Erickson Defends Seahawks’ Season

Even as the rumors swirl, ready to devour his name, Dennis Erickson can see growth. The Seattle Seahawks coach looked at the season that is almost over and said, yes, things are better. It’s the closest he has come to pleading for his job.

“From the time we first came here to now, there’s much more stability,” Erickson said. “We’re playing better. We’re very close to doing what we expected to do here.”

Circumstances seem to have ganged up against Erickson, who is completing the third year of a five-year contract that pays him $1 million annually.

Seattle is 7-8 going into the final game of the season Sunday night against San Francisco. A victory would give him a string of 8-8, 7-9 and 8-8 - not bad when you consider the Seahawks won only 14 games in the three previous seasons.

Before the season, after a winter in which Seattle signed several big-name free agents, Erickson set the playoffs as a realistic goal. Now that the team has fallen short, he insists it has progressed.

“Right now, we’re very solid and close to where we want to be, where we need to be,” he said. “It takes time to build a franchise, three to five years, I don’t think there’s any timetable on it. I see where we were and I can see where we’re at and I can see where we’re going.”

San Francisco quarterback Steve Young won’t play in the second half and may not see time past the first quarter, coach Steve Mariucci said.

The 49ers have nothing to gain with a victory and nothing to lose with a loss.

Zampese expects to get ax

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese expects to lose his job because of the team’s poor performance the past two seasons.

“Someone always is held accountable when you lose,” Zampese said. “I’m the offensive coordinator, and it’s my responsibility to get guys to play and to score touchdowns. We haven’t done either one well this year.”

Owner Jerry Jones hasn’t commented about the status of Zampese and the team’s other coaches, including head coach Barry Switzer.

Six in hunt for four spots

The final weekend of the NFL season will have playoff-like intensity for the six teams in contention for the final four postseason berths.

“This is the biggest game a lot of us here have played in,” said New York Jets defensive end Hugh Douglas, whose team can clinch with a win at Detroit Sunday.

Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Kansas City, the New York Giants, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Tampa Bay already have clinched postseason spots.

Miami, New England, Detroit, Minnesota, Washington and the Jets are competing to get in.

Notes

The Kansas City Chiefs claimed veteran defensive tackle Michael Dean Perry off waivers from the Denver Broncos. … Denver running back Terrell Davis is making progress in recovering from a slightly separated right shoulder, although the Broncos insist a decision on whether he can play Sunday won’t be made until game time. … Despite big wins with backup quarterback Rich Gannon at the helm, Kansas City is expected to start Elvis Grbac for the final regular-season game Sunday against New Orleans. Grbac broke his collarbone Nov. 3.