RENTON – Pass the smelling salts.
Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren would like to wake up from the recurring nightmare that has been his team’s season so far and see the Seahawks play like they were predicted to play before the season started.
“It’s like Groundhog’s Day,” Holmgren said. “I couldn’t believe it, it was so similar. But that’s what is happening. And that is what’s allowing us to lose the football game.”
You know the mind-numbing mistakes Holmgren is talking about – holding penalties that bring back long runs, missed opportunities to cash in on turnovers, and poor third-down execution on offense and defense.
But it will take more than a snap of the fingers to turn around a 1-5 season that’s careened way off course in Holmgren’s final year as the team’s coach.
Perhaps the one thing that eats at Holmgren the most is his team’s poor execution in the passing game. Since 2002, Seattle has ranked on average 11th in the league in passing offense. This season, Seattle ranks last in the league, averaging a paltry 127 yards passing a game.
And Seahawks starting quarterbacks have a combined passer rating of 56.8, also the worst in the league.
Things may not be getting better for a while.
Starting quarterback Matt Hasselbeck remains questionable for Sunday’s game at San Francisco. During his Monday meeting with reporters, Holmgren said Hasselbeck’s return is “a possibility,” but that Hasselbeck would have to pass some tests on the bulging disc in his back that is causing weakness in his right knee in order to make it onto the practice field.
“The last medical report is that he’s feeling better each day,” Holmgren said. “But they have this measuring stick, though, before they will allow him to play. That’s my understanding. And until he reaches that, then he probably won’t play.”
If Hasselbeck can’t go, then Holmgren will have to choose between Seneca Wallace and Charlie Frye. Neither quarterback has played well this season. Wallace was 12-of-23 for 73 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. Frye was just as awful in a loss against Green Bay two weeks ago, finishing 12-of-23 for 83 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
With Hasselbeck out, Holmgren relied more on an improved running game in order to limit mistakes by his less experienced quarterbacks.
However, Holmgren may be leaning toward returning to his pass-first philosophy with Seattle mired in a three-game losing streak and showing little hope of breaking out.
“We tried it the conservative way and it’s not working that well,” Holmgren said. “So, it’s something we’re going to talk about this week. The offensive situation is very unusual right now. I’m not quite used to it. We have to try and figure out the best way to improve this week and do it quickly.”
A veteran Seahawks squad also may be showing some fracturing in the ranks. Holmgren said some players expressed their frustration on the sideline Sunday in Tampa, Fla.
However, he did not elaborate on who the rankled players were or what was said.
Seattle’s fortunes could take a turn for the better this week. The Seahawks face an equally bad team in the 49ers, and may be catching them at the right time. San Francisco coach Mike Nolan was fired Monday after a disappointing 2-5 start, and defensive coordinator Mike Singletary was named his replacement.
Holmgren said he’s never experienced anything like this season in his professional career as a head coach. However, he said this season reminds him of a time when he worked as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco, and his team was overmatched every week.
“We just have to make sure that when we go through tough times we are consistent in how we treat each other, we continue to respect one another, and it’s important that we continue to still have confidence to rely on each other,” Holmgren said. “That’ll be my message this week.”
Extra points
Holmgren gave the team Monday off. Players will come to work at the practice facility today. ... Holmgren said Lofa Tatupu should be fine this week. He talked to Tatupu right after the game and he’s feeling much better after taking a blow to the head on linebacker Leroy Hill’s hit against Tampa Bay receiver Ike Hilliard. ... On the fumbled snap exchange between Chris Spencer and Seneca Wallace, Holmgren said Spencer snapped the ball when Wallace was calling out a change in the pass protection, and not on the called snap count. ... Holmgren also said the team is not to the point where they will start playing young guys and looking toward the future. “We’re not there yet,” he said. “Teams do that at the end of the year. Everybody does it at the end of the year if they’re not going into the playoffs and things like that. Right now, any substitutions we make are based on trying to make the team better right now, not for the future.”
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
blogs.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/
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