Seahawks Run And Shoot Chargers George Watches From Luxury Suite As Seahawks Display Atlanta-Style Tendencies

Jeff George was suspended three additional games for making remarks critical of the Atlanta Falcons’ run-and-shoot offense. Strange as it turned out, George flew approximately 2,500 miles watch the Seahawks’ version of it Sunday in the Kingdome.

More than a month ago, George called the Falcons’ offense antiquated, sealing his release from the team. The Seahawks, mired in a season-long offensive slump, considered it energizing. Working most of three quarters in a four-receiver spread similar to the run-and-shoot, the Seahawks shot down an undermanned San Diego Chargers squad, 32-13, before 38,143 fans and one potential $30 million recruit.

George, who spent Saturday touring Seattle and Sunday watching the Seahawks, hid away in a Kingdome luxury suite as part of the Seahawks’ and future owner Paul Allen’s pitch for him to be their quarterback. Desperate for a victory, Seahawks coach Dennis Erickson would have used a wing-T offense if it would resulted in a victory.

At least, this was more exciting.

By spreading the field, the Seahawks opened up running lanes for halfbacks Chris Warren and Lamar Smith. The Seahawks rushed for a season high 206 yards and two touchdowns. They had 404 yards in total offense. In seven previous games, they had rushed for only 694 yards and scored six touchdowns.

“I guess I’m a run-and-shoot back,” Warren joked after his 19-carry, 146-yard effort. “So what, if that keeps me in the game.”

Warren knows the Seahawks have been quick to yank him for slow starts. He might have sensed the hook was ready after he gained 6 yards on his first five carries.

Erickson was thinking of using four receivers, no fullback, no tight ends. He used the formation about five times in the first quarter, but a large percentage of the plays in the second and third quarters.

“It gives us an idea of what they’re doing,” Erickson said of the run-and-shoot. “We spread them out a little bit and see what their ‘backers are doing. It just gives us a better opportunity as far as giving us an advantage to run or throw, depending on what they were doing.”

A mixture of three-and four-receiver sets kept the game close early. Twice the teams exchanged field goals, so the score was 6-6 when the Seahawks reaped the first dividend of Erickson’s four-receiver spread. On a second-and-6, Warren broke a 50-yard run off the left side of the line and scampered down the right sideline.

Two plays later, Smith broke a 10-yard touchdown run off a three-receiver set to take a 13-6 lead with 6:42 left in the second quarter. Four minutes later, free safety Darryl Williams took a Sean Salisbury interception 79 yards for a touchdown - the kind of play that makes any game plan more effective.

The Seahawks had a 20-6 halftime lead and everything going its way.

“The main reason we were in that offense today was partially because of Junior Seau being out of the game,” said quarterback John Friesz. “Usually, he’s the guy right in the middle of the box (between offensive tackles). With him out, anybody out there is not Junior Seau. We tried to take advantage of that.”

Friesz’ mission was to call for a running play if five defenders were within the area between the Seahawks tackles while the other six covered the four wide receivers. If six or seven defenders were in that “box,” Friesz called for a pass.

“It’s something that we’ll probably do more and more of as we continue on,” Erickson said. “We’ve done it quite a bit, not as much as we did today. We used it a lot today, and we may use it a lot next week. I don’t know, you have to look and see what kind of defense we’re playing.”

Erickson may have stayed with the spread too long. The good news was that it helped in two third-quarter field goal drives to open a 26-6 lead. Seattle’s Todd Peterson had four field goals for the day.

But the spread set also left Friesz vulnerable to at least six hard hits by Chargers defenders. One hit early in the third quarter resulted in Friesz twisting an ankle. Another separated cartilage in his chest, causing him to fire short on some attempts. During one stretch, Friesz completed only two of nine passes.

“I wasn’t the same,” said Friesz, who finished with 16 completions in 33 attempts for 206 yards. “Some guys were standing out there in the flat. I’d throw, thinking I’d hit him in the numbers, but the ball would go low. I just played crappy.”