KIRKLAND – Before they were able to erect the Ray Rhodes statue outside of Seahawks Stadium, the defense began to crumble.
An injury here, a big play there, and soon Rhodes’s unit looked broken. Bit by bit, the near-flawless defense that helped carry the Seattle Seahawks’ defense to a 5-1 record has lost its aura of invincibility.
After boasting the 11th-ranked defense in the NFL through six weeks, the Seahawks have had one of the worst recently. Seattle’s defense has allowed an average of 378.8 yards per game over the past five weeks, which is better than only Minnesota, San Diego, Houston and the New York Jets during that span.
“I know it’s supposed to be a full team effort,” linebacker Anthony Simmons said, “but right now I feel like we’re not upholding our end. We’ve got to hold up our end of the deal.”
No defensive unit is immune. The secondary, which was the defense’s bright spot for 10 games, got exposed in last Sunday’s loss to Baltimore. The defensive line has been unable to generate consistent pass pressure, while nagging injuries have prevented the veteran linebackers from playing up to expectations.
“The effort’s been there, but we’re still making some mistakes we shouldn’t be making at this point in the season,” middle linebacker Randall Godfrey said. “Guys are still playing hard. We’ve just got to bounce back and finish strong.”
For his part, Rhodes has not exactly sat back and watched the defense struggle. He’s taken a proactive approach, both in terms of scheme and personnel. He has altered the blitz package to try to generate pressure – it worked to a degree last week in that Seattle got a season-high six sacks – and has shuffled the lineup so often that 18 different players have started on defense this season.
Eleven games into the season, Rhodes still hasn’t found the right combination.
“We’re football players. We get paid to play this game and we’re the ones who have to get it done,” defensive end Chike Okeafor said. “You can talk about it and change things, but we’re the ones who have to get it done.
” … It’s not the calls. It’s up to us on the field. (The coaches) can match the plays on the field, but they can’t force it to get done right. That’s up to us.”
Seattle’s defense gave up 17.3 points per game on the way to the 5-1 record, but has allowed 25.6 points per game while winning just two of five since then. The Seahawks haven’t been creating as many turnovers, nor have they stopped opposing teams on third downs.
Things hit rock bottom during the second half and overtime of last Sunday’s game, when Anthony Wright and the low-octane Baltimore Ravens’ offense exploded for 361 yards and 41 points in less than 38 minutes of action.
“We had an excellent first half,” Simmons said, referring to the 65 yards and three points Seattle had allowed over the game’s first 30 minutes. “And then things just kind of fell apart in the second half. The main thing is, we have to keep our intensity up – every game, every quarter, both halves.”
No one can seem to come up with an answer as to why the defense has fallen off in recent weeks.
“It’s just little things here and there,” cornerback Marcus Trufant said. “Sometimes it just comes down to the other team making big plays. It’s just what it is. There’s nothing wrong with our scheme or with our players physically; it’s just sometimes the other team makes the big play.”
Although the coaches and players refuse to use it as an excuse, injuries have been a factor. Linebacker Chad Brown (foot), cornerback Ken Lucas (ankle), free safety Ken Hamlin (knee) and Godfrey (knee) have all played through pain in recent weeks. That doesn’t even include starting defensive tackle Norman Hand, who is on injured reserve due to a bicep injury and has missed the past three games.
There are times when the Seahawks seem to have the right combination, as the defense has gone through stretches in which it has looked dominant. That was the case through the first half of last Sunday’s game as well as the opening 30 minutes of a Nov. 2 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“We’ve got to stick to our guns, keep doing what works,” Okeafor said. “We have a right to be frustrated about (the results), but we can’t get frustrated in general. Because that’s when things start snowballing.”
Rhodes hasn’t panicked yet, but the rarely-interviewed coordinator is undoubtedly upset with the way the Seahawks have performed in his first season with the team. The last four defenses he coordinated were in the middle to bottom of the league when he took over, and among the NFL’s top eight-ranked defenses when he left.
The Seahawks, currently ranked 23rd in the NFL, showed that kind of early improvement but have since taken a step backward.
Congruently, the offense has gotten hot in recent weeks. But the offensive players aren’t pointing any fingers.
“I don’t worry about the defense,” running back Shaun Alexander said. “My high school coach told me a long time ago: ‘If you’re worried about winning, score 100 points.’ So we scored 81 once.”
Wide receiver Bobby Engram (bruised thigh) and safety Reggie Tongue (concussion) returned to practice Thursday and are expected to play Sunday … Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, the NFL extended its television blackout deadline until this afternoon. There are 2,000 tickets remaining for Seattle’s game with Cleveland on Sunday in Seahawks Stadium.
GRAFIC:
Where’s the D?
After putting up impressive numbers through the first six weeks of the season, Seattle’s defense has struggled the past six games. Here is a look at the breakdown:
Games 1-6Games 7-11
293.5Yards per game378.8
17.3Points per game25.6
16Turnovers forced6
64.9Opp. QB rating91.6
11thNFL rank28th
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