Hawks Sloppy In Loss To Chargers Erickson Contemplating Major Changes In Seahawks’ Starting Lineup

From a positive standpoint, the Seattle Seahawks have become extremely good at defending extra-point attempts and returning kickoffs.

And quarterback Rick Mirer is getting pretty good at tackling opponents after interceptions.

Of course, they’re getting a great deal of practice in all these dubious endeavors - especially on Sunday.

In probably their weakest, most inconsistent effort of the season, the Seahawks gave San Diego 16 points on four turnovers and fell 35-25 to the Chargers in the Kingdome.

It dropped the Hawks to a dismal 2-5, and left rookie head coach Dennis Erickson threatening to re-evaluate every position on the team.

“I’m willing to make a change at whatever (position) it takes,” Erickson said. “We’ll look at (anything) that will help us win. I’ll review every position on the football team - including the quarterback position.”

Third-year quarterback Rick Mirer - the $15 million franchise “savior” - committed all four turnovers, getting intercepted three times and fumbling a snap in the end zone to give the Chargers six more points.

“Rick’s a good quarterback but he’s not playing like he’s capable of playing,” Erickson said. “He’s going to have to start playing like he’s capable of playing.”

Mirer didn’t have a lot of help from his offensive line, which opened the way for San Diego to make seven sacks - matching the Chargers’ total in their last six games.

“(Mirer) wasn’t the only guy on the field making mistakes,” Erickson said. “We were doing the things we’ve done for seven games now - turning the football over, giving up the big play. That’s exactly what we did and, if it continues, we have no chance.”

Although the Hawks allowed the fewest yards of the season (299), and Chris Warren was the first back to pick up more than 100 yards rushing against the Chargers in 37 games (112 yards on 18 carries), there was very little the Hawks could build on coming out of this one.

The Chargers had lost three straight games, and, aside from the gifts of the benevolent Seahawks, they didn’t play exceptionally well in victory.

Seattle needed only three plays to come up with the first mistake - an interception thrown so badly that the intended receiver was anybody’s guess.

One pass. One interception by Shawn Gayle.

The Hawks retaliated, though, with just their third interception of the season.

Thirty-five-year-old Joe Nash, playing in his team-record 201st game, had Stan Humphries by the left arm when he tried to unload the ball over the middle. Hawk cornerback Carlton Gray tracked it down for his first pick of the year.

Six plays later, Mirer sent Brian Blades on a crossing route. Wide open because of apparent confusion in the Charger secondary, the ridiculously open Blades pulled in a 41-yard scoring pass with 7:04 left in the first period.

The Chargers continued to struggle moving the ball and aligned in punt formation when facing a fourth-and-3 at their own 40.

But the ball was snapped to rookie up-back Terrell Fletcher, who raced unimpeded for 46 yards past the stunned Seahawks. Hawk returner Joey Galloway managed to bring Fletcher down at the Hawk 13.

“Good play on their part, bad play on our part,” said Dave Arnold, Seahawks’ special teams coach. “We had a punt return on - we wanted to get (returner) Joey Galloway the ball. They invited Rafael (Robinson) to the inside and his job is to pressure from the outside - so it worked.”

Robinson was stung again on that possession as he was unable to stay with Ronnie Harmon out of the backfield and Humphries found him with a scoring pass.

Seattle finally came up with a strong special teams play then, as Terry Wooden blocked John Carney’s PAT attempt.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever blocked a kick in my life,” said Wooden, who sliced in from Carney’s left side.

San Diego converted another fourth-down attempt - on a Humphries sneak - on their first possession in the second quarter and used a 37-yard completion to Tony Martin to set up a 2-yard scoring pass from Humphries to Mark Seay.

Special teams set up another Charger score in the middle of the second period as Andre Coleman returned a punt 39-yards to the Hawk 38. Seattle’s defense held, but San Diego punter Darren Bennett pooched a punt to the Hawk 1, where Coleman downed it.

On the second play, Mirer fumbled the center exchange and Gayle recovered in the end zone to move the score to 18-7.

“That was the most critical turnover in the game,” Hawk offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. “That’s just giving somebody seven points and that’s something we just can’t do.”

Center Jim Sweeney took the blame for the fumble, even though replays showed Mirer pulled out too soon.

Mirer then put together big gainers to Robb Thomas (22 yards) and Warren (17), but the Hawks had to settle for a 48-yard field goal by Todd Peterson, closing it to 18-10 with 4:44 left in the half.

San Diego truly took the Hawks out of it late in the first half, mounting a seven-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 7-yard TD run by Natrone Means.

Seattle, somehow rejuvenated by the halftime intermission, came out with 76-yard drive to open the third period, scoring on a 1- yard Warren slash off right tackle.

Mirer, taking a beating with sack after sack, was intercepted by former Hawk Dwayne Harper, who lateralled to Bo Orlando and returned it to the Seattle 26.

It took the Chargers only five plays to turn that into a 23-yard TD pass from Humphries to Harmon, who slipped through a seam in the Hawk secondary to make it 32-16.

Chargers 35, Seahawks 25

San Diego 6 19 0 10 - 35

Seattle 7 3 6 9 - 25

First quarter

Sea-Blades 41 pass from Mirer (Peterson kick), 7:56.

SD-Harmon 12 pass from Humphries (kick blocked), 11:47.

Second quarter

SD-Seay 2 pass from Humphries (failed pass), 3:18.

SD-Gayle recovered of Mirer’s fumble in end zone (pass failed), 6:28.

Sea-FG Peterson 48, 10:16.

SD-Means 7 run (Carney kick), 13:06.

Third quarter

Sea-Warren 1 run (pass failed), 5:35.

Fourth quarter

SD-Harmon 23 pass from Humphries (Carney kick), :36.

Sea-FG Peterson 27, 4:30.

SD-FG Carney 25, 9:51.

Sea-Warren 6 run (run failed), 12:07.

A-45,821.

SD Sea First downs 15 24 Rushes-yards 36-153 25-150 Passing 146 233 Punt Returns 1-39 3-23 Kickoff Returns 4-93 7-182 Interceptions Ret. 3-67 1-3 Comp-Att-Int 14-26-1 21-31-3 Sacked-Yards Lost 2-20 7-39 Punts 5-47 4-43 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1 Penalties-Yards 5-45 8-69 Time of Possession 28:55 31:05

Individual statistics

RUSHINGSan Diego, Means 26-91, Fletcher 4-57, Harmon 2-7, Humphries 4-(minus 2). Seattle, Warren 18-112, Mirer 5-32, Broussard 2-6.

PASSINGSan Diego, Humphries 14-26-1-166. Seattle, Mirer 17-26-3-216, Friesz 4-5-0-56.

RECEIVINGSan Diego, Seay 4-34, Harmon 3-40, Fletcher 2-20, Martin 1-37, Jefferson 1-13, Young 1-11, Means 1-8, Pupunu 1-3. Seattle, Warren 4-45, Crumpler 4-44, Fauria 3-22, Thomas 2-42, McKnight 2-35, Broussard 2-16, Galloway 2-15, Blades 1-41, S.Smith 1-12.

MISSED FIELD GOALSNone.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo