Seahawks look to buck trend
Last we saw of the 2004 Seattle Seahawks, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was pounding his fists on the fake turf at Qwest Field after a fourth-down incompletion late in an NFC Wild Card playoff loss to division rival St. Louis.
That came roughly a year after Seattle’s season ended when Green Bay cornerback Al Harris picked off a Hasselbeck pass and returned it for the decisive score in another Wild Card loss.
So what’s in store for the Seahawks this season? Depends on whom you choose to believe.
Most agree the Seahawks are a title contender in the middling NFC West, but not good enough to challenge the NFL heavyweights. If the forecasters are correct, it’ll be a familiar refrain for the Seahawks, a franchise stuck in the 6-10 win range and unable to get over the first-round hump in the playoffs. Seattle has won between 6-10 games every season since 1993.
That’s the path Seattle traveled last season, outscoring opponents 65-13 while opening the season 3-0 before struggling to a 9-7 mark and a first-round playoff exit.
A sampling of the glut of preview magazines suggests Seattle, which opens training camp with the first full team practice Friday morning at Eastern Washington University, might eke out another NFC West crown, but probably won’t make a prolonged playoff run.
That’s in stark contrast to the buzz prior to the 2004 season when some projected Seattle as a legitimate Super Bowl threat.
Pro Football Weekly projects Seattle at 10-6 and first in the division. Lindy’s has Seattle finishing tied for second place with Arizona. The Sporting News predicts a 7-9 record and third-place finish.
All seem to agree Arizona is on the rise, particularly if Kurt Warner pans out at quarterback; St. Louis needs improvement defensively to challenge and San Francisco appears ready to ride out some on-the-job training for No. 1 pick Alex Smith and another down year.
The Chicago Tribune rates Seattle as the NFC West favorite, but wonders if coach Mike Holmgren and running back Shaun Alexander will get along. Alexander created a firestorm following the regular-season finale when he accused Holmgren of stabbing him in the back when he came up a yard short of tying Curtis Martin for the rushing title.
Alexander hasn’t signed a one-year tender as the team’s franchise player, meaning he’ll probably skip camp and join the team prior to the season opener (see Walter Jones, 2002-2004).
Other questions persist:
Will the receivers catch the ball? Talented but troubled Koren Robinson, whose 10 drops last season was tied for fourth most in the NFL according to Stats Inc., has been released. Darrell Jackson, tied for second with 11 drops, returns along with newcomers Jerome Pathon and Joe Jurevicius.
“Will a sound linebacking unit develop? With the departures of Chad Brown, Orlando Huff and Anthony Simmons, Seattle will rely on free-agent pickup Jamie Sharper and probably D.D. Lewis, who was sidelined with a shoulder injury in 2004. Second-year pro Niko Koutouvides and second-round draft pick Lofa Tatupu will try to stop the revolving door at the middle linebacker position.
“Will the defense be able to generate a consistent pass rush? Chike Okeafor, who led the Seahawks with 8.5 sacks last season, has joined the Cardinals. He’ll be replaced by Renton native Bryce Fisher, who had 8.5 sacks with the Rams in 2004. Grant Wistrom missed roughly half of last season with a knee injury and finished with 3.5 sacks in his first year in Seattle.
“Can Seneca Wallace handle the role of No. 2 quarterback? Holmgren has said he might sign a veteran for insurance but at this point the athletic, improving Wallace is the backup to Hasselbeck. Wallace was the No. 3 quarterback the last two years.
“Can the Seahawks beat the Rams? St. Louis swept Seattle 3-0 last year, including a 33-27 comeback victory in October at Qwest Field that started the Seahawks’ spiral. Both teams spent much of the offseason tending to their defenses. Both possess capable offenses, so it’s likely the performance of their defenses will determine their head-to-head matchups.
“How much heat is on Holmgren? A fair amount, by most accounts. Seattle has yet to win a playoff game in his tenure and many, including ESPN.com, are suggesting that he must break that streak to remain on the job. Some thought the same thing last season, but it was team president Bob Whitsitt who lost his job, not Holmgren.
“Will Seattle’s first-round draft picks make an impact? Chris Spencer projects as the future starting center, but he’ll probably learn behind Robbie Tobeck this season. The Seahawks expect much more this year from 2004 first-rounder Marcus Tubbs, who had 13 tackles in limited duty last season. Tubbs is listed as the backup at defensive tackle to Rashad Moore on the team Web site.
The answers to those questions and many more start coming Friday.