Just when Seattle's Mike Holmgren is entering his last year as head coach, his Seahawks are now stumbling and bumbling their way into what appears to be a Larry, Mo and Curly comedy routine.
After dusting off the Minnesota Vikings 34-17 in their first 2008 preseason game on the road in Minneapolis, the Seahawks narrowly escaped defeat in their home preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, winning 29-26 in an error-prone display of ineptness. For the Seahawks' faithful, it was no laughing matter.
There are big hopes in Seattle this year, especially since Holmgren is entering his last year after winning an AFC West Division title, an NFC Wildcard berth, 4 consecutive NFC West Division championships (2004 through 2007), an NFC championship, and taken the Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance in 2005, which they promptly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10.
Against Minnesota, the Seahawks became ballhawks, forcing 5 fumbles, recovering 4 and picking off an interception. Backup quarterback Seneca Wallace completed 15 of 20 passes with 3 touchdown passes after starter Matt Hasselbeck looked solid in the first two series of the game.
Against Chicago, the Seahawks were on two sides of another planet.
On the good side, their 7th-round draft pick from Georgia, place-kicker Brandon Coutu, went 5-for-5, including the game-winning 36-yard field goal in overtime to win. Seattle's other 7th-round draft pick from California, 5-foot-8 Justin Forsett, picked up 261 all purpose yards-excluding a 50-yard-plus return called back for holding-and with all 136 of his rushing yards coming when he played in the second half.
Coutu is a backup to Olindo Mare, a former Pro-Bowl, 12-year veteran with the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants. Forsett is 4th on the running back depth chart behind Maurice Morris, Julius Jones and T. J. Duckett. Jones (from the Dallas Cowboys) and Duckett (from the Detroit Lions) are new pickups this year to replace the release of former All Pro and 2005 NFL Most Valuable Player Shaun Alexander.
In 2005, he became the first player in NFL history to score 19 rushing or receiving TDs in only 10 games. That mark eventually aided him in breaking the NFL single-season mark for touchdowns with 27. Alexander, hampered by injuries the last two seasons, was Seattle's all-time leading rusher with 7,817 rushing yards and 89 rushing touchdowns in 5 seasons.
On the bad side, the Seahawks had to overcome 2 blocked punts and an interception return for a touchdown to finally win at home. Third-string quarterback Charlie Fry completed 20-of-35 passes but was intercepted 3 times. Seattle only won because the Bears' Pro Bowl place-kicker missed a potential game-winner from 47 yards as regulation time expired.
Seattle remains excited about new 2nd-round draft choice John Carlson from Notre Dame. Holmgren's West Coast Offense was in sore need of a tight end that could play effectively.
The addition of veteran guard and former Pro Bowler Mike Wahle from the Carolina Panthers should shore up an offensive line that was excellent in 2005 and became a whole lot less so with the departure of guard Steve Hutchinson to the Minnesota Vikings. Hutchinson was unstoppable beside Walter Jones, the Seahawks premier tackle who is an 8-time Pro Browler and 6-time All Pro.
Unfortunately, the Seahawks underestimated the positive locker room presence of Hutchinson, who created a leadership role that has been left unfulfilled.
While Seattle appears stable in its coaching transition (Jim Mora, a current Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Backs Coach, will replace Holmgren next year), there is a lot of turnover among coaches.
The Seahawks have added Mike Solari from the Kansas City Chiefs (the new offensive line coach), Bill Lazor from the Washington Redskins (the new quarterbacks coach), Kasey Dunn from the University of Maryland (new running backs coach), and Mike DeBord from the University of Michigan (new offensive assistant coach).
Like most NFL teams, the 'Hawks have a lot of coaches to go with Holmgren, 19 of them in fact. In some cases, they work harder than the players they are coaching.
Seattle, and the NFL in general, has a lot of players who are overpaid and underperformed. Two of them are defensive tackle Marcus Tubbs, a huge man who could block the middle if he was not hurt every 10 minutes of his career, and offensive tackle Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack, who the Seahawks like because he can play more than one position on the line.
Womack, like Tubbs, is hurt more than healthy. Seattle mercifully cut Tubbs loose earlier in the preseason camp. However, they resigned Womack, a dubious move at best. It is as if the Seahawks could not find another decent, healthy backup tackle on the face of the Earth.
To its credit, Seattle has drafted replacements; to the drafted players discredit, none of them have proven capable of getting the job done, so back comes Womack for another season, that is, until he is injured again.
So who else is hurt? I thought you would never ask. Pro-Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has enough back problems to make an orthopedic surgeon wealthy, new go-to wide receiver Bobby Engram has a cracked shoulder and will be out for awhile, and high-priced wide receiver Deion Branch is recovering from knee surgery.
A host of other players are whining over normal bumps and bruises. Big deal, this is football, not tiddlywinks.
Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley
Read my other detailed, knowledgeable, interesting articles on football, including:
"Can the Seahawks Find the Grit to Deliver Holmgren a 2nd Super Bowl Winning Team?"
"About Super Bowl 42 - Here's a Different Slant on the Giants' Upset Win to Become World Champs"
2007 NFL Playoffs: Seattle Seahawks Croak as Packers Kick Them Silly in the Snowflakes, 42-20"
"Famous Quotes by Vince Lombardi, Knute Rockne and Lou Holtz During Football's Annual Bowl Season"
and my 14 consecutive weekly wrap-up articles on the 2007 College Football Season as well as wrap-up articles on all 32 College Bowl Games.
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