Hawks Can Still Be Average

A couple of months ago, I predicted the Seattle Seahawks would go 9-7 this season.

I made a slight mistake. Left off a few words - like, “sometime this century.”

The Seahawks have reached the midpoint of the season 3-5, making not only me look foolish (like I needed the help), but themselves as well.

To dissect what’s gone wrong, you the reader must put your faith back in my hands. My journalistic back is against the wall. It’s a one-column season for me.

I believe I can get back in your good graces with the following analysis of the half-way Hawks:

They’ve stunk.

Here’s why, with a look back - and ahead.

Best player: Can we skip this one? OK, we’ll go with NFL sack leader Michael Sinclair. Todd Peterson (10-of-11 FGs), Joey “Big Play” Galloway and Cortez Kennedy (leads NFL interior linemen in sacks) are close seconds.

Biggest disappointments: Chris Warren, Rick Mirer, offensive line, cornerbacks, Mike Pritchard-Ricky Proehl, Dennis Erickson, the SeaGals routines … How much space do I have?

Warren’s position was going to be renamed from running back to skipping back until he rediscovered the direction North last Sunday. True, the line was pathetic earlier, but Lamar Smith still gained some yardage. Warren gained inchage.

Warren is a rarity - a breakaway back strong enough to run between the tackles. When he’s on, Seattle’s on. When he’s not, play Smith.

The mystery of Mirer deepens. Spotting second-option receivers and completing long passes continue to be his downfalls. He takes way too many sacks for a player with his mobility. He needs a change of scenery to resurrect his career because his teammates and coach no longer believe in him. Can you blame them?

Offensive line: Bad, but getting better.

Cornerbacks: Carlton Gray made a great play last week, stripping the football from San Diego’s Bryan Still. Too bad he wasn’t on the same continent when Still caught the pass.

Pritchard/Proehl: A catch every game or two.

Erickson: Biggest disappointment of all. The Erickson I remember at Washington State didn’t coddle players. Jobs were on the line every week. First-teamers were pushed.

It was stunning when Erickson got to the pros and turned into a softy, pampering Mirer the first few weeks. He finally came to his senses and inserted John Friesz.

Simply, Seattle often has looked poorly coached - penalties, lifeless play, couldn’t stop the run even when they knew it was coming (re: Denver, Kansas City).

Seattle stood pat in the off-season because it felt the pieces were already in place. Given a year to familiarize themselves to Erickson’s system, it was fair to expect noticeable improvement. It hasn’t happened.

That said, be warned that Erickson never loses a team. Many of his previous teams have struggled, but he coaxed them back to winning records. His only losing season remains 3-7-1 at WSU in 1987.

Jury’s still out: Which does Seattle have - a dominating defensive front, or an underachieving one? Pressure was abundant against San Diego, but even Sam Adams admitted the Chargers weren’t the same without injured center Courtney Hall. Kennedy is quietly putting up decent numbers, but Adams remains hit or miss.

Only the Jets have given up more rushing yardage in the AFC.

Biggest surprise: Lamar Smith. Runner-up: Michael Barber.

Reason second half should be slightly better: Terry Wooden. He makes tackles all over the field. He missed the first seven games due to hamstring injury, then made the tackle on the first play against San Diego.

Worst play: Mirer’s interception to Denver’s Bill Romanowski, or Mirer’s interception to Green Bay’s Eugene Robinson, or Mirer’s interception to …

Best play(s): Galloway’s 88-yard punt return against Denver and Friesz’s 80-yard TD pass to Brian Blades in Miami. Galloway’s moves would have astonished Gale Sayers, Barry Sanders and Michael Jackson. Friesz’s play won a game.

Best play that went unnoticed: Friesz’s fourth-down completion to Galloway under duress in Miami. He looked off several receivers, was blasted by a lineman and delivered a strike to Galloway.

Think Mirer would have done the same?

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos