KIRKLAND – Having won a Super Bowl with one of the greatest defenses of all time, Trent Dilfer knows what it’s like to play with a dominant unit on the opposite side of the ball.
Having spent 10 seasons in the NFL, he also knows that it’s far too early to put this year’s Seattle Seahawks in that ilk.
But Dilfer, the former Baltimore Ravens and current Seahawks quarterback, said he does see some similarities between the teams’ defensive units.
“The biggest thing I’ve seen is that they want to play defense,” Dilfer said. “Any sign of a good unit, in my experience, is that it’s a group of guys that want to get back on the field.”
Seattle’s backup quarterback isn’t the only veteran who has been reminded of past defenses. While the Seahawks still have a ways to go to even be considered one of the top defenses of this year, some players see a lot of potential in the NFL’s third-ranked unit.
Cornerback Bobby Taylor compared Seattle’s performance Sunday – a 34-0 win over San Francisco – to some of the recent shellackings his Philadelphia defenses have put on opponents over the years.
“We’re getting after the quarterback, and in Philly they like to get after the quarterback,” said Taylor, who spent his first nine seasons with the Eagles. “Look at (San Francisco’s Ken) Dorsey and how uncomfortable he was in the pocket. Guys are getting to the quarterback, they’re sacking him and knocking the ball out.”
Injured linebacker Chad Brown played on a number of dominating defenses in Pittsburgh, and this year’s Seahawks are having similar success.
“The defense has played well,” Brown said. “It’s stopped people from scoring. Our defense in Pittsburgh would kill people’s running games, make them one-dimensional and then blitz the heck out of them. This team has a different philosophy and personnel.
“But the result – people not scoring points – is the same.”
When it comes to comparisons, the Seahawks are still a long way from being mentioned with the 2000 Ravens, the Steelers of the 1990s or any of the recent Eagles teams.
But as far as statistics, there are definite similarities.
Heading into Monday night’s game, Seattle ranked third in the NFL in yards allowed (242.3 per game) and first in points allowed (4.3 per game). Dilfer’s 2000 Ravens team, considered one of the best defensive teams since the 1985 Chicago Bears, allowed 247.9 yards and 10.3 points per game.
“Early on (in the 2000 season), I don’t think anybody in Baltimore thought they were that good,” Dilfer said. “They just kept getting better. As the year wore on, they built confidence, they saw themselves getting better, they were establishing a reputation of being the best, and it just kind of snowballed.
“I think the key with (Seattle’s) defense, and with every person on this football team, is correcting the things you’re doing wrong while maintaining the things you’re doing well.”
If nothing else, the Seahawks’ defense is at least on pace to challenge some franchise records.
Seattle could allow an average of 19 points per game over the final 13 weeks and still break the team record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (261 in 1991). The Seahawks could give up an average of 296.5 yards per game – or 54.2 more than their current pace – and set a team record for fewest yards allowed in a 16-game season (4,583 in 1992).
They’ve already held three consecutive opponents to seven points or less – something that Seattle teams had done only six times in Mike Holmgren’s first 80 games as head coach.
Part of the success comes from defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, who came to Seattle in 2003 with a reputation as a no-nonsense guy. Some people perceived that to mean that he constantly dressed down the players, but Rhodes uses other tactics to motivate.
“Last year, Ray showed that he’s not going to yell at you and all that stuff,” Brown said. “If you don’t play well, you’re just not going to play. He’ll put somebody else in.
“There’s something to be said for that. He’s treating guys like men.”
Rhodes even uses positive motivation, although his constant scowl would never let on that he’s got a soft side.
“He’s the first guy to pat you on the back,” Dilfer said. “He encourages those guys, but he expects perfection. He expects you to do it the way he coached you to do it.”
Rhodes took over the 28th-ranked defense from the 2002 season and improved it to No. 19 last year. In each of his previous four stops as a defensive coordinator, Rhodes has taken over a mediocre to poor unit and pushed it into the top 10 in the NFL within one or two seasons.
Three games into 2004, the Seahawks appear on the road to being his latest successful turnaround.
“With each win, you believe more,” Holmgren said. “You believe you can get off the field on third down. You believe you can get that big play, that you can create that fumble. That’s a good thing, and we’ve got that going right now.”
The defense is gaining confidence each week. And, as Dilfer will be the first to attest, that’s something that can be dangerous to opponents.
“I think they have a lot of confidence, and they should,” Dilfer said. “They’re developing a reputation of having guys who fly to the ball, play smart and tackle well.”
Notes
Bye just in time for some: Time will tell whether the bye week will interrupt the Seattle Seahawks’ momentum, but the thought of a few days off is expected to pay some immediate dividends.
Coach Mike Holmgren said Monday that starting fullback Mack Strong and reserve linebacker Tracy White probably wouldn’t be available if the Seahawks had a game this Sunday. With an extra week to heal, both could be in the lineup when Seattle hosts St. Louis on Oct. 10.
Strong has sprains to both the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and his right ankle, while White is recovering from a concussion.
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