and Darrell, matched up one-on-one with Aeneas Williams and (safety Adam) Archuleta. It was just pick a guy and take the matchup. Aeneas Williams did a good job.”
Tickets dwindling: The Seahawks sold a total of 4,000 tickets for their final six home games on Monday.
The next home game is close to being sold out, with just 2,000 tickets remaining for the Oct. 12 contest against San Francisco. That game begins at 5:30 p.m. and is scheduled to be shown nationally on ESPN.
Hill learns a lesson: Right tackle Matt Hill, who made his first NFL start Sunday, had plenty of opportunities during Monday’s film session to watch his mistakes.
Hill was abused for most of Sunday’s game by Rams defensive end Leonard Little, who had two sacks and a forced fumble.
“It was tough, I’m not going to lie to you,” Hill said. “But I did all right. I was really happy I had (fullback Mack Strong) there to help me out (in the second half). The biggest thing I got was the way my teammates treated me. It was just great. … You can’t quit. You just have to keep pushing.”
Hill was starting because of Chris Terry’s four-game suspension and Floyd Womack’s turf toe.
A good bye?: The advantage of having a bye week is that several hobbled Seahawks should be available for the next game, Oct. 5 at Green Bay.
Holmgren said he expects Womack, defensive tackle Norman Hand (turf toe), linebacker Tracy White (ankle) and linebacker Orlando Huff (ankle) to play against the Packers.
Another advantage could be the extra time to prepare for an opponent, but Holmgren said that can sometimes backfire.
“The 13 days for us (before the Green Bay game), we will try not to over-analyze, and I’m nervous about that,” he said.
Quick slants: The Seahawks have never started a season 4-0. … Safety Reggie Tongue is tied for the NFL lead with three interceptions. … Seattle ranks 17th in the NFL in total yards and 20th in yards allowed, but is third in both points scored (89) and points allowed (33). … Despite five consecutive third-down stops in the second half of Sunday’s game, the Seahawks still rank 31st in the league in opponents’ third-down efficiency (50 percent).
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