Coach Mike Holmgren watched tape of Sunday’s Seahawks loss and booed
By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
KIRKLAND — Lately, names like Shanahan and Martz have been strapped with the label, but the term "offensive guru" just doesn’t follow Mike Holmgren as much as it used to.
That’s what happens when your offenses have ranked in the bottom half of the league for back-to-back seasons.
In 1999, the Seattle Seahawks’ lack of production had something to do with an injury-riddled offensive line. Last season, there was instability at the quarterback position. This year, there is inexperience all over the offense — most notably quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
They have all been legitimate concerns. But two games into Year 3 of the Holmgren era, things seem to be getting worse before they get better.
When the Seahawks lost 27-3 to Philadelphia on Sunday, it marked the second game in a row in which Seattle had gone without a touchdown. Never before in his 20-year career as a head coach, NFL assistant and college assistant, had Holmgren ever been involved with a team that went touchdown-less in back-to-back games.
During seven seasons as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Holmgren coached only three games in which his team did not score a touchdown. It’s already happened six times in 34 games with Seattle, including five over the last 18 games.
So questions about Holmgren’s offense are legitimate.
"I still have tremendous faith in this system," tight end Christian Fauria said. "I’m still waiting to see the same things I saw in the preseason. That seems like such a long time ago, but that’s the way I envision this offense. We’ve got the guy to run the show, a great quarterback. And we’ve got a great offensive line, young talented receivers. We’re going to make plays, and we’re going to win games."
By the looks of Sunday’s performance, the Seahawks still have a long way to go. Seattle gave up seven sacks — the highest total in almost six years — and was held to 147 yards of total offense. Through two games, they rank dead last in the NFL in offense with an average of 199 yards per game.
Despite the recent offensive struggles, Holmgren has remained confident in his system.
"Eventually we’ll get it," Holmgren said. "It will click in, and we’ll be fine."
Holmgren added that he has been more conservative in his play-calling because of the fact that six offensive starters are different from the 2000 season opener. But he’s not going to change what brought him success in Green Bay.
As far as Sunday’s game was concerned, Holmgren refused to place all the blame on the quarterback. Although Hasselbeck — who turns 26 today — had a forgettable performance, he didn’t get much help from his offensive line or receivers.
Things got so bad that the home crowd began booing the Seahawks at Husky Stadium.
"I totally understand," Holmgren said. "I was watching the film (Monday) morning and booing it by myself in my own little room."
The offensive problems through two games are very un-Holmgren-like.
The Seahawks have allowed as many sacks (12) as they’ve scored points. Hasselbeck ranks dead last in the AFC in passing, behind 15 other qualifiers. His 46.6 rating is 30th in the NFL, better than only Ty Detmer of Detroit and Jeff George of the Washington Redskins.
The receivers haven’t put up any numbers, either, as only Darrell Jackson has more than five receptions. And Jackson is averaging a paltry 3.7 yards per catch on seven receptions.
So the question returns: What has happened to the offense?
"When teams play a certain style defense, we do very well against those styles of defense," Hasselbeck said. "There is also a certain style that we’re struggling with now."
Blitzing schemes that come from all sorts of angles create problems for teams that run derivatives of the West Coast offense, as the Seahawks do. Both Philadelphia and Cleveland had success rattling Hasselbeck with blitzes and were also able to apply pressure along the defensive line.
Not that defenses have figured out the West Coast offense, but it is being defended better — especially in Seattle. The most successful offenses in the NFL right now use a more downfield style like those featured in Indianapolis and St. Louis.
"After you see something for a while, if you play it enough and see it enough, you’re probably going to stop it more," Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Sinclair said. "It’s like the old Bears’ 46 (defense). That was the defense to have at one time. Now it’s not. Offenses adjusted to it, and they started to dominate that style of defense. It’s like a chess game, really."
Even the teams that run similar offenses to the one run in Green Bay are running it better than Holmgren’s team. For a prime example, one need look no further than Sunday’s loss (Philadelphia’s Andy Reid was a Holmgren assistant) and the upcoming test (Jon Gruden was in Green Bay before taking over as head coach of the Oakland Raiders).
In this chess game, it’s the offense’s move. Somehow, some way, the Seahawks are going to have to figure out how to get the ball into the end zone.
"We haven’t done anything; people shouldn’t respect us right now," Hasselbeck said. "But we are definitely better than we’ve shown."
NOTES: Cornerback Willie Williams will be back on the practice field this week after missing nearly six weeks with a fractured forearm. "I’m real excited just to be back running around," Williams said Monday. "Hopefully I can make an impact and help this team win." … Holmgren said the status of Shawn Springs (hamstring) is still unknown. If Springs can’t go this week, the starting duo would include two of the following: Williams, Ken Lucas, Ike Charlton and Paul Miranda. … Linebacker Chad Brown leads the AFC with four sacks. He has not had more than 7 1/2over a season since joining the Seahawks in 1997.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
