Seahawks, Friesz Deep-Six Dolphins
By George, maybe the solution to the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback problems was standing on the sidelines for a month wearing No. 17.
While the Seahawks were begging for Jeff George’s approval to a one-for-one swap that would send Rick Mirer to the Atlanta Falcons, backup Friesz quietly went about giving Dennis Erickson one of the biggest victories of his two-year coaching career in Seattle.
Fighting off a 3-hour rainstorm and a rare Jimmy Johnson cornerback blitz, Friesz hit Brian Blades in stride on a crossing pattern near midfield.
Because of loose man-to-man coverage by Calvin Jackson and bad positioning by free safety Gene Atkins, Blades raced untouched for an 80-yard touchdown with 2:03 remaining to give the Seahawks a come-from-behind 22-15 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
George, meanwhile, had a cookout in Atlanta, hoping another quarterback job would open so that he could reject the Seahawks’ offer of $30 million for six years.
Five-million-dollar signing bonus, multi-million, multi-year contracts. Those are things that escape Friesz’ grasp. But against the Dolphins, he was on the money when it counted.
Friesz executed what Erickson had been wanted all season: He found wide receiver Joey Galloway open deep for 65- and 51-yard touchdowns. His 301-yard effort was the Seahawks’ first 300-yard game since Jeff Kemp threw for 322 yards in 1991.
Wouldn’t it be nice to be offered $30 million, someone asked Friesz after the game?
“I’ve never been considered that way and I don’t expect to be considered that way,” said Friesz, who completed 18 of 32 passes for 301 yards and three touchdowns.
“I was never the guy that anybody wanted. I was never the first one chosen at anything.
I wasn’t the last guy, but I wasn’t ever the franchise guy.”
But his effort Sunday in Pro Player Stadium served as a bright moment in one of the darkest periods in Seahawks franchise history. In exploring the George trade, the Seahawks devalued Mirer with his teammates and around the league. Amid the chaos, Erickson asked Friesz to forget the distractions and try to beat a Dolphins team that new coach Jimmy Johnson had molded into a winner with a 3-1 record.
“I can’t say enough about that,” Erickson said about Friesz. “He’s a lot more calm and collected than I was. I’m glad I’m not out there.”
When Johnson gets a look at tape of the game, free safety Atkins might wish he had not been out there Sunday. Knowing the way Johnson cuts players for missed assignments, Atkins might not wear a Dolphins uniform again. The same might go for rookie defensive end Shane Burton, whose 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty turned a third-down incompletion into a first down and gave the Seahawks critical field position in the final 6 minutes.
“There is no way that you can give up three big plays passing like we did and expect to win,” Johnson groused after the game. “The other thing is the turnovers. We fumbled the ball seven times offensively.” Weather conditions were a problem. A steady rain made the field slick and the ball slippery. Dolphins quarterback Craig Erickson, replacing the injured Dan Marino, fumbled four exchanges with center Tim Ruddy. Friesz fumbled only once, but seven years of experience gave him an edge. So did the fact that he had nothing to lose.
After all, if the Seahawks make the trade, George could be the starter before the end of October. Friesz is also in the last year of a contract. Mirer’s future is in doubt in light of his benching and the George negotiations, but Friesz was having fun.
“In a weird way, it might be the funnest game I’ve ever played,” Friesz said. “I’ve never played in weather like that. I’ve never practiced in weather like that and to still have some success and win the game was fun. It was kinda John Madden ball.”
Despite the conditions, Friesz’s first mission was to get the ball in the hands of Galloway. He wasted no time. After the Dolphins drove more than seven minutes after the kickoff for a 20-yard Joe Nedney field goal, Friesz fired his first pass to the right sideline to Galloway for a nine-yard gain.
“We finally got him the football,” Dennis Erickson said of Galloway, who caught five passes for 139 yards before Sunday. “He’s a tremendous athlete. We had trouble getting him the ball. John was just a little more tuned to getting him the football.”
As the first quarter was expiring, Friesz spotted Galloway with single coverage by cornerback Jackson. Galloway fought off the hands of Jackson to make the grab, then raced 69 yards for a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a 7-3 lead.
Cornerback Terrell Buckley and Atkins screwed up on Galloway’s next touchdown. One played a three-deep zone while the other played a four-deep zone, creating enough confusion for Galloway to slip through them for a 51-yard touchdown and a 14-3 lead.
The Dolphins came back. Craig Erickson hit his former University of Miami receiver Randal “Thrill” Hill for a 33-yard touchdown before half-time. Irving Spikes gave the Dolphins a 15-14 lead with a 2-yard touchdown run early in the second half, but a bad snap ruined one conversion attempt and Spikes was stopped on a 2-point conversion run on the other.
Under Friesz’ direction midway through the fourth quarter, the Seahawks drove from their 20 to the Dolphins’ 45. Friesz converted a fourth-down with a 5-yard completion to Galloway. Another fourth down ended in frustration when Friesz short-armed a pass that was interception by linebacker Dwight Hollier.
“After that interception, I ran onto the field and told John that we’d get the ball back to him,” defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy said.
The Tez-led defense held the Dolphins without a first down from the Seahawks’ 42, forcing a punt. Friesz had one more chance. On third-and-10, Friesz avoided cornerback Tim Jacobs and hit Blades, who beat Jackson and Adkins for the touchdown.