Seahawks defense porous
Ranked 27th after showing against Giants
RENTON, Wash. – During an optimistic August that saw the Seattle Seahawks go through training camp with all 11 starters from their 15th-ranked defense of 2007, the talk was that this year’s unit might be good enough for a top-5 finish.
One month into the 2008 season, a different question has popped up.
Do the Seahawks have the horses on defense to even contend for another playoff berth?
It’s a legitimate question, especially after the team gave up 523 yards in a 44-6 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, dropping to No. 27 in the league in total yards allowed.
“There’s no playoffs going on right now,” safety Brian Russell said when the question was posed to him on Monday. “We’ve got more games in front of us, and our job is to play a heck of a lot better in the next 12. Hopefully, that affords us an opportunity to play in the postseason.”
Seattle’s defense has played far below expectations so far this season, and any playoff aspirations will probably depend on a quick and somewhat dramatic turnaround. In addition to the 366.5 yards allowed per game – the 2007 defense held opponents to 44.7 fewer yards per outing – the Seahawks have given up way too many points: 124. It took almost eight full games for Seattle’s 2007 opponents to put up that many points. The Seahawks have already allowed three teams to pile up more than 30 points in a game – something that happened only twice in Seattle’s previous 25 games.
It’s enough to leave head coach Mike Holmgren and his defensive assistants scratching their heads. “It’s the same group we had last year,” a somewhat perplexed Holmgren said on Monday. “We played good defensive football last year. So there is hope. But (Sunday) we didn’t play well, for whatever reason.”
The players maintain that they haven’t lost confidence, despite the alarming start.
“We’re going to be all right,” said linebacker Julian Peterson, one of four Pro Bowlers on the Seattle defense. “Obviously, (Sunday’s game) wasn’t a game you want to remember. But you have to look at it (on film), see how you can improve and put it behind you.”
The struggles are far-reaching. The following are just a few of the areas plaguing Seattle’s defense:
Pass rush: The Seahawks have just 11 sacks this season, four of which came from defensive end Patrick Kerney. Quarterback pressure has not been nearly as consistent as the team expected.
Turnovers: One of the goals of this year’s defense was to make big plays by taking from thy neighbor. Four games in, the Seahawks have forced just three turnovers – and only one of those was an interception.
Big plays: While making big plays has been a problem, allowing them has become a habit. Three different Giants running backs had runs of 20 yards or longer on Sunday. In a loss to San Francisco, Isaac Bruce continually made long receptions on third downs. The Buffalo Bills put the opener out of reach with pass plays of 30-plus yards on back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter.
Tackling: The Giants’ Brandon Jacobs proved that a big running back is not the perfect matchup for Seattle’s undersized D. The 265-pounder ran through would-be tacklers all day long Sunday, piling up 136 rushing yards.
Sunday’s game was a new low for the Seahawks’ defense, as the Giants scored on their first six possessions. Three New York touchdown drives came without the need for a single third down.
The Seahawks’ coaching staff spent a good part of the past two days trying to fix the problems, juggling every solution from lineup changes to simplifying the scheme.
“I’m not losing faith in them,” Holmgren said.
Rather than concentrate on getting back to the same level where it was in 2007, the Seattle defense is more focused on stopping an opponent – any opponent.