Digging Out From 1994 Defense On The Attack Hoping To Revive Once-Proud Unit

Numbers alone sometimes don’t supply adequate perspective.

The nosedive of the Seattle Seahawks defense in 1994, for instance, can be quantified in several ways:

The Hawks plummeted to 23rd in the league after three straight top-10 finishes.

Opponents averaged 334 yards and a 3-minute advantage in time of possession.

Only nine of the team’s interceptions came in the last 12 games.

These are telling statistics.

But one other figure stands above all others as an example of the unraveling of the Seahawks defense: On Nov. 6, the Cincinnati Bengals gained a total of 496 yards on Seattle.

For the math-impaired, that’s just 4 yards shy of 500 from a team that had lost all of its previous eight games.

The statistical term for this? Dreadful.

The scheme was based on reading and reacting. It left the defense to read about losses and react to the criticism.

The good news for Seahawks fans is that there won’t be much time for defenders to be reading this season.

They will be too busy attacking.

“It’s an attack defense, a lot like what we used with the Raiders,” said Hawks linebacker Winston Moss. “And you can make a lot of things happen when you’re attacking.”

But it might make the team vulnerable to giving up big plays.

The first three preseason games could be indicative of that. Opponents averaged considerable more yardage than Seattle, but the Hawks forced seven turnovers while committing just two of their own.

At the least, it shouldn’t be boring.

“It’s really simpler for all of us,” safety Eugene Robinson said. “There’s basically three defenses that are variations of each other. And the coaches want us to play those few as well as possible rather than doing a lot of different things not so well.”

Robinson called the coverage principles “a lot of zone with man concepts,” which give the defender some leeway in how to cover.

“It’s not a matter so much of saying, if they’re here, you need to be there, but more a situation of if he does this, you do that,” Robinson said. “What (defensive coordinator) Greg McMackin stresses is (to) make that read quick and get on the guy hard.”

The fulcrum of coach Dennis Erickson’s Miami-style attacking defense is a pair of disruptive defensive tackles.

Cortez Kennedy is acknowledged as one of the best in the game, but his sack and tackle-for-loss totals dropped dramatically the past two years as he was asked to be responsible for two gaps on the offensive line.

This year, Kennedy and second-year tackle Sam Adams are free to split the gaps however they can and get into the backfield.

Adams, in fact, appears on the verge of joining Kennedy in the group of elite defensive tackles.

“Sam was brought in here to take the pressure off Cortez and I think he’s going to do that,” Erickson said.

“My main strength is coming off the ball quick, so now I’ve got more chances to make big plays,” said Adams.

The end positions are solid and deep, with starters Antonio Edwards and Brent Williams supported by Michael McCrary and Michael Sinclair, who are better pass rushers.

No position on the team has undergone more turnover than linebacker, where Rod Stephens and Rufus Porter left via free agency and Moss and Tyrone Stowe are additions. The anchor of the unit, though, is Terry Wooden, whose quiet excellence may set the standard for the defense.

Wooden played at near-Pro Bowl level with 128 tackles, three interceptions and 12-1/2 tackles for losses.

The competition at middle linebacker, meanwhile, continues to be between Stowe and Dean Wells. Stowe has the edge against the run, Wells against the pass. The loss of Stephens will have minimal impact.

The secondary is so strong at safety and so fragile at cornerback.

Robinson, seemingly healed from Achilles surgery, is one of the best in the game at free safety and Robert Blackmon is coming off his best year at strong safety.

But the loss of Nate Odomes for the season leaves inexperienced Corey Harris starting at one corner, with talented-but-injury-plagued Carlton Gray manning the other corner.

Special teams could be an adventure.

Receiver Joey Galloway could break a punt return or two for a score, and punter Rick Tuten is excellent. But placekicker Todd Peterson is unproven and coverage units inconsistent. Departed kicker John Kasay, it might be noted, made 14 of 17 preseason field-goal attempts for the Carolina Panthers.

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